Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Language, violence in slightly improved heist sequel.
Parents Need to Know
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Den of Thieves 2: Pantera
What's the Story?
In DEN OF THIEVES 2: PANTERA, Los Angeles Sheriff Nick O'Brien (Gerard Butler) is still intent on catching master thief Donnie Wilson (O'Shea Jackson Jr.). He gets a break when Donnie tries to fence a stolen diamond that's been tracked by its owner. In Nice, France, Donnie has used the transaction to gain access to the World Diamond Center, which he plans to rob with the help of Jovanna (Evin Ahmad) and a brand-new team. When Nick suddenly appears at Donnie's apartment, it's not to arrest him, but to join him. Donnie introduces Nick to the gang, and it turns out that Nick's credentials as a police officer will come in handy in getting to the vault. But it's still a nearly impossible job, and there are lots of unknown factors.
Is It Any Good?
A distinct improvement over its junky predecessor, this heist movie still eventually drops the ball with too many dumb twists jammed into a numbingly excessive running time. Den of Thieves 2: Pantera gets going pretty quickly, setting up its "impossible" heist, which involves 127 cameras that cycle in 10-second increments and various other obstacles. This sort of thing has been done plenty of times—and done better—but it still works decently here. (Writer-director Christian Gudegast messed up this sequence in the original Den of Thieves with too much cutting.) Better still is the actual heist, which is tense and quiet, with many mini-ticking clocks.
But after the getaway chase, things just get silly, predictable, and flat-out nonsensical, with glaring logic holes. Whatever goodwill the movie has built up over the course of its first two thirds gets sucked away in the looooong final third. There's enough worthwhile material in Den of Thieves 2: Pantera that, with better editing, might have made it a fun B-movie. But what we have is a lumbering mess.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Den of Thieves 2: Pantera's violence. How did it make you feel? Was it exciting? Shocking? What did the movie show or not show to achieve this effect? Why is that important?
What are the movie's themes? Is it really more fun and more profitable to be a criminal? Why, or why not?
How are smoking, drinking, and drug use depicted? Are they glamorized? Are there consequences? Why does that matter?
Why are movies about heists so fascinating? Why do we root for criminals to succeed?
What is an "anti-hero"? Does Nick qualify as one? Why, or why not?
Movie Details
- In theaters : January 10, 2025
- On DVD or streaming : January 28, 2025
- Cast : Gerard Butler , O'Shea Jackson Jr. , Evin Ahmad
- Director : Christian Gudegast
- Inclusion Information : Black Movie Actor(s) , Female Movie Actor(s) , Indigenous Movie Actor(s) , Middle Eastern/North African Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Lionsgate
- Genre : Action/Adventure
- Run time : 144 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : pervasive language, some violence, drug use and sexual references
- Last updated : March 30, 2025
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