2018's "Den of Thieves" was a jaw dropper when I saw it in the theater. It blew me away with its thrilling twists and explosive mix of "Heat" and "Thief".
Well fasten your seat belts, because its sequel, DEN OF THIEVES 2: PANTERA is a worthy, exciting and highly polished new entry that will keep you guessing until its very last seconds.
Writer/Director Christian Gudegast returns from the original film, picking up the story and polishing this chapter into an "Oceans Eleven" type European thriller in the spirit of "To Catch a Thief" and "Ronan".
Gerard Butler returns as Big Nick, our favorite lethal Los Angeles detective, unable to give up his hunt for Donnie Wilson (O'Shea Jackson Jr) the clever mastermind of that LA heist in the original.
As the film opens, Donnie and an international team of thieves are pulling off a very clever robbery at the Nice International Airport. It's one of the best airport set action scenes since "Tenet" and "Casino Royale", with grand scale momentum and suspense.
Nick reads about the caper and recognizes plenty of Donnie's signature moves surrounding it, so he's off to Europe with little to no official credentials in hand.
The film takes its time after the action packed opening sequence, giving room for us to observe Donnie's lush lifestyle all over Europe on one side of the law, and Nick's life collapsing under divorce, strained alliances and his downward spiral of doubt around his commitment to his job.
At about the one hour mark, Gudegast's sequel puts the pedal down.
Repercussions from the airport heist bring a Mafia mob boss into play as one of the largest stones stolen belonged to him, and he'd like it back.
Nick tracks down Donnie and tells him he's ready to switch sides, he wants in on the dangerous, fascinating plan to take down the Nice Diamond district, the largest in the world.
I'm not going to say anything about what happens in the final hour and twenty minutes except to say that it's smart, fun, explosively violent and had me guessing all the way to that final camera shot.
There are some big laughs as well. Butler and Jackson Jr are in quite a groove here, playing off each other like lifelong rivals, a bit older and fatter than six years ago. Who isn't?
Who doesn't love a great, seemingly impossible heist pulled off against all odds?
Gudegast's hurdle is very high here. How do you top stealing from the US Federal Reserve, a robbery that elevated the first film to unexpected heights?
The sequel certainly equals the original in every aspect, while carving out a much different feel. If the first film felt buried in the sweaty, dirty streets of LA, this one lives on the French hillsides and winding Euro cliffs dripping with old money & style.
The supporting cast is excellent.
Evin Ahmad is Jovanna/Cleopatra, the sultry glue holding the international crime talent together. Ahmad & Butler have real chemistry on screen.
Salvatore Esposito (FX's "Fargo") is a huge asset as Slavko and Yasen Zates Atour is a highlight as Hugo, the French detective who welcomes Nick to his country and forges a bond with our American anti-hero.
Butler is excellent, spinning Nick in different directions that we always find believable. Jackson Jr. matches him as their relationship goes from hunter and hunted to something much trickier.
At two hours and twenty four minutes, the film never lags, filling every corner with suspense, twists and turns. The original film shocked me by landing in my Top Ten films of 2018. I can no longer be surprised by Gudegast's talent and ability to craft an exciting film, but I was thrilled to see him ramp up the sheen of this sequel, dropping us into fantastic car chases, impossible Houdini-like escapes with precision timing and a near constant threat of getting caught.
The first half is a slow burn in all the right ways. It feels like a Michael Mann film in its deliberate character building, while Kevin Matley's music score wraps around you, circling your head Tangerine Dream-style in Dolby Atmos. If you're patient, it casts a spell.
I'm hoping that we see more of Big Nick and Donnie.
I'm guessing Gudegast still has plenty more surprises up his sleeve.
DEN OF THIEVES 2: PANTERA gets an A.
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