Heat - Nick, der Killer

"Heat" is an exceptional, vigorous and agile film, that counts with an efficient cast and a brilliant and structured story in a correct way. In this world where everybody looks for pleasures without limits, Nick Escaliente (magnificently interpreted by Burt Reynolds), a veteran combatant from Vietnam, specialist in martial arts, tries to win a lot of money in the casinos of Nevada. In his side, there are two inseparable friends, a boy (Peter MacNicol, also excellent and funny) and a prostitute. When his friend is murdered, Escaliente decides to show all his ferocity and his know-how in the martial arts, and to kill the mafioso ones. Reynolds is brilliant, and at the same time frightening as a man who carries inside of him a lot of hate and he riots and he is always ready to explode!the sequences where he avenges the friends' death and he beats to the end his enemies is of a violence and explicit plasticity. The director doesn't lose the control of the plot, and it drives the intrigue with a surgical precision, showing that the distance between the exaggerated violence and the happiness is short and fragile. I affirm that "Heat" is a "current" western, because the story happens in a dangerous and lawless Las Vegas, where the smallest negligence can mean the end!and "Heat" portrays this city with fidelity and professionalism, offering a plausible, pleasant and unforgettable show!this film really needs to be seen, appreciated and applauded!Burt Reynolds respects, as always, his fans, and he offers his more common acting: the solitary man, tough, charming, cynic and extremely lethal, who is always in the limit. The film seems to have been done in the measure for the star, and it still reaches its objective, guaranteed a hallucinating, explosive and touching day in Las Vegas!rent it, and you will understand why!!!

Burt Reynolds has know to be an action hero as well as a wisecracking actor. In "Heat", he never uses a gun. Reynolds plays Nick "Mex" Escalante, a former soldier of fortune who is also a habitual gambler in Las Vegas. He meets different people, protecting them as well. When teaching one man to be tough, a call girl named Holly(Karen Young) get viciously beaten by a new high roller(Neill Barry) who is back by a pair of giants. Holly demands revenge, but she needed Mex's help. He goes in disguise, takes out the two giant thugs and takes out DeMarco as well. While tied up, Holly comes in, with a pair of shears, and did the unthinkable. Baby(Joseph Mascolo) hears the news on what happened. But he wanted Mex's side of the story since he finds DeMarco accounts kind of questionable. The loophole was Mex doesn't use guns. Earlier, he met a man named Cyrus Kinnick(Peter MacNicol), who knows about his situation: He wants to go to Venice. After training him to be tough, he repays Mex with some money to go. Before they can go further, DeMarco and his goons ambushes them, only wounding Kinnick. He didn't look like much when Mex met him, but he appeared a lot tougher than he thought he was. A gun-less victory is possible when you're a super soldier. Just tell that to DeMarco and his crew. This movie has a lot of action. A little subtle to say the least. But what the hey! 2 out of 5 stars

One of Burt Reynold's best performances. Having said that, the movie has some definite shortcomings. Mex's dreams of Venice seem awfully thin. The part where he interacts with MacNichols is much better than the Mafia stuff that the film degenerates into. All in all, however, a much better film than you'd think. (for all its obscurity)

Reynolds did a few lame ducks in the 80's, but this is not one of them. The movie takes place in Las Vegas and is complex with several sub-plots and character undertones.

Burt plays an Ex-Special Forces Op turned gambling addict that hires out in solving various problems for his clients. Everything from bodyguard to that of playing the role of fall guy for a weakling trying to impress his girlfriend to that of helping a rape victim friend seek revenge against the son of a wealthy syndicated mobster. There are also profound scenes that depict his gambling addiction.

Great cast and acting, decently written and directed, and a music score that captures the appropriate atmosphere to this darker side of life on The Strip.

6.5/10

Other overlooked winners by Reynolds in the 80's include: Sharkey's Machine, Stick, Malone, Physical Evidence, and Breaking-In.

Even though it came out a few months earlier, this great Burt Reynold's obscurity, "Heat," could have easily been a sequel to his other great 80s obscurity, "Malone." Once you changed a couple of small plot points to make the films consistent, you'd still have exactly the same character at the center of each. Burt acts the same, looks the same, dresses the same, and his character in Heat has a very similar background and the exact same skills as the one on "Malone." In fact, the two films even share some of the same lines of dialog (almost). In "Malone" the young girl tells Burt's character that he must like violence. Burt replies that "No, I'm just good at it--there's a difference." In "Heat" Peter McNichol asks Burt if he's a naturally violent person. To which Burt replies "No, I'm just good at it." I mean, really--could that be a total coincidence?

Another similarity--"Malone" was basically a old fashioned Western in the "Shane" mode. "Heat" is basically a Spaghetti Western in the revenge mode.

I love both of these flicks and wish they'd get decent DVD releases.