Den of Thieves 2: Pantera Review
Just When I Thought I Was Out, They Pull Me Back In!
I recently declared that Michael Mann's Thief (1981) is the coolest movie ever made, which is a certifiable fact. There's just something about someone who commits heists, won't go back to jail, and existentially looks out into the distance, yearning for love and comfort, but is unable to stop this self-destructive behavior because they know they're the best at what they do. It's just so sick. Den of Thieves 2: Pantera is trying to capture some of that melancholic and methodical essence ever present in a Michael Mann film but never really gets there. It's bloated with what can feel like a slog at times. I say all that, but Gerard Butler and O'Shea Jackson Jr.'s new frenemies' chemistry is a lot of goddamn fun, and them going on a luxurious trashy European vacation I am seated for.
Den of Thieves 2 picks up right after the original cult classic and has Big Nick (Gerrard Butler) tracking down Donny (O'Shea Jackson Jr.) in France after a vast diamond heist. Big Nick finds Donny and asks him to join his crew because he's tired of being broke and wants to be a part of the action. The two plan the heist of the century, trying to take down the World Diamond's Center with a team of professionals while threatened by the Italian Mafia.
My favorite corrupt scumbag cop is back, and I couldn't be happier. Gerrard Butler is firing on all cylinders as this uncultured, sexy swine moves through France. What I love about Butler here is that he has the ability not just to be this degenerate cop but also to pull off this profound, overwhelming sadness that lingers over both the original and this film. The way we see him grapple with what life to choose is fantastic. O'Shea Jackson Jr. is back as our cool and calculated man with the plan. Jackson Jr. allows himself to show off this intelligent presence and plays a great fiddle to Butler. I have problems with DOT2, but guys, I'll be sincere. I would take a million movies of Donny and Big Nick getting fucked up around the world. Give me DOT3 in Japan. I need to see these two in the club and take down a vault of gold bars owned by the Yakuza. The way they play off each other is hilarious and endearing, and when those two are on screen together, I have a massive smile on my face.
It does seem as though DOT2 suffers from the excessive sequel curse. They were given a nice budget for this and wanted to keep everything in. I love hanging out with Donny and Big Nick, but some accurate trimming is needed in the editing bay. Its pacing sometimes feels sluggish, and I didn't need another drone shot. The heists were executed well, but they may have lacked some of the fun and intensity of the first film. I was a massive fan of the atmospheric and brooding score that shadows the whole movie and a phenomenal needle drop at the end of the film.
Does DOT2 have the juice? I would say kind of. Fans of the original will love the buddy cat-and-mouse dynamic of our leads here and some of the loud action and gunplay. As someone who loved the original's trashy Heat (1995) roots, I find this one taking more out of the Ocean's 11 and Fast and Furious playbook, which worked for me. It can feel a bit long, and the story is ridiculous, but I think this gets at least one Hell Yeah Brother out of me. I'm just happy to see my boys back together.
Final Score: 6.5/10
Written By Kevin J. Pettit