How Panther Makes a New Fast and Furious

Major spoilers for “Den of Thieves 2: Panther” follow.

When Den of Thieves came out in 2018, many described it as a kind of low-rent version of Michael Mann's Heat. I too have said more or less the same thing about the movie, but I say it so sweetly. I'm a Big Den of Thieves movies about big men who shoot big guns, starring Gerard Butler as Big Nick O'Brien, a cop who always seems hungover no matter the time of day. Directed by Christian Gudegast, the film was often derivative (not only does it borrow heavily from Heat, but it has a quirky ending almost shamelessly stolen from The Usual Suspects), and yet it was also a complete blast. I was thrilled when there was a sequel announced all time in 2018and now that the sequel Den of Thieves 2: Panther is here, I'm just as excited to see what happens next.

Although a third film has yet to be officially announced, Den of Thieves 2 ends in a way that leaves plenty of room for more. In addition to that, speaking to ScreenRantGudegast said, “(We're) building a franchise, so we have more space and time to explore these guys. We already have so much to do…” The implications are clear: There's more Big Nick to come . Interestingly, “Den of Thieves 2” changes the overall approach to this world of cops and robbers. Because if the first Den of Thieves felt like the dirtbag Heat, then you could argue that Den of Thieves 2 and possibly Den of Thieves 3 are like dirtbag versions of The Fast and the Furious. saga.

I never really cared for “Fast and Furious” series.. I've tried to get into movies a few times, mostly because a lot of people I respect tell me they're a lot of fun. But try as I might, I just can't muster the enthusiasm. However, I respect the world-building of the franchise, creating a story about a bunch of crooks who work together as a family to do increasingly ridiculous things. And by the time Den of Thieves 2 rolls around, this seems to be the exact approach Gudegast is going for.

In “Den of Thieves,” Butler's Big Nick confronted a team of cops targeting a gang of bank robbers. Nick thought he had a con, turning their driver Donnie (O'Shea Jackson Jr.) into an informant. But by the end of the film, the tables had turned. After a violent shootout that leaves several people dead, Nick discovers that Donnie wasn't some hitchhiker at the bottom of the totem pole—he was actually the mastermind behind the film's climactic heist. He was also the only member of the gang to survive and fled to Europe with the loot.

In Den of Thieves 2, Donnie, still in Europe, has joined forces with a gang of thieves known as the Panthers, led by Giovanna (Evin Ahmad). Donnie and the Panthers plan a massive robbery of the World Diamond Center in Antwerp, but the plan falls apart when Nick tracks Donnie down. However, Nick says he doesn't want to bring Donnie down. Instead, he wants to participate in the results. From there, Nick joins the gang. He falls into a kind of constant flirtation with Giovanna, and he and Donnie inexplicably become friends. “This movie is basically a love story between a thief/gangster and a cop,” says Gudegast in the film's production notes. “It's an epic buddy movie.”

Over the course of the film, Nick bonds with both Donnie and the rest of the gang. In the end, they all stop the robbery and end up with an exciting event car chase shootout with few rivals. Just when you think everyone's come clean, the movie reveals a (somewhat obvious) twist: Nick has been working with local law enforcement all along, and he turns Donnie, Giovanna, and the rest of the gang over to the cops. . However, Nick feels guilty about it. He didn't act – he really started to care about Donnie and the gang. In the end, Nick teams up with an exiled mobster (Adriano Chiaramida) to help Donnie and the others break out of prison. The implications are clear: Nick, Donnie and the rest of the team will reunite, possibly for more heists.

It's a fun, surprisingly touching ending — Nick has found his family. It's easy to see a “Fast and Furious” style situation here. The “Furious” saga was ultimately about a lawman who joined a gang of criminals and learned to love them, and now “Den of Thieves” takes the same approach. I guess you could argue that Den of Thieves 2 feels a little different than the first movie. Although there is still plenty of violent, gritty action, it seems that a nicer movie – the friendship that grows between Nick and Donnie is sweet. While I think I like the first film a bit more, Den of Thieves 2 is extremely enjoyable in its own right, and by the end of the credits I was ready for more. If they want to keep making these movies and turn them into a big, lower-budget Fast and Furious-style saga, I'll be happy to watch them.

“Den of Thieves 2: Panther” is in theaters now.