Den of Thieves 2 - Pantera Movie Review (Spoiler Free)

The sequel no one asked for, to a sub-par clone of the classic crime flick Heat, is finally out. More guns, more stakes, a bigger price, & no one who cares about it. 

Genre: Action / Crime / Thriller

Director: Christian Gudegast 

Cast: Gerard Butler, O’Shea Jackson Jr, Evin Ahmad, Salvatore Esposito, Orli Shuka, Yasen Zates Atour, Nazmiye Oral, Dino Kelly, Velibor Topić & Meadow Williams.

Run Time: 144 min.

US Release: 10 January 2025

UK Release: 25 April 2025 (Prime Video)

German Release: 16 January 2025

The sequel no one asked for, to a sub-par clone of the classic crime film Heat, is finally out. More guns, more stakes, a bigger price, & no one who cares about it. 

Genre: Action / Crime / Thriller

Director: Christian Gudegast 

Cast:  Gerard Butler, O’Shea Jackson Jr, Evin Ahmad, Salvatore Esposito, Orli Shuka, Yasen Zates Atour, Nazmiye Oral, Dino Kelly, Velibor Topić & Meadow Williams.

Run Time: 144 min.

US Release: 10 January 2025

UK Release:  25 April 2025 (Prime Video)

German Release: 16 January 2025

Honestly, the news about a sequel to Den of Thieves being produced had me completely baffled. It was a fun, entertaining movie, though nothing mind-blowing. It was an inferior copy of the brilliant Michael Mann-directed crime flick from 1996. So why would director Gudegast come back after seven years to direct a sequel? I didn’t even plan on watching it, but a long-distance flight, plus limited options in the entertainment section, left me no other choice. So, put on your best poker face, as we scan through my review for Den of Thieves 2 - Pantera. 

Recently divorced “Big Nick” leaves to hunt Donnie in Europe, after seemingly having been fired by the L.A. Sheriff's Department. Donnie, in the meantime, is embroiled in the underground world of diamond heists with the Panther crew. Things start heating up as they plan to rob the world’s largest diamond exchange.

Where should I start? This sequel is definitely weaker than its predecessor, there is no talking around it. While the first crime thriller had tension built up between the cops and the thieves, throwing in some personal scenes to build character, this second part has none of it at all. Instead, we get nearly fifty minutes of dick-waving between Butler and Jackson Jr. Oh yeah, I nearly forgot, some other dude also decided to join the rivalry, at the very end. 

The complete build-up to the main heist is void of any tension, rendering three-quarters of its runtime completely dull. So much so that I fell asleep several times while watching this boring action-thriller. It is additionally packed with underdeveloped, duplicitous side plots that stretch out its runtime for no reason, culminating in nothing, plus giving it three endings too many that set up another sequel. Finally, the monotonous tone of the script doesn’t help establish an engaging formula for audiences. 

That said, I need to give it props for the fast-paced, five-minute opening scene, as well as the main robbery, which had some momentum in it. Unfortunately, it takes too much time to reach that point at which any potential viewer will have mentally checked out.

The dialogues are flat, feeling non-organic, together with weak, macho humour, similar to the first movie. There is a lot of talking, most of which is used as exposition, instead of showing it on screen. Then there is an attempt at creating romance through wooden conversations.

Supporting characters exist, unfortunately, none are fleshed out, making them feel like disposable cannon fodder. 

Gerard Butler returns as Nicholas “ Big Nick” O’Brien, being the standout of the film by giving the role a bigger-than-life personality, as well as much-needed energy. Unfortunately, it is not as positively sounding, since it feels like a parody of his previous depiction; a lot of how Nick acts contradicts how he behaved during the previous story. Having said that, it is fun watching Butler act like a doofus. 

O’Shea Jackson Jr. also reprises his role as Donnie Wilson. Unfortunately, it seems that his return was tied to the paycheck rather than interest, as he sleeps-acts through the whole runtime. Donnie was an intriguing character in the first part; here, he is simply a regular guy, bickering with Nick. A boring, uninteresting performance.  

Possibly the best aspect of this flick is the cinematography. It makes use of jaw-dropping panoramic shots that display the beauty of Santa Cruz, disguised as French Nice, and captures the few exhilarating street races, using an appropriate mix of low-angle plus aerial shots. It also infuses the narrative with momentum, which the script is missing. Lighting, paired with a clean, strong colour palette, makes good use of day- / nighttime sequences. 

Effects look primarily practical, with computer effects polishing up the background setting. Lacking in action, compared to its forerunner, the couple of stunts for the two action segments do serve their purpose in building suspense, while creating a sense of urgency. The wardrobe, on the other hand, is pretty clichéd for such a picture, using Hawaiian shirts, suits or black overalls. 

The sound effects are generic, while the soundtrack, composed by Kevin Matley, serves with a suitable techno beat to its southern France setting. 

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Verdict: Wow, this was a painful film to get through, and even more painful to write about. Gudegast tries to shift the tone for this sequel away from its action-heavy precursor, to create more of a classic heist feature, yet fails due to awkward pacing, as well as dull surveillance scenes, empty of any tension. After an engaging five minute opening scene, we are greeted to a pissing match between the two leads that lasts for an hour-and-ten minutes. The supporting cast has no depth, while Nick and Donnie have been reduced to one-dimensional parodies of their former selves. Points are awarded to the camera work, the stunts for the vehicle chase at the end, plus the last main burglary, but that is about it. Pantera is honestly a waste of time, which I can’t recommend. Worst of all, the ending sets up another sequel. The cinematography & entertaining last action sequence are the only reason I give it a 4.0 out of 10.