Warning: This article contains spoilers for Den of Thieves 2: Pantera.Den of Thieves 2: Pantera is the sequel to the 2018 heist thriller Den of Thieves, which details the further exploits of Donnie (O’Shea Jackson Jr.) and Nick (Gerard Butler) as they team up to commit a robbery in Europe. The original film wasn’t anything groundbreaking, but it was liked enough to get its sequel, though unfortunately, Den of Thieves 2‘s reviews indicate that the film repeats a lot of the same mistakes as the first. However, there is one aspect in particular of the continuation that leaves a lot to be desired when compared to the first Den of Thieves.
Den of Thieves 2‘s cast only features two major returning actors, O’Shea Jackson Jr. and Gerard Butler, though the Den of Thieves writer and director Christian Gudegast also returns from the original. Even though the new sequel has its fans, the reaction is skewing more towards the negative end of the review spectrum. One of the big reasons for that is that the film lacks tension and stakes, and there is a very specific reason cause, especially considering Den of Thieves 2‘s ending, making it an overall disappointing continuation.
Den Of Thieves Had A High Death Count That Made No Character Feel Safe
Any Character Could Have Died At Any Point
The first Den of Thieves is a pretty fun heist action flick that plays the genre straight in a solidly entertaining way, without too many surprises. However, one thing the film does especially well is establish stakes via its characters, having some of the central players die without much fanfare. This allows for more tension to build, especially towards the end of the film, but makes for a solid viewing experience throughout, with viewers knowing anyone can die at any point.
As Nick enters his final shootout with Merrimen, the film makes it abundantly clear that either of them could be killed.
The biggest character deaths are Pablo Schreiber’s Ray Merrimen, 50 Cent’s Enson Levoux, along with Bosco (Evan Jones) and, on Nick’s side, Deputy Boraccho (Maurice Compte). These are some of the main characters in the film, and seeing them begin to die during Den of Thieves‘ climax made the scene much more intense. As Nick enters his final shootout with Merrimen, the film makes it abundantly clear that either of them could be killed. While the main character does make it out alive, the scene is nerve-wracking.
Den Of Thieves 2 Doesn’t Have Any Major Deaths Thanks To Big Nick
Nick Doesn’t Allow Any Of The Major Characters To Get Hurt
The main thrust of Den of Thieves 2‘s story is Nick helping to plan the heist this time around, and one thing he remains adamant about is the idea that no one should get hurt, as he still has a basic moral code from his time in law enforcement. Obviously, Den of Thieves 2 is an action movie, so people do end up getting hurt and killed. However, none of the major players are killed, only the obvious villains, and the majority of the cast walks away fine.
The only big characters who die in the film are Marko and Vuk, played by Dino Kelly and Velibor Topić, respectively. They are initially part of Nick and Donnie’s team, before leaving them after a fight with Nick to join another gang that tries to kill them and steal their loot after Den of Thieves 2‘s diamond heist. The two characters are a pretty small part of the story, and as such their deaths don’t mean all that much in the grand scheme of Den of Thieves 2, certainly much less so than the many deaths that occur in Den of Thieves.
Den Of Thieves 2’s Low Death Count Lowers The Stakes
No One Ever Feels Like They’re In Any Danger
Unfortunately for the movie, the fact that so few characters end up dying makes the film feel like it doesn’t have much in the way of stakes, and the main characters appear as though they’re never in any real danger. For Den of Thieves 2‘s story, tension and stakes are vital to making it an enjoyable experience. While the original seemed to very much understand that, this newest entry is unable to recapture those same feelings, likely a big part of its very mediocre reception.
Den of Thieves 2 would probably have been better served going for a darker tone, killing more of the big characters in the film, probably even one of the two main leads. Due to the success of the first movie, the studio likely wants to make Den of Thieves another large franchise with more sequels featuring Butler and Jackson, depending on how well this second project ends up doing at the box office. Unfortunately, it seems that Den of Thieves 2: Pantera has suffered because of that desire.
