Den of Thieves 2: Pantera

Changing scenery does not always help refresh a saga, and Den of Thieves 2 is a good example. This sequel moves to Nice with the intention of opening up the universe and bringing something new, but the truth is that it ends up losing the pulse that made the first instalment work.

SPOILER

There are occasional action moments that are well handled, and technically the film maintains a certain level, but the character development falls short and it is hard to connect with what is happening. At times it seems more interested in showing off European settings than in telling something with force. And, although the story tries to create tension, the pace goes in fits and starts and it feels long for how little it offers.

Gerard Butler continues to deliver with that style of his somewhere between tired and brutish, but neither he nor the rest manage to give soul to a film that, although it starts with energy, gradually deflates. It is entertaining in places, but it does not have the same impact or the bite of the first. In the end, more than a continuation, it looks like a somewhat forced spin-off.
spoiler:
The twist of the sheriff character, so unpleasant in the previous one, switching sides sounds more like a desperate attempt to redeem him than a coherent evolution.