Beyond the Ordinary: A Journey into Excitement

Den of Thieves 2 is an unexpectedly solid sequel that enhances the original.

PLot: Following the destruction of his life due to his reckless actions, LASD officer Nick O’Brien (Gerard Butler) travels to Antwerp to pursue his previous adversary, Donnie Wilson (O’Shea Jackson Jr.). Rather than seeking vengeance, Nick aims to profit and partners with him to heist the World Diamond Center. 

REVIEW: I wasn’t the biggest admirer of the original Den of Thieves. It felt like a weak replication of Heat, lacking the distinctive style and depth of Michael Mann – but hey, what’s my opinion worth? Surprisingly, the initial film turned out to be a significant success, leading us six years later to a sequel, Den of Thieves 2: Pantera. I had low expectations, but I was genuinely taken aback by how much I relished this polished sequel, which, for me, exhibited a unique, European-style essence that felt refreshing unlike its precursor.

Set in Belgium, the narrative centers on O’Shea Jackson Jr.’s Donnie forming a European team to rob the Antwerp World Diamond Center. Writer-director Christian Gudegast, returning from the original film, drew inspiration from a real-life robbery that occurred in 2003. He successfully crafts a more relatable heist film than typical, steering clear of the exaggerated elements that one might anticipate following the Fast Saga, to which this shares some resemblances, particularly with Gerard Butler’s character’s involvement in the story.

In the initial film, Butler’s Nick O’Brien came off as an excessively over-the-top, hyper-macho lead, making it tough to engage with the narrative seriously, often appearing almost cartoonish. However, in the sequel, it’s demonstrated that his actions yielded genuine repercussions, leading to his job and family loss, with his spouse filing for divorce and taking the children with her. Thus, the story has him teaming up with Donnie and his crew, choosing to assist them with their heist for a share that would secure his future.

Now, Den of Thieves 2: Pantera isn’t flawless, with the main issue being how readily Jackson’s Donnie accepts Nick’s tale and integrates him into the group. He’s meant to be a genius-level mastermind, making it hard to believe he takes Nick at his word, given the lack of principles his former adversary exhibited in the first film. Nevertheless, this gives Butler and Jackson the opportunity to develop some buddy movie chemistry, which, along with the European backdrop, makes the sequel considerably more enjoyable than the original.

In recent years, Butler has excelled in crafting mid-tier action films, with his worn-out characters appearing less glamorous and more credible than most other notable action heroes. In a Butler film, he won’t always dominate all the villains, and even though he is now a criminal, he’s strangely more relatable than he was in the first film. He portrays a man grappling with the fallout of his decisions, and Butler embodies him with the perfect balance of machismo and humor. In contrast, Jackson has less material to work with but seems thoroughly engaged in his buddy exchanges with Butler and convincingly portrays the “brains” behind the heists, being soft-spoken and analytical compared to the hyper-masculine Nick.

While, similar to the original, Den of Thieves 2 is overly lengthy (exceeding 140 minutes), the pacing is more precise, largely due to its significantly more concentrated structure than the original film. In Den of Thieves, Gudegast, in an effort to pay homage to Mann, spent excessive time on numerous uninteresting side characters, failing to give them depth. He avoids falling into that trap here, with Butler and/or Jackson rarely absent from the screen. It all culminates in an intense heist sequence highlighted by an impressive car chase/shootout that is exceptionally well-executed, even if the film concludes in a manner that most action aficionados likely anticipated based on the trailers.

Overall, I found Den of Thieves 2: Pantera much more enjoyable than I anticipated. With the bright European settings and international flair, it’s the ideal mid-tier January release and should resonate sufficiently with Butler’s fans that I wouldn’t be astonished if we ultimately see a third installment in the franchise. It’s surprisingly entertaining!