L.A. Takedown, also called L.A. Crimewave and Made in L.A.,[1] is a 1989 American crime action film written and directed by Michael Mann.

The ensemble cast includes Scott Plank, Alex McArthur, Michael Rooker, Daniel Baldwin, and Xander Berkeley.

Los Angeles robbery-homicide sergeant Vincent Hanna (Plank) is on the trail of a gang of ruthless professional criminals, led by the methodical Patrick McLaren (McArthur), whose only mistake in the last heist was the killing of armored car guards by the new recruit, Waingro (Berkeley), who is a loose cannon.

Moreover, McLaren is also facing a similar problem when he finds himself falling in love with Eady (Harrington), which he condemns due to the commitment required to his profession.

After making an unlikely escape, McLaren is presented with an opportunity to leave Los Angeles for a new life with Eady, but he decides to first take revenge for Waingro's betrayal.

The majority of the main cast appeared as guest stars in episodes of one or both of Michael Mann's two shows produced in the 1980s, Miami Vice and Crime Story.

[7] Mann felt the draft would make a good pilot episode, but decided to set the story in Los Angeles, deeming the L. A. Robbery–Homicide Division a better basis for a TV show.

[12] Hal Erickson of AllRovi compared the film to Mann's cult TV series Miami Vice, but felt it emphasized style over substance.

"[13] A reviewer from Lexikon des Internationalen Films of Germany was less enthusiastic, citing routine action sequences and a confusing plot due to the overly large cast.

[14] Lol Frost of Empire gave L.A. Takedown two out of five stars, acknowledging the worthiness of the plot, but citing lack of Mann's typical filming style.

"[7] On April 5, 1994, Mann was reported to have abandoned an earlier plan to produce a James Dean biographical film in favor of the L.A. Takedown remake, entitled Heat.

[4][7] Xander Berkeley, who played Waingro in L.A. Takedown, makes a brief appearance in Heat as a man who has a one-night stand with Justine.

[17] Not only featuring a bigger budget and well-known actors, Heat also had significant storyline differences when compared to L.A. Takedown.