Den of Thieves is essentially a remake of Michael Mann's Heat, only Al Pacino and Robert De Niro are replaced by Gerard Butler and Pablo Schreiber. Round out the cast with a rapper and the son of a rapper and you have a tailor made B-movie that shouldn't take itself too seriously. At first, that is pretty much what you get, but then it slowly becomes clear that Den of Thieves is blissfully unaware that it is bad. There are several subplots that belong in a more serious movie that bloat the runtime up to a lengthy 2 hours and 20 minutes when it should be a full hour shorter. The script tries to get way too clever for its own good adding twists and turns that feel more ridiculous than enjoyable. First time director Christian Gudegast clearly demonstrates that his talents unfortunately lie elsewhere as he incorporates several shots that would feel heavy handed in even the most serious dramas.
On a positive note, the action sequences are fairly exciting even if it took an odd route to get there. The heist itself was the highlight of the movie and despite a few plot holes it played on screen about as well as any movie heists this side of the Ocean's trilogy. They were also able to recapture Heat's ambiguity as to who is the protagonist, though it was less through making both sides appealing and more through just wedging in that they all love their families.
If you are looking for a fun heist movie, then check out Netflix, because there are a lot of better ones out there than this.
On a positive note, the action sequences are fairly exciting even if it took an odd route to get there. The heist itself was the highlight of the movie and despite a few plot holes it played on screen about as well as any movie heists this side of the Ocean's trilogy. They were also able to recapture Heat's ambiguity as to who is the protagonist, though it was less through making both sides appealing and more through just wedging in that they all love their families.
If you are looking for a fun heist movie, then check out Netflix, because there are a lot of better ones out there than this.