When “Den of Thieves” hit theaters in 2018, it was met with moderate success in the box office and mixed reviews from critics. In the following seven years, the movie has become a cult classic among heist movie fans, leaving the sequel with big shoes to fill.
“Den of Thieves 2: Pantera” follows “Big Nick” O’Brien (Gerard Butler) as he chases heist mastermind and escapee Donnie Wilson (O’Shea Jackson Jr.) across the Atlantic. An unlikely team-up between the two leads to an epic European diamond heist involving mafia bosses, international car chases and some unexpected twists and turns. Although the plot was bogged down with some unlikely coincidences and convolutions, the two costars deliver compelling performances, which makes the film worth the watch.
When Donnie and Big Nick are on screen together, their dialogue is always engaging. Their chemistry is palpable, and it was obvious how close the pair had become in an interview with the Technique where Butler and Jackson Jr. discussed their experiences reprising their lead roles in the film and returning to work with director Christian Gudegast (Watch the full interview here[this will be a link on the word here])
“I was a little apprehensive about getting back into that role because, for Big Nick,” said Butler, “you have to go somewhere to get into that role. … But the second we started together, our chemistry was so good, and it was so much fun together. I went from ‘How do I get through this scene’ to ‘We’re killing it. What next?’”
A “Den of Thieves” sequel had been in the works since the first movie’s release, but various unfortunate circumstances like the COVID-19 pandemic, cast injuries and the war in Ukraine caused filming plans to be changed and delayed. Jackson Jr. said that despite this, it felt like they had never left, largely due to the work environment that Gudegast fostered.
“Gudegast really makes you feel involved, like the project is ours — a one band, one sound mentality. It was good to see everyone again. It was a real feeling, like coming back to summer camp and seeing the same people there,” said Jackson Jr.
Another one of Gudegast’s directorial strengths evident in the film were the action scenes, especially car chases. They were suspenseful, well-choreographed and perfectly framed on the twists, turns and cliffs of the Canary Islands. Viewers should not get too engrossed in the chase, or they will miss a small milestone in Hollywood history — the first all-electric car used as the hero car in a chase sequence. According to Porsche, Gudegast and producer Tucker Tooley employed a fleet of five meticulously custom-engineered Taycan Turbos to execute the chase scenes.
Butler shared that filming these chase scenes was one of the more challenging aspects of the job.
“There were a lot of hard scenes, between being thrown in the ocean, or these crazy action scenes where [Jackson Jr.] is driving like a mad man, and I’m hanging out with the car swinging towards walls. … That was also what was fun about it, doing something challenging that … gets all the color out of the story.”
Despite this, the plot left much to be desired. After an almost two-and-a-half hour film, Big Nick and Donnie seemed to be the only dynamic characters, leaving the others underdeveloped. Despite playing an integral role in the heist and spending a lot of time on screen, Donnie’s accomplice, Jovanna (Evin Ahmad), was left with untapped potential.
Overall, the most memorable aspect of “Den of Thieves 2: Pantera” was the joint performance of its two headliners, Jackson Jr. and Butler. Although it does not quite live up to expectations, it is still a fun watch, and watching the film in a theater is sure to accentuate its cinematic action scenes. Fans of the first feature or heist movies in general are sure to enjoy this movie, which is out in theaters now.