Starring: Gerard Butler, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Evin Ahmad, Salvatore Esposito, Meadow Williams, Swen Temmel
Written By: Christian Gudegast
Directed By: Christian Gudegast
Studio: Lionsgate
Buy On Amazon.com

The long-awaited sequel, Den of Thieves: Pantera, is here – though I didn’t even know it existed until about two months ago. Like its predecessor, this film delivers plenty of scheming, shootouts, and high-speed chases, but it suffers a bit from a bloated runtime. Both movies could have benefited from tighter editing.

Picking up where the first film left off, Donnie (O’Shea Jackson Jr.) has been plotting in Europe while Nick (Gerard Butler) is still reeling from his last encounter. When Nick is cleared to travel overseas to track down Donnie, he ends up teaming up with him for a major heist. Of course, things don’t go smoothly – they find themselves entangled with the mafia, adding another layer of chaos to their plans.

While Pantera has its moments, the first Den of Thieves had better twists and a more engaging structure. The sequel leans heavily on Nick’s long con, which makes sense narratively, but it feels predictable. The original had an unexpected mastermind reveal that caught me off guard, giving it an Usual Suspects homage. This time around, the twists don’t land as effectively.

One of the biggest issues with Pantera is its pacing. Both films overstay their welcome, but this one drags even more with unnecessary subplots that dilute the tension. If it had been trimmed down to under two hours, it would have flowed much better. The ending is solid, but I can’t shake the feeling that we’re headed toward a Fast & Furious-style franchise. Will Dwayne Johnson be showing up in Den of Thieves 10?

The 4K UHD release comes packed with special features, including audio commentary, a behind-the-scenes featurette, deleted scenes, and a trailer. Flipping the Script: Plotting Den of Thieves 2: Pantera is an insightful featurette, detailing the research and effort that went into crafting the sequel. That likely explains the long gap between the two films.

Gerard Butler and O’Shea Jackson Jr. clearly enjoy playing these roles again, bringing strong chemistry to their performances. The European setting adds a fresh element, but the story takes a backseat, making the film a bit convoluted at times. Still, if you’re looking for a fun action flick to throw on for a Sunday afternoon, it gets the job done.

Features:
Audio Commentary with Writer-Director Christian Gudegast, Producer Tucker Tooley, Cinematographer Terry Stacey, and Editor Roberth Nordh
Flipping the Script: Plotting Den of Thieves 2: Pantera
Deleted Scenes
Theatrical Trailer

Video:
Codec: HEVC / H.265
Resolution: Native 4K (2160p)
HDR: Dolby Vision, HDR10
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1

Audio:
English: Dolby Atmos
English: Dolby TrueHD 7.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1

Subtitles:
English SDH, French, Spanish

Bottom Line: Not as good as the first one but still an entertaining ride.
Running Time: R
Rating: 144 mins
Extras Rating:
Overall Rating: