Nick Scaliente (Reynolds) is a tough guy who is obsessed with gambling and lives a sleazy life in Las Vegas, working as a body guard. When his girl friend is beaten up by a spoiled rich kid, Nick decides to get even with the guys. This is a typical Burt Reynolds action flick of the mid eighties (like Stick and Malone), it isn't Burt's greatest film, but it isn't his worst (this `honor' goes to Crazy Six). The script was penned by legend William Goldman, so the story is interesting and sustains the attention during its whole running time, although I felt that the film could have been a little shorter. The action scenes are well-done, and I loved the final showdown between Burt and the mob guys, on the streets of Las Vegas. The photography accentuates the two sides of Las Vegas the glamorous and the deadly and treacherous sides - the town never looked so bright and shining, kudos to the art director and photography .Burt gives as usual a terrific and powerful performance, how can you forget that brutal scene in which he goes to the spoiled kid's place,full of body guards, and beats them up to death. Cynic, charming but menacing, there are moments when Burt gives that hateful and resented look, you wonder if he is going to chop your head off in a second. Heat was originally intended to be directed by acclaimed director Robert Altman, but discussions with producer Elliot Kastner made him abandon the project, and that's a shame, because even without Altman, Heat is a decent thriller. With Altman as director, it could have been a lot better.
