It is about time someone decided to remake HEAT. What a piece of garbage that movie was. I mean, I get that it is a crime drama starring some famous actors, but come on. If anyone really wants to give me a convincing argument that HEAT should not be remade, now is the time to tell me.
Wait, there was a HEAT with Al Pacino and Robert De Niro? Never heard of it. I am referring to the seminal 1986 film HEAT starring Burt Reynolds and Peter MacNicol. When I think of HEAT, that is the first movie that comes to mind.
HEAT was going to be helmed by the legendary Brian De Palma but Statham’s EXPENDABLES 2 director Simon West has taken the reins instead. Cory Yuen will choreograph the fight scenes and the screenplay will be written by William Goldman (THE PRINCESS BRIDE, MARATHON MAN), who wrote the original film.
Plot: Statham will be playing the role originated by Reynolds, a compulsive gambler who works odd jobs in security to make ends meet. Eventually things come to a head when his friend is brutally beaten, and Statham’s character must take on the Las Vegas mob responsible.
So, basically, like THE MECHANIC and CRANK and PARKER and SAFE and WAR, this is a slight variation on the “Jason Statham is a grumbly British [insert respectable military or police role] who has to fight the [insert vicious criminal organization] who killed his [insert family or friend] which shows him the path to redemption”.
I like Statham, but the guy needs to mix it up a little bit.