If you're a fan of Heat and can engage with a movie in a certain kind of analytical or more distant way, I feel like L. A. Takedown is possible to recommend. If the idea of seeing a warm-up/dress rehearsal for Heat sounds interesting, L. A. Takedown is just that. It has many similarities when it comes to the main premise and the characters, though I think there were a couple of characters who only appeared in the nearly twice-as-long Heat, or were only in L. A. Takedown for a matter of seconds; not long enough to have them make an impact.
What's different is how much better the 1995 film looks and sounds, as well as how much better the acting is. There are a couple of good performances in L. A. Takedown, some that are passable by TV movie standards, and some that really aren't very good (my ears couldn't believe some of the line deliveries here and there).
The ending is also so much better in Heat, and maybe the one narrative element that's significantly different. Other sequences are almost identical; maybe a little shortened, given L. A. Takedown is only 90-ish minutes long. Seeing the rough proof-of-concept of one the best crime epics of all time is absolutely fascinating, it has to be said, and though L. A. Takedown isn't super high-quality and certainly has numerous shortcomings, I think it's surprisingly engaging when approached from this specific angle. Also, as far as TV movies from the 1980s go, I've definitely seen some that are choppier and more amateurish.
Also pleased to announce that like Heat, the big bank robbery/shootout is the highlight of L. A. Takedown - it's a cut above most of the other scenes in the film, with how it's shot and assembled, and proves surprisingly thrilling.
