Looking to add more action & crime movies to your watchlist for 2025? Well, look no further. The sequel to Den of Thieves (2018) called Den of Thieves 2: Pantera has been released, starring once again Gerald Butler as Deputy Sheriff Nick O’ Brien and O’Shea Jackson Jr. as Donnie Wilson, taking part of a group called the Panther Crew which consists of Wilson, O’Brien, Jovanna (leader), Dragan, and Slavko.
Released on Jan. 10, Den of Thieves 2 goes into the criminal and unpredictable lives of Donnie Wilson and Nick O’Brien. It portrays Nick O’ Brien in Long Beach, Ca. as recently divorced while being put on leave by the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department. Meanwhile Donnie Wilson is in Antwerp, Belgium, planning his next heist whilst joining the Panther Crew, which is led by Jovanna and authorized by a man named Slobodan.
Fitting himself into the Crew though really an undercover cop, O’Brien meets with Donnie and Jovanna at a club in France while getting to know each other a bit more. They eventually plan their upcoming job called the Red Diamond Heist where they will infiltrate a diamond vault at the World Diamond Center in Nice, France.
Throughout the film, both Butler and Jackson Jr. created realistic dialogue with one another, especially where they and the rest of the crew implemented their plan of raiding the vault. They would flee the scene dressed as SWAT and into a Porsche getaway vehicle.
In addition to a quality dynamic between the two lead actors, the production and graphics, more specifically in the scenes where the Crew are leaving their heist, were on point. There were scenes where O’Brien and Wilson exchanged bullets against rival gang the Tigers, and the switch between either vehicle was precise, not to mention the sound effects.
Though the production in the movie was of high-quality, the movie does start out slow in the beginning with some scenes like O’Brien having talks with his fellow agents in the Sheriff’s department being forced and unnecessary. As a matter of fact, the entire movie is 2 hours and 10 minutes, so if you’re a person that doesn’t like keeping your eyes glued for that timeframe, then without further adieu, search for a shorter film.
As stated earlier, Wilson’s and O’Brien’s dialogue throughout the film was phenomenal with each character having understanding of each other’s emotions and intentions. There’s one particular scene where O’Brien, after snitching on the Crew, visits Wilson in prison and informs him as to why he told them to the French authorities. The dialogue between the two in these scenes show how much chemistry both actors had in order to create that never-ending bond.
Overall the film needed a little more action since really the only “good” action can be found when the team conducts the heist, which is during the first hour of the movie. With all this said, I will give Den of Thieves 2 a three-star rating.
Rotten Tomatoes has given this movie a 63 percent while IMDb gave it a 6.3/10, so if you’re a fan of action-packed films with some sprinkles of humour here and there, then by all means go ahead and stream the film on Youtube, Apple TV, Amazon Prime, or even at your local theater.
