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Running Time: 144 Minutes
Certification: 15
Starring: Gerard Butler, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Evin Ahmad, Michael Bisping, Salvatore Esposito, Meadow Williams, Swen Temmel, Orli Shuka
Released in 2018, Den of Thieves was an action-thriller that was the directorial debut of Christian Gudegast. It may have felt like something concocted after numerous watches of Heat and The Usual Suspects, but the film was an entertaining work that especially came alive with the eventual shoot-out. It was successful enough to garner a sequel, and Den of Thieves 2: Pantera arrives seven-years-later to catch up with the remaining characters.
The films opens on a heist in session, as Donnie Wilson (O'Shea Jackson Jr.) helps commit a robbery while posing as federal police. The success of this job leads him onto his next role, working with the Panther mafia to rob a diamond vault in Nice, France. Meanwhile, tough times have hit Detective 'Big Nick' O'Brien (Gerard Butler), as he is recently divorced and put on leave by his department. He soon crosses paths with Donnie, the suspect who eluded him, and any ideas of an arrest disappears as Nick proposes teaming up for the robbery.
What drove the previous film was seeing how, despite the characters occupying different sides of the law, the lines appeared blurred between them. This element carries over to this follow-up, as the livewire Big Nick and the more collected Donnie gain better understanding of one another as they end up on the same side. A sequence where the pair open up about their past is a low-key standout, as they both began with noble intentions, but while Donnie sees his current path as natural development, Big Nick appears remorseful at how far he has veered from the person he intended to become. As the pair are bought alive by effective chemistry, you easily buy into the burgeoning friendship between this satisfied career criminal, and the detective on the edge of the law who found his breaking point.
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Admittedly, one wishes that the supporting cast had more meaty material to work with. There is a fun moment where they switch between music of different genres, and one is left wishing that tone appeared more in their scenes. It is a shortcoming that feels apparent due to Gudegast's script, particularly as the plot becomes needlessly complicated by tying into the opening heist. As a result, moments like these leave one thinking that a tighter runtime would have been beneficial.
In terms of his work, Gudegast shines more as a director. When the film reaches the much-planned heist, it feels worthy of the build-up as the proceedings become rather tense. As the team move from section-to-section, working with such precision in order to avoid being seen, it is a tremendously crafted sequence that is worth whatever came before it. Gudegast knows how to deliver on the set-pieces, and that is especially true with a thrilling third-act chase. As the story wraps up, a third film in this series becomes an enticing prospect worth returning for. For now, Den of Thieves 2: Pantera is an exciting follow-up which eclipses the first film.
Available to stream on Prime Video
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