Den Of Thieves 2: Pantera Review: A Triumph Of Dudes Rock Cinema

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Christian Gudegast's "Den of Thieves" shouldn't have worked. At a glance, the film appeared to be little more than a knock-off of Michael Mann's "Heat" and countless other cops-and-robbers thrillers. Indeed, the film is frequently derivative — not only does it owe a huge debt to "Heat," but it even throws in a last-minute twist shamelessly "borrowed" from "The Usual Suspects." And yet ... "Den of Thieves" inexplicably ruled. While no one could accuse the flick of being original, the end result was wildly entertaining and enjoyable, and I don't mean in a cynical "so bad it's good" sort of way. Violent, engaging, funny, and unapologetically brash, "Den of Thieves" is down and dirty stuff — a scuzzy, dirtbag action flick about angry men shooting loud guns. It's not high art, it's high trash, and I love it with all my heart. 

It's hard to hate a film that introduces its hero, bulky cop Big Nick O'Brien, grabbing a donut off the ground at an outdoor murder scene and taking a big bite. Not long after this moment, Big Nick can be seen chugging directly from a bottle of Pepto-Bismol. As played by Gerard Butler, Big Nick seems perpetually hungover — if you told me Butler had downed half a bottle of Jack Daniels before he shot his scenes, I'd believe you. A swaggering, macho mess who seems constantly on the verge of belching, Big Nick was a flawed, rough beast, unfaithful to his wife and prone to bending the law he's sworn to uphold in order to get his way. And in the end, Big Nick lost. 

"Den of Thieves" saw Big Nick and his crew on the trail of a gang of bank robbers lead by Marine vet Ray Merrimen, played by Pablo Schreiber. As the gang set about planning their latest score, Big Nick tried to infiltrate the group by turning their getaway driver, Donnie (O'Shea Jackson Jr.), into an informant. It all culminated in a big shootout that left multiple people, including Merrimen, dead. In one final twist, though, Big Nick was shocked to learn that Merrimen wasn't the gang's mastermind. Instead, the entire heist was cooked up by Donnie, who was secretly a criminal genius and ultimately the only survivor who ended up getting away with all of the stolen money. The "Den of Thieves" saga could've ended there, but there was also room for more — and, in a big surprise, the film ended up being a much bigger hit than expected. A sequel was announced, and now it arrives in the form of "Den of Thieves 2: Pantera." Rather than try to recreate the scuzzball LA crime movie energy of the first film, Gudegast takes the story to Europe, crafting something larger in scope and creating a film that almost feels like a buddy comedy about big, beefy guys bonding while committing some crimes. It's an absolute blast, and a triumph of Dudes Rock cinema. Long live Big Nick O'Brien, one of the greatest characters in movie history. 

Big Nick breaks bad in Den of Thieves 2

In "Den of Thieves 2," Donnie has relocated to Europe and teamed up with a gang of international thieves nicknamed the Panthers, lead by the alluring Jovanna (Evin Ahmad). Their plan: rob the World Diamond Center in Antwerp. Meanwhile, back in America, Big Nick, who is introduced taking a piss and is later seen living in his truck, is still ticked-off that Donnie got the better of him. Even though he lacks jurisdiction, Nick jets off to Europe and tracks Donnie down. But instead of busting his arch enemy, Nick surprises Donnie by telling him he wants in on the score. He's tired of being broke — he wants some of that sweet, sweet heist money. 

I suppose a smarter movie would have Donnie question Nick's motives. But "Den of Thieves 2" has no interest in taking that route. Instead, Donnie more or less accepts that Big Nick is breaking bad. "The cop goes gangster," as he puts it. Soon, Nick is meeting with the gang, and the real fun of "Den of Thieves 2" begins. Eventually, there will be a heist and action scenes, but the real heart of the movie is in its middle section as we watch Nick and Donnie become inexplicable buddies. In one of the best sections of the film, Nick heads to a club with his new criminal pals and gets high on hashish and ecstasy. Dancing and shouting "Europe rules!" and "F*** NATO!", Nick is soon grinding up on Jovanna, who seems smitten with this bleary-eyed lunkhead. It all caps off with Nick and Donnie getting thrown out of the club for causing a ruckus, at which point Nick yells "Scooter time!" and hops on an electric scooter, with Donnie following his lead.  

Butler, a king of B-movies at this point, seems to be having the time of his life, and why not? Big Nick is probably the best character he's ever played (sorry, "Dracula 2000" fans), and it's a real treat to watch him inhabit this rough-around-the-edges character. He's matched by O'Shea Jackson Jr., who makes a great partner-in-crime to Butler. The true nature of Jackson's character Donnie was deliberately obscured in the first movie. Here, he really gets to step into the spotlight, and I was charmed by a scene in which Donnie explains why he keeps pulling dangerous scores even though he's already stolen a lot of money. "It'll never be enough," he tells Nick. "Because it's not about the money, it's about the challenge." 

I hope they keep making Den of Thieves sequels

Eventually, "Den of Thieves 2" gets around to staging a big, elaborate heist sequence set during the World Cup that's plenty riveting, even if it's not totally believable. This, in turn, leads to an exciting chase sequence with electric Porsches driving through winding hills as men with thick arms fire loud guns out through broken windshields. I dug this stuff, but I have to say, I had more fun with the quieter moments — like when the gang has a playful face-off over which music to play in their secret hideout, or when Big Nick stops to share a cigarette with a local cop (Yasen Zates Atour). 

If anything, "Den of Thieves 2" is less of an action pic and more of a buddy hangout movie. That may not play well with more bloodthirsty audiences, but I genuinely think it's the element that sets this film apart from so many other low-rent action flicks. Gudegast may be frequently cribbing from other, better movies, but he understands that little character moments are important. While some of the other members of the gang feel a little undercooked (you'll be hard-pressed to remember some of their names), I came to like all of them, and got caught up in their plan to get away clean. 

"Den of Thieves 2" frequently feels less abrasive than the first film; almost kinder. At the same time, there's still a scuzzy, energy drink-infused atmosphere at play that only adds to the charm. This is junk food cinema, and sometimes, that's exactly what you're hungry for. As things unfold, you can sense Gudegast laying the groundwork for an ever-expanding franchise; a kind of dirtbag "Fast & Furious" saga that grows increasingly more ridiculous while never losing its charm. If Gudegast and company want to keep making "Den of Thieves" movies, I want to keep watching them. I want more Big Nick O'Brien. It'll never be enough.

/Film Rating: 7 out of 10

"Den of Thieves 2: Pantera" opens in theaters on January 10, 2025.