Den of Thieves 2: Pantera (2025) 😊

Den of Thieves 2: Pantera was… just okay. As a standalone movie, it’s passable. As a sequel to Den of Thieves, it’s a letdown. Let’s break it down.

Gerard Butler reprises his role as Nicholas “Big Nick” O’Brien, but this time, the character feels less compelling. He’s still the rough, rule-bending alpha we know, but now he’s older, more beaten down, and a bit too loose with the line separating him from the criminals he hunts. While Butler’s performance is solid, the character’s writing lacks the bite and commanding presence that made him so memorable in the original. If this was an intentional choice, mission accomplished—but for me, it fell flat. Big Nick acts like the alpha but never truly feels like it, and that missing edge diminishes the movie’s tension.

On the other hand, O’Shea Jackson Jr.’s Donnie Wilson is a pleasant surprise. He’s grown since the first film, and the added backstory gives him depth and a touch of Merrimen’s calculated charisma. This change works in the movie’s favor and offers a glimmer of the gritty, layered storytelling that made the original shine.

The original’s final showdown—a bloody, in-the-dirt brawl—set a high bar. Naturally, the audience would expect a similar climax here, but this film fails to deliver the adrenaline-pumping payoff we hoped for. The action sequences were fine, but they lacked the nail-biting intensity and sharp execution that made Den of Thieves unforgettable.

The biggest issue may lie in the writing. With Paul T. Scheuring absent from the script and Christian Gudegast taking sole writing credit, some of the magic of the original feels lost. Perhaps Gudegast aimed to subvert expectations and steer clear of the “tropes” that defined the first film. While that’s an admirable goal, it’s risky to ditch proven elements of a genre (and franchise) without replacing them with something equally engaging. Action movie fans generally expect bullets, explosions, and edge-of-your-seat tension. Straying from these staples is fine—but only when it’s done with purpose and precision. Here, it feels more like a misstep.

In the end, Den of Thieves 2: Pantera isn’t bad, but it’s a far cry from the gritty, compelling energy of its predecessor. Fans of the original are likely to walk away wishing for more of what made the first film so impactful.

Den of Thieves (2018) 🤩 Review

See all movie info at TMDB