Den of Thieves 2: Pantera officially releases 7 years after the original debuted back in 2018 was a diet version of Heat. I enjoyed the original much more than what I anticipated back in the day. On a rewatch, it’s still quite enjoyable, but the long runtime and Heat replication does bring it down a tab. Fortunately, director & writer Christian Gudegast isn’t here to make a copy of a copy.

This time around, LAPD sheriff “Big Nick” O’Brien, played by Gerard Butler, tracks down Donnie Wilson, played by O’Shea Jackson Jr., in Europe to plan a heist. Pretty simple synopsis, but the scope here is very different than the original. I’m glad to see that Gudegast, who also returns from directing the first, is more interested in making something that’s unlike the first, even if that may upset fans of the first.

What transitions perfectly from the first to the new one is how it approaches its character and the action set pieces. I never quite understood the drop off that Butler had in his career after 300, so I am glad to see where he is in actual good action films. Not great ones, but they are entertaining nonetheless. Then, you have Jackson Jr. returning after the first one revealed that he had a bigger part in the story than what you thought. I’m not crazy about his accent here, but he’s still quite good when he’s in his normal American accent. His accent just really breaks the subversion that you are watching a film.

Butler’s character as Big Nick feels a lot more grounded this time around compared to his cartoony behavior in the first. He gets to connect with Donnie a lot more, which ends up giving him a meaningful character arc by the end of the film. When these two are together, that’s where the film really shines. Even with their age difference, these are two actors that can get along with everyone. I know the film tries to share a connection with their upbring between the two, but when their is such a large age gap, it’s harder to believe there is that much of a connection. Still, the film finds a way to show that these two guys who could be villains of their own story are really just people with their own agendas and perspectives.

Now, I wouldn’t say this is better than the first. If there ever is a third one, I might say I enjoy the first one most. This isn’t a film that needed a sequel as I was cool with the twist in the first, but I am intrigued by the world building this film has. It’s not interested in giving you the same amount of action. The fact that is has less action will either bore you or leave you dissatisfied. Personally, I found it to be Gudegast’s attempt at creating something different that’s still exciting while developing on the stories and its characters. Did it have to do with trying to surpass the original runtime? Who knows. Will the world-building lead to a third? Also a good question.

While the film does have less action, the film is still consistently exciting. We learn a lot more about these characters through engaging dialogue. There is a heist that will leave you on the edge of your seat due to the stakes that are at hand. There is one particular car chase that has some huge pay off’s. The cinematography also really submerses you into the film from the grand landscapes to the unique colors that are used. The sound design is once again effective and realistic with an intriguing score that I found to be better than the first.

Where the film does majorly flaw is within its plot twist. We just had a twist in the last one and we especially didn’t need one again. If anything, it’s just showing that if a third one comes around, we are relying on a twist ending. The biggest problem with the twist is that it’s simply just not good. I saw it coming a mile away, and the trailers don’t do a good job at hiding it. It’s meant to be this big reveal that just doesn’t work. There is a twist within the twist that somewhat works. It sort of completes Butler’s character arc. It still leaves it open for another sequel while still feeling complete if it ends there. As much as I liked that smaller twist, I still questioned why we needed to go through all of these hoops to get there.

Overall, Den of Thieves 2: Pantera is a great experience, especially in the movie theater. The film works on a technical level that completely submerses you into the film. From the sound design to the cinematography, the film once again pulls you in a realistic scenario that will hold your breath and keep you on the edge of your seat. It’s great to see an expansion of these two characters and their stories, even if this may be the end. The writing is hit or miss and can often take drastic routes just to make it more exciting and have meaningful characters arcs. Other than that, it seems like 2025 is off to a promising start. If there are more stories to tell from these movies, I am 100% in. If not, then I can’t wait to see what everyone involved ends up doing next.

VERDICT: 3.5/5 (Pretty Good)