I try to avoid lazy “this film is like <other film>” comparisons but I feel like the Den of Thieves films actively invites them, being so blatant with their uhhh let’s call them “homages”? So if the original film is dirtbag Heat, Den of Thieves 2: Pantera is dirtbag Ronin (“Ronin” is used as a callsign here and is one of the first words in the film ‐ like I said, blatant), or maybe dirtbag Oceans 12. Or maybe even dirtbag Miami Vice. Or maybe all of these things.

Point is, it has a very different vibe from the first film. Much looser. There’s less swagger and more swanning. Less out to impress the Boondock Saints crowd. More out to impress the Le Circle Rouge crowd .And it kind of suits it more? They have some fun with it, and they use Big Nick’s fish out of water schtick to great effect (“FUCK NATO!”).

Don’t get me wrong, despite its aspirations, this is still a very, very dumb film. But it’s never not entertaining and holy hell can Christian Gudegast film an action scene.

Fun.