Den of Thieves 2: Pantera (dir. Christian Gudegast)

By: Adam Freed

The deeply rooted tree of Michael Mann’s influence continues to bear fruit decades after the master director planted his flag as the preeminent purveyor of the heist subgenre.  What began with the gritty and memorable Thief (1981) later peaked with his transcendent masterwork Heat (1995). Mann’s five decade shadow is once again felt with the release of Den of Thieves 2: Pantera, director Christian Gudegast’s ambitious sequel to his 2018 genre cult classic Den of Thieves.  The original film played nearly all of the right notes in pitting a cunning and gifted team of bank robbers up against a morally bankrupt clique of renegade Los Angeles police officers. The outcome was a film that offered a near perfect balance of creative criminal ingenuity and maximum fire power.  Most memorable from Den of Thieves, aside from its delightfully shocking conclusion, is the introduction of central character Nick O’Brien, a bourbon soaked Los Angeles Police Officer perpetually in the grips of a Marlboro scented hangover. O’Brien is memorably captured by Gerard Butler (300, Law Abiding Citizen), an actor seemingly born to play at the moral fringe. Butler’s return as “Big Nick” in Gudegast’s sequel is reason enough for rabid fans of the original to make the trek to local cinemas.

As so many sequels attempt to do, Pantera leaves behind its Los Angeles environs as it pursues a more expensive criminal pursuit in Europe. This geographic shift to the South of France blesses the long awaited sequel with an abundance of cinematic panache, in particular in its use of the stunning coastline of Nice, a city known for its alluring beaches and azure waters. A perfect setting for the return of criminal intellect Donnie Wilson, played by O’Shea Jackson Jr. (Straight Outta Compton).  Donnie’s nose for a soft target leads him to the doorstep of Nice’s International Diamond Depository. And despite a gorgeous locale, and compelling story, there is something missing from Pantera’s recipe that made its predecessor feel far more satisfying.  Gone is the testosterone infused nose to nose staredown between two bitter and equal adversaries, as both Donnie and Big Nick’s crews have been removed in favor of a more mono e mono central conflict.  Den of Thieves 2: Pantera is more aesthetically thoughtful than its predecessor; however, the choice to leave the tonally appropriate grit and grime of Los Angeles strips Pantera of the propulsive combustion offered by the original film.

The most notable take away from Gudegast’s globetrotting sequel is that its pace is far more methodical than may be expected.  In this sense, Pantera seems to grow from a different branch of the aforementioned Michael Mann tree, as it feels more akin to Mann’s South Florida cops and killers epic Miami Vice (2006), than it does its own source material. Like Mann’s visually dazzling Miami Vice,  Den of Thieves 2: Pantera never bothers itself with pursuing a breakneck velocity and instead seems content lounging in the ambiance of its own creation.  This is however where flowery comparisons between the two crime films cease. Despite a compelling opening act, Gudegast’s story is encumbered by the burden of too many one note supporting characters with far too little to accomplish.  Gerard Butler is always a welcome addition to the secondary tier of action cinema, but even Big Nick’s grizzled and witty antihero feels tired and far less inspired than on his LA turf.  If it is a heist one seeks, then Pantera certainly delivers, but beyond this base level of expectation, audiences are asked to overlook a great deal in order to hold this sequel in the same regard as its predecessor.

Target Score: 5.5/10  Den of Thieves 2: Pantera is quite the conundrum as the anticipated sequel proves to be a far more ambitious and aesthetically pleasing film that offers far less in the way of character and conflict.  Ultimately, Gerard Butler, O’Shea Jackson Jr. and the South of France walk away as winners in a sequel that, despite its notable ambition, fails to measure up to its predecessor.