Imagine the iconic diner sit-down scene between Al Pacino and Robert De Niro in Michael Mann's Heat stretched out to feature length and you'll get some idea of Den of Thieves 2: Pantera. Admittedly, there's a terrific action sequence in director-screenwriter Christian Gudegast's follow-up to his overlong 2018 heist thriller.

Gerard Butler didn't have the best time filming Den of Thieves 2: Pantera as he shot the movie "with a freshly torn ACL."

Now, Butler and Jackson are back in “ Den of Thieves 2: Pantera ,” and Petzold and other fans of the original will be happy to hear that the sequel is even better than the original: faster, funnier, and jammed with spectacular action set pieces that Gudegast shot on a swift schedule.

Following up his well-liked 2018 crime film, director Christian Gudegast swaps 'Heat' for 'Ronin,' bringing on interchangeable Euro-criminals and car chases.

Gerard Butler as ‘Big Nick’ O’Brien and O’Shea Jackson Jr. as Donnie Wilson in “Den of Thieves 2: Pantera.” Photo courtesy of Lionsgate. Photo Credit: Rico Torres January has never been a month known for quality when it pertains to the yearly cinematic timeline.

Butler's brusque, beady-eyed, scowling-hulk charisma has aged well. A quick-fire actor in a caveman's body, he has the ability to lift a piece of pulp so that it almost seems like a real movie.

Christian Gudegast's sequel ups the stupidity of the cat-and-mouse thriller that preceded it en route to becoming far more entertaining than it had any right to be.

Pantera“ drops Friday (01-10-25). Sirius XM Grown Folk Jamz Radio/TV personality Jazmyn Summers caught up with stars Gerard Butler and O’Shea Jackson and executive producer 50 Cent for EURweb. “I was killed in the last one and now I came back to executive produce the second one,