Major spoilers ahead for Den of Thieves 2: Pantera.

When Den of Thieves arrived in 2018, many described it as a sort of down-and-dirty version of Michael Mann's Heat. And I said more or less the same thing about the movie - but I say it with love. I'm a big fan of Den of Thieves, a movie about big men shooting big guns and starring Gerard Butler as Big Nick O'Brien, a cop who always looks hungover no matter what time of day it is. Director Christian Gudegast's film was often derivative (not only does it borrow heavily from The Heat , but it also has a twist at the end almost blatantly stolen from The Usual Suspects ), and yet, it was also a total blast. I was excited when there was a sequel announced back in 2018and now that the sequel, Rogue One: Panther is here, I'm just as excited for what's to come.

Although a third film has not yet been officially announced, Den of Thieves 2 ends in a way that leaves plenty of room for more. Moreover, while talking to ScreenRantGudegast said: "(N . Interestingly enough, Den of Thieves 2 changes the whole approach to this world of cops and robbers. Because if the first Den of Thieves felt like a bag of Heat, then you can say that "Den of Thieves 2" and potentially "Den of Thieves 3" are similar versions of the "Fast and Furious" saga.

I've never cared much for The Fast and the Furious series.. I've tried to get into movies multiple times, mostly because a lot of people I respect tell me they're a lot of fun. But try as I might, I just can't muster up the enthusiasm. That said, I respect the world-building of the franchise, creating a story about a bunch of crooks who bond as a family to pull off more and more ridiculous jobs. And by the end of Den of Thieves 2, it feels like this is exactly the approach Gudegast is going for.

In Den of Thieves, Butler's Big Nick went up against a team of cops targeting a gang of bank robbers. Nick thought he had flipped the crooks by turning their getaway driver, Donnie (O'Shea Jackson Jr.), into an informant. But by the time the film ended, the tables had turned. After a violent shootout that leaves multiple people dead, Nick discovers that Donnie wasn't a low-totem-pole driver—he was actually the mastermind behind the film's climax. He also ended up being the only member of the gang to survive, escaping to Europe with the loot.

In Den of Thieves 2, Donnie, still in Europe, teams up with a gang of thieves known as the Panthers, led by Jovana (Evin Ahmad). Donnie and the Panthers plan a massive heist at the World Diamond Center in Antwerp, but the plan falls apart when Nick follows Donnie. However, Nick says he doesn't want to bust Donnie. Instead, he wants to get into the score. From there, Nick joins the gang. He falls into a kind of constant flirtation with Jovanna and he and Donnie inexplicably become friends. "Basically, this movie is a love story between a thief/gangster and a cop," Gudegast says in the film's production notes. “It's an epic buddy movie.

As the film progresses, Nick bonds with both Donnie and the rest of the gang. In the end, they all pull off the heist and it ends in a thriller car chase shootout with some rivals. Just when you think everyone has gotten away with it, the movie pulls a (somewhat obvious) twist: Nick has been cooperating with local law enforcement all along and turns Donnie, Jovana, and the rest of the gang over to the cops. . However, Nick feels guilty about this. He wasn't doing something - he really grew to care about Donnie and the gang. Eventually, Nick teams up with an exiled mobster (Adriano Chiaramida) to help Donnie and the others break out of prison. The implication is clear: Nick, Donnie and the rest of the team will reunite, presumably to pull off more heists.

It's a fun, surprisingly touching ending - Nick has found a family. It's easy to see a Fast and Furious-esque situation here. The Furious saga ended up being about a lawman joining a gang of criminals and learning to love them, and now Den of Thieves takes the same approach. I guess you could argue that Den of Thieves 2 feels a little different than the first film. While it still has a lot of violent, gritty action, it almost feels like it more beautiful movie - the friendship that grows between Nick and Donnie is sweet. While I think I like the first film a bit more, Den of Thieves 2 is immensely enjoyable on its own, and by the time the end credits rolled, I was ready for more. If they want to keep making these movies and turn them into a big, lower budget Fast & Furious-esque saga, I'll happily keep watching them.

Den of Thieves 2: Pantera is in theaters now.