Thought it can't hit the emotional highs of other heist flicks, Den of Thieves is still plenty entertaining.
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If you want an R-rated B-movie, and Jason Statham isn't available, Gerard Butler is your guy. The most obviously example is the Fallen series where Butler made three films with solid box office returns fighting terrorists and defending the President. But he's also been the lead of a bunch of other B-movie fare ranging from the very silly, Geostorm, to movies like today's hard-nosed heist flick Den of Thieves with Butler playing an out of control detective trying to track down a group of former Marines turned bank robbers before their next job. And I remember being unimpressed the first time around. Not because I didn't think the movie was poorly made, but because it felt a lot like Heat but wasn't Heat. Which isn't fair. Almost no movies are Heat's level of cool, thrilling and character driven. So before the sequel Den of Thieves: Pantera roars into theaters, I thought I'd revisit the first film and see if my feelings on it have softened over time. Spoiler alert: they did!
The Setup
The film centers around a team of ex-Special Forces Marines that have pulled off a daring robbery of an armored truck that's left a trail of bodies in its wake. Just one problem. The car was empty. Brought in to put the pieces together is Nick "Big Nick' O'Brien from the Major Crimes Unit who tries to identify the thieves and figure out the crew's next target. And he might've found his inside man: the crew's new driver, Donnie Wilson.
Having watched it again, I get the appeal of Den of Thieves a bit more. I still think it has a major flaw that prevents it from being great, but it's not a deal-breaker in what is otherwise, a very fun heist movie. So what stands out?
Blurred Lines Between Cops and Criminals
The biggest thing that stands out in Den of Thieves is the overlap between cops and criminals. While Heat treated each as professionals both doing their jobs, that just so happen to be in opposition of one another, they were treated like parallel tracks that only intersect with one another in violent ways, the cops and robbers in Thieves are both hard-nosed guys who live fast and dangerous in every part of their lives.
Gerard Butler's "Big Nick" in particular stands out because for all of his bluster about trying to be a good cop and stop bank robbers, he sure seems to like roughing up his primary suspect/inside man, telling this crew he'd rather kill them than cuff them, and acts like a raging asshole to his wife (soon to be ex-wife).
These are all scuzzy people doing scuzzy things so you can let the cat and mouse game play out.
These are all scuzzy people doing scuzzy things so you can let the cat and mouse game play out.
Solid Tension in the Third Act
Almost all heist movies are judged on the quality of the heist, and Den of Thieves has a great one with tons of moving pieces some of which are telegraphed and introduced earlier and plenty more which only reveal themselves later. I also like the unique nature of the target, a Federal Reserve Bank, and how there's a counter to every level of security (big and small) that can rely on tech at one moment or a seed planted during an earlier moment.
This is also where the movie's emphasis on hardware and tactical vests comes into play because visually when we see all of that stuff, we're expecting fireworks. So when we see the crew loaded for bear at a completely different bank, we start to wonder what the heck is happening and if everyone is about to get lit up in a giant firefight. We know at some point the guns are going to go off, so we can stew in the tension of when that's going to happen.
This is also where the movie's emphasis on hardware and tactical vests comes into play because visually when we see all of that stuff, we're expecting fireworks. So when we see the crew loaded for bear at a completely different bank, we start to wonder what the heck is happening and if everyone is about to get lit up in a giant firefight. We know at some point the guns are going to go off, so we can stew in the tension of when that's going to happen.
What's Missing: Emotional Stakes
The baseline that's missing in what is almost a 2.5 hour movie is pretty simple, what are the emotional stakes for our players? Butler's Big Nick is the most obvious, even though it's never said. His home life has completely fallen apart so he better be good at his cop job. So taking these guys down is a way he can feel like he did something and that all of his scumbag behavior has a purpose.
But the thieves? No idea about their motivation outside of money. Yes it's a lot of money, but no one is talking about getting enough money to relocate or get a nest egg. What's frustrating is that it wouldn't have been hard. Our crew leader keeps talking about not wanting to go back to prison, so I imagine he'd like to leave the country and avoid that ever happening agian. 50 Cent has a wife and daughter and maybe this heist is what he needs to send his babygirl to the college of her dreams (since we see her going to some kind of HS dance).
This goes double for O'Shea Jackson Jr.'s Donnie who is an odd man out in this crew so him syncing up with this crew, especially with the unmuzzled Big Nick on his ass. Why does that guy want to try to pull this off outside of money.
As an example, Logan Lucky is a very fun heist movie where every player involved is motivated by money. But what does that money mean? To Channing Tatum's Logan it means that he can be more involved in his daughter's life and provide stability for his brother who has a physical disability. Den of Thieves needed something like that. Thankfully, I think Big Nick joining the crew in their next adventure might put some pieces together. Here's hoping!
As an example, Logan Lucky is a very fun heist movie where every player involved is motivated by money. But what does that money mean? To Channing Tatum's Logan it means that he can be more involved in his daughter's life and provide stability for his brother who has a physical disability. Den of Thieves needed something like that. Thankfully, I think Big Nick joining the crew in their next adventure might put some pieces together. Here's hoping!
The Verdict: Fun, If Shallow
Thought it can't hit the emotional highs of other heist flicks, Den of Thieves is still plenty entertaining. 6/10
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