Den of Thieves 2: Pantera (Theaters)
Big Nick goes to Europe, and 'Den of Thieves' loses its gritty, grungy charm
What’s it about? Big Nick is back on the hunt in Europe and closing in on Donnie, who is embroiled in the treacherous world of diamond thieves and the infamous Panther mafia, as they plot a massive heist of the world's largest diamond exchange.
Who it’s for? Admirers of 2018’s Den of Thieves, Gerard Butler enthusiasts, fans of Euro-set heist films like Mission: Impossible or Oceans Twelve, fans of crime dramas with charismatic anti-heroes
Who should avoid? If you’re expecting the rough grittiness of Den of Thieves, those expecting deep complexity or character nuance, if you want non-stop action
Watch if you like: Den of Thieves, Heat, The Town, The Gentlemen, Ocean’s Twelve, The Italian Job
News and Notes:
Released Today
Sequel to Den of Thieves (2018)
Schmear’s Verdict: Den of Thieves: Pantera trades the gritty, chaotic charm of its predecessor for a sleeker, more polished heist film that ultimately lacks the excitement and rough-edged appeal that made the original memorable.
Den of Thieves—a loving, if blatant, rip-off of Heat—has amassed a cult following since its 2018 release. The film introduced us to an immediately classic character, Big Nick O’Brien, who—in just 30 minutes, in a mode of character expression screenwriters could only dream of pulling off so efficiently—surveys a murder scene, eats a donut off the ground of said murder scene, cruises South LA to Everlast’s “What It’s Like,” parties with sex workers, and menaces his wife’s new boyfriend, forcing him to give him a hug—thus is the bizarre movie star magnetism of one Gerard Butler.
Subscribed
Butler, The King of January, is back, reunited with Den of Thieves director Christian Gudegast, pitted against O’Shea Jackson Jr. in Pantera—a sequel that immediately announces itself as classier and shinier than its LA-set predecessor, not only through its new European setting but also in the filmmaking and the accompanying smooth synth score. This is more Oceans 12 or Mission Impossible than Point Break or Heat, a fact that works against Den of Thieves: Pantera, which sorely misses its forebear’s rough-around-the-edges charm.
This has a “just go with it” plot with a ton of moving pieces. O’Shea Jackson does an African accent. There’s a pink diamond in play. The World Diamond Center is in Nice, France. Gerard Butler’s character forces himself into the mix. But you’re not here for the how or why, right?
I wasn’t, certainly. I was seated for Butler, whose messy, fucked-up Big Nick was iconic in the ‘18 film, and he still has some choice gems here. It’s hysterical seeing him bump up against the French gendarmerie, and you wish more humor was mined here. It’s equally amusing to watch him plied with drugs and alcohol at a gonzo Côte d’Azur nightclub to see if he can hang. Little do his contemporaries know—he’s Big Nick. Butler’s craggy, hard-lived face—immense as an Easter Island head—is the best feature this film has going for it.
Unfortunately, the heist at the center of the film is far from unique or exciting. Pantera has a paucity of “oh shit” moments, sorely missing a second gear. It’s clear quickly that director Christian Gudegast has a better handle on his native Los Angeles than Europe, no matter how beautiful the Mediterranean city of Nice is.
As previously mentioned, the action has more of a Mission: Impossible flavor, and the heist is notable for its subtlety—and not in a good way. This film is bloodless and, dare I say, a little boring, the last thing you want to be in this genre. Much of the movie is predicated on the supposed chemistry between O’Shea Jackson Jr.’s Donnie and Butler’s Big Nick—which exists but is a far cry from the incendiary connection of De Niro and Pacino or Patrick Swayze and Keanu Reeves.
The brolic, beefcake, shitbag vibes of Den of Thieves have been traded in for something more elegant, yet way less exciting. The bullets have been swapped with a high cig count, and there’s a scuzziness missing.
In going global, Den of Thieves: Pantera got away from its downhome delights. The film’s tag suggests the world—misguidedly—will only expand wider. As long as Butler’s here, I reckon I’ll let myself get dragged along.
