I was just thinking about this the other day. I know there are tons of Michael Mann fans here but it just seems to me that he is just extremely underrated. I mean I notice the respect of such directors as Kubrick, Spielberg, Scorsese, Tarantino, and ect. I love all those guys and I think he is among them in greatness but it seems he doesn't get as much recognition. Does anybody else out there feel the same way or am I just talking crazy? I mean I think for Heat alone he deserves to be put on a pedestal, I don't even want to mention Thief, when talking his greatness!

I'm sorry because I'm sure this has been the topic in many past threads but I don't remember there being any for a while.

Mann is the reason I'm interested in Miami Vice...

Same here and Jamie Fox, mainly because of his role in Collateral, the trailer really doesn't do much for me...

Mann is a very talented filmmaker and has a unique sense of style. I think he gets recognized as a great director in many circles, but not at the level as to the ones you mentioned.

I think he had more clout in the mid-to-late 80s when Vice was at its peak than he does now - despite the fact that he has greatly improved with experience.

He had more clout back then, even though now he's making more movies with big stars and mega budgets? I...think it's kind of in reverse there.

He's great but he needs to hire a writer for the endings for his crime drama movies. I just watched Heat about a week ago and realized how crappy of an ending the movie had. Cops were all over the hotel and it still becomes a one on one chase between the main characters.

Same with Collateral, movie was great until the cab crashed. Then Cruise became the terminator but couldn't kill the good guys. What sucks about his endings is that he makes the movie so damn realistic until the climax. Climax becomes a typical action movie. I think it will be the same for Miami Vice.

Love his shootouts and the way he shoots the movie. He made L.A. so damn gorgeous in Heat and Collateral. Don't forget he also directed Last Of The Mohicans. That was good too. Ali was crap.

I think he's overrated actually. He clearly has talent and has made some good films, but he's never done anything amazing. Came close with The Insider though.

Yeah... I love Mann. You don't understand how much props I give the man and how fast I'm at any of his films. But he is anything but underrated.

Michael Mann is one of my personal favorite directors! What got me interested in him actually was his early film Thief with James Caan. I found that film to be a wonderful crime drama with great emotional depth; all of its characters were well drawn out and possessed a sense of realism.

In critical circles I believe that Michael Mann is given the attention he deserves since most recognize his mastery at the art of story telling and portraying original characters. However, he seems to be completely unknown by the movie-going public. Ask who Spielberg is and they say "Yeah, He's the best" - Ask who Mann is and they ask "Who?" I can't really comprehend a valid reason for his lack of notority with the audience since he is most deserving of it...

Bingo!

His movies are well known, but the man himself? Not so much, IMO.

Perhaps he was more of a household name when at the end of every Miami Vice episode, it said "Michael Mann Productions".

I'm a fan of "Crime Story," but not a single one of his films does much for me.

Now, Michael Winterbottom--there's an underrated director.

THE INSIDER was an excellent film, as was HEAT. He is very much underrated.

He's great but he's nowhere near a Kubrick or Scorsese. He gets credit he deserves.

Mann is hardly underrated. Exhibit A: The Keep.

His films are, at most, decent (Collateral, The Insider, Manhunter). I think Heat is a bloated mess and he is mostly much style with little substance. I could never stand to watch even five minutes of Miami Vice.

He has some degree of talent but I think he is overrated.

I totally agree with that! I also agree with the point that Mann needs to work on his endings!

Mann is a great director. I don't if he is underated, he seems to get a lot of attention. The insider is a massively underated film, it should have one the Oscar and Russell Crowe should have won aswell. Crowe was a hundred times better in the insider than he was in Gladiator. I'm sure that is why we won, they needed to correct the past mistake.

I love The Insider, Collateral, and Heat. So yes, I love Michael Mann. He should get more praise.

Michael Mann He gets the credit he deserves.

Underrated? Hardly. Love his movies and all, but I realize how some might find fault with him. I agree with the above poster, he gets the credit he deserves, and nothing more.

Ditto.
Good (not great) director.

It's hard to say. He's had a long career but not a lot of movies made. Let's see what he does in the next 10 years.

Agree with this. He has a unique style, but his films can be kind of hit or miss for me. I really enjoyed The Insider and Collateral, but think Manhunter and Ali were both overrated. Ali was stylish and had a novel approach, but was ultimately completely unengaging. I never connected with Ali or his struggles in the film (although I place a lot of the blame for this on Will Smith's EXTREMELY overated performance, which felt more like mimicry than acting).

I must admit I've never seen Heat, Mohicans, or Thief; so I can't make a 100% declaration here.