‘Den of Thieves: Pantera’ inverts its premise
2018’s “Den of Thieves” was a surprise, a slicker-than-usual offering from the familiar action fare that Gerard Butler has found himself comfortable in. Written and directed by first-time filmmaker Christian Gudegast, it felt like a current-day remodel of the Michael Mann classic “Heat” without the naturalism, preferring more the panache of a Michael Bay or Antoine Fuqua.
Gudegast and Butler return for “Den of Thieves: Pantera,” with O’Shea Jackson Jr. in tow. For this one, Gudegast inverts his prior film’s premise of a squad of cops after a crew of robbers. Here, Butler’s “Big Nick” O’Brien has been fired, just got a divorce, and is not just broke but in debt. Disgraced, disgruntled, and desperate, when he recognizes Donnie Wilson (Jackson Jr.’s character)’s stylistic fingerprints on a daring diamond robbery in Europe and tracks him down, he tells him, “I want in. I want mine.” This time, the cop joins the robbers.
Two leads
“Pantera” doesn’t concern itself with character depth. Less of an ensemble than the first, here the two leads remain their gruff, paranoid selves, though a bond is formed during a drunken altercation at a nightclub. Even if Wilson has a new European crew, they are not really given personalities; they are merely vessels for plot to occur. Though this plot isn’t anything new or surprising, those who like procedurals will find much to enjoy: The mark of the heist, the layout of its defenses, the planning, and the execution of said heist make for some satisfying competence porn.
Story-wise, “Pantera” begins when Wilson, upon fencing his stolen diamonds, finds that he has unwittingly stolen from the Mafia, who want their particular stone back. This dovetails with Wilson’s already-in-place plan to rob the World Diamond Exchange where his jewels are housed. Meanwhile, some of Wilson’s crew are a little racist-adjacent and don’t take too kindly to the pair of Americans who are running this job. Further, of course, is the fact that Nick and Donnie don’t trust each other to begin with, because last they saw each other, one was trying to put the other behind bars.
Where “Pantera” is a step down from the original is, it’s less concerned with its characters. The ensemble in the original at least had peeks of their personal lives, whereas “Pantera” concentrates on its two leads but only insofar as they are concerned with the heist at the center of the plot. Even in the trailer, Wilson’s line about why he does these impossible jobs is missing from the film itself, a valuable bit of actual characterization.
Beautiful shots
But where “Pantera” shines, perhaps unintentionally, is as an exceptional tourism promotion for its locations. Beautiful shots and sequences of Côte D’Azur, Nice, and Sardinia call to mind the similar treatment in Fuqua’s “Equalizer 3” from last year. It also has the robbery that is the centerpiece, and a car chase/shootout through some of the most scenic vistas you’ve ever seen in a heist movie.
A lot less preening and more focus on the characters (and upping the stakes) would have benefited “Pantera.” Maybe Gudegast didn’t want to repeat himself, but what he has produced is a surface-level entertainment that doesn’t leave as lasting an impression as its predecessor.
