Den of Thieves is basically Heat on steroids. Half the IQ, but twice the testosterone.
654 Reviews
A very watchable unintended parody of Heat
leplongeur4 April 2020
The most macho thing I have ever seen
thekarmicnomad6 January 2019
A bunch of professional thieves knock over a big city bank and butt heads with a not so professional bunch of police.
Now on paper there is a lot to not like about this. All the main characters look like human versions of He-man figures but with neck tattoos. Everything about them just screams ass-hole.
This is actually one of the films strong points. There are no good or bad guys in this film just seriously flawed people acting on some quite ambiguous motivations. I found this made the film more exciting because there is no chance of the "good guy" winning in the last moment.
There are lots of scenes that build on characters but ultimately feel like dead ends in retrospect but does get you invested.
The action is kept to the end and when things ignite it is very exhilarating and feels quite real.
Well shot, acted and produced. The actual heist when it pans out is not particularly clever.
If you are not a big fan of action movies then all the muscle bound guys fist-bumping each other and slapping butts might be a bit of a turn off for you.
Now on paper there is a lot to not like about this. All the main characters look like human versions of He-man figures but with neck tattoos. Everything about them just screams ass-hole.
This is actually one of the films strong points. There are no good or bad guys in this film just seriously flawed people acting on some quite ambiguous motivations. I found this made the film more exciting because there is no chance of the "good guy" winning in the last moment.
There are lots of scenes that build on characters but ultimately feel like dead ends in retrospect but does get you invested.
The action is kept to the end and when things ignite it is very exhilarating and feels quite real.
Well shot, acted and produced. The actual heist when it pans out is not particularly clever.
If you are not a big fan of action movies then all the muscle bound guys fist-bumping each other and slapping butts might be a bit of a turn off for you.
A fun, well paced movie that isn't pretending to be something it's not
naregian20 January 2018
You can't enter a movie like this expecting some cinematic masterpiece. If you do so, you'll be obviously disappointed. Otherwise, it's a completely entertaining and fun ride through some surprisingly complex characters and an unexpectedly intricate game of cat and mouse.
There have been some comparisons of this movie to the movie Heat, and I think they may be somewhat warranted. OBVIOUSLY, this does not hold the gravitas of a mid-90's DeNiro/Pacino face-off, but plot structure, pacing, character development and the Los Angeles backdrop were all very familiar.
At the core, you have Pablo Schreiber, who is 1 or 2 decent movies away from being given a real shot at a career defining role. He led this film effortlessly and truly gives you a very raw sense of character. Gerard Butler plays Gerard Butler and convincingly so. The two square off for 140 minutes and it's surely fun to watch.
The 140 minute runtime seems to have garnered some attention from reviewers. Yeah, it's long, but it really doesn't feel that way. The pace of the film is stellar, and you never really feel any "look down at your phone" moments. The heist movie is often times full of overdone clichés and unconvincing "suspense" but for some reason this film was able to put a fresh twist on everything you see.
If you've seen a trailer for the film, you'll be very happy with it. I think this is a case of extremely good marketing and a trailer can make or break your audience's expectations for a film. From the trailer, you see a crew of goons led by some wannabe badass and a crew of cops trying to intimidate them and take them down. The trailer doesn't give you much of a glimpse at anything more than elementary storyline, which is why if you see this film, you'll be pleasantly surprised.
Had more fun in a theater than I can remember in recent years.
8/10
There have been some comparisons of this movie to the movie Heat, and I think they may be somewhat warranted. OBVIOUSLY, this does not hold the gravitas of a mid-90's DeNiro/Pacino face-off, but plot structure, pacing, character development and the Los Angeles backdrop were all very familiar.
At the core, you have Pablo Schreiber, who is 1 or 2 decent movies away from being given a real shot at a career defining role. He led this film effortlessly and truly gives you a very raw sense of character. Gerard Butler plays Gerard Butler and convincingly so. The two square off for 140 minutes and it's surely fun to watch.
The 140 minute runtime seems to have garnered some attention from reviewers. Yeah, it's long, but it really doesn't feel that way. The pace of the film is stellar, and you never really feel any "look down at your phone" moments. The heist movie is often times full of overdone clichés and unconvincing "suspense" but for some reason this film was able to put a fresh twist on everything you see.
If you've seen a trailer for the film, you'll be very happy with it. I think this is a case of extremely good marketing and a trailer can make or break your audience's expectations for a film. From the trailer, you see a crew of goons led by some wannabe badass and a crew of cops trying to intimidate them and take them down. The trailer doesn't give you much of a glimpse at anything more than elementary storyline, which is why if you see this film, you'll be pleasantly surprised.
Had more fun in a theater than I can remember in recent years.
8/10
A solid attempt
Fredolow29 April 2018
This film was a good romp and a solid 7 in my opinion. It crtainly doesn't deserve some of the ludicrous scores some people have rated it on here! Well acted and plenty of action. Then again I always thought Heat was overrated (probably would give that a 7 as well). I didn't feel it was overlong and din't get bored once. Yes, there were a few plot holes, but overrall this was good entertainment and so much better than much of the absolute dross that's doing the rounds at present. Don't listen to the naysayers on here, this one is well worth your time.
Classic Cops and Robbers flick- best firefights since Heat!
TheDevilsNotetaker24 April 2018
This is a classic cops and robbers tale of the type you don't see anymore, plus being a huge fan of Butler loved it even more. Macho testosterone fueled action of the type Arnold, Stallone and Willis did back in the 80's and 90's.
Butler is Far superior as a action star than Statham or The Rock. A true successor to those 80's icons.
Sure its not gonna win any Oscars but for a plain good time with tons of action and macho posturing, and for a welcome change from all the Netflix Sci-Fi fare, this is all you need!
Plus its has the best gunfights since DeNiro and Pacino went at it in Heat. Trust me you don't wanna miss the gunfights.
Sure its not gonna win any Oscars but for a plain good time with tons of action and macho posturing, and for a welcome change from all the Netflix Sci-Fi fare, this is all you need!
Plus its has the best gunfights since DeNiro and Pacino went at it in Heat. Trust me you don't wanna miss the gunfights.
Good action but plot holes
fayyaz-acamar24 January 2018
Warning: Spoilers
While there is an air of real menace around the movie that is engrossing and some scenes create real tension, in the end the story just lacks credibility. For example, in the shooting range, the bad guys shoots four clips in rapid succession and has a perfect pattern around the heart but in the finale, he shoots hundereds of automatic rounds and can't seem to hit anyone!
The family sequence is shallow and the twists are hard to follow and believe. It's just not credible that he gets all the details of the layout just by being a bartender. And for the guys not to check the bags in the dump is really unbelieveable. They share a hooker and she feeds him the address for the heist. Sheesh!
Still, the action was pretty good.
The family sequence is shallow and the twists are hard to follow and believe. It's just not credible that he gets all the details of the layout just by being a bartender. And for the guys not to check the bags in the dump is really unbelieveable. They share a hooker and she feeds him the address for the heist. Sheesh!
Still, the action was pretty good.
A Great Heist Film
carsonschmitt821 January 2018
I went into Den of Thieves with low expectations, and walked out pleasently surprised with this movie! Im a huge heist movie fan and Michael Mann's 'Heat' is one of my favorite movies of all time. And while its true that Den of Thieves takes almost TOO MUCH inspiration from HEAT, it certainly delivers some unexpected turns that make the movie unpredictible and not generic. Sure, there are a lot of heist films out there, but I found Den of Thieves to bring some new elements into the genre that i have never seen, which i thought was pretty great. I was actually surprised with Gerard Butler's performance in this movie, he was actually REALLY good and played the role with commitment. The same goes for the other cast members, Great Acting! What really sold this movie for me, was the incredible action sequences. They are directed fantastically, and the firearms in the movie sound robust and authoritative, which gives the film a hard edge that i found to love. There are a few scenes in the film that feel out of place and some of the character development isn't really there, but overall i had a blast watching this movie and plan to see it again. Definately Recommend to anyone a fan of the genre.
The Bank Robbery Capital of the World
claudio_carvalho29 April 2018
"Den of Thieves" is an entertaining crime film with the showdown of Los Angeles County Sheriff "Big Nick" O'Brien and his team, and the criminal Ray Merrimen and his skilled gang of bank robbers. The plot is full of action and twists and the identity of the mastermind is a great surprise. The pace is perfect and the viewer does not feel the 140 minutes running time. The shootout recalls "Heat" and O'Brien´s personal drama with his wife is pointless and only a filler in the story. "Den of Thieves" is not a film for intellectuals and the target audiences will be very satisfied. My vote is seven.
Title (Brazil): "Covil de Ladrões" ("Den of Thieves")
Title (Brazil): "Covil de Ladrões" ("Den of Thieves")
A one time watch crime thriller with awesome gun shot sequences n a clever but dangerous heist.
Fella_shibby12 April 2018
Bank robbery, gun shot action sequences, trailer of this film n Gerard Butler, all these were suffice for me to view this n i was not at all disappointed. Saw this in a theatre. Comparisons with Heat n The Town will b inevitable but this movie is a solid crime thriller with enuff action/gun shot sequences n a dangerous n clever heist.
The final shoot-out scene will satisfy fans of Miami Vice (the shoot-out scene).
Another good aspect is that the pacing is good and it's never dull.
Pablo Schreiber (Preservation) was convincing as an ex military leader turned into a robber.
Gerard Butler has a solid screen presence.
O'Shea Jackson Jr. gav a solid performance (spitting image of his father Ice Cube).
Action fans will not b disappointed. Looking forward to its sequel.
Overlong
neil-4761 May 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Ray Merrimen heads a crew of crooks who have successfully carried out multiple bank robberies in Los Angeles. Nick O'Brien heads a group of fairly wild cops who know who they are after, but haven't been able to catch them yet. Merrimen's crew have a big caper set up, O'Brien's squad has a man on the inside, and the scene is set for a cat and mouse crime caper movie.
The caper is good - a little over-complex, but pleasingly constructive. And the ultimate scenes bring a smile to the face. Now to look at what is not so good.
This film runs for 2 hours and 20 minutes, and feels every minute of it. Butler's character is deeply unpleasant (nothing wrong with an anti-hero as such, however...) to the extent that you don't want to spend time in his company, nor do you want him to triumph despite the fact that he is nominally a goodie. There is great emphasis on the drama of his domestic situation: this is plot irrelevant, goes nowhere, is never resolved, and has no impact on his mood or actions. O'Brien and Merrimen have a weird kind of one-upmanship jockeying for position going on: this doesn't seem to have any direct cause or effect on anything. And the final action sequence goes on for rather too long.
Like the film, in fact.
The caper is good - a little over-complex, but pleasingly constructive. And the ultimate scenes bring a smile to the face. Now to look at what is not so good.
This film runs for 2 hours and 20 minutes, and feels every minute of it. Butler's character is deeply unpleasant (nothing wrong with an anti-hero as such, however...) to the extent that you don't want to spend time in his company, nor do you want him to triumph despite the fact that he is nominally a goodie. There is great emphasis on the drama of his domestic situation: this is plot irrelevant, goes nowhere, is never resolved, and has no impact on his mood or actions. O'Brien and Merrimen have a weird kind of one-upmanship jockeying for position going on: this doesn't seem to have any direct cause or effect on anything. And the final action sequence goes on for rather too long.
Like the film, in fact.
a highly successful debut, especially for a January release
Quinoa19846 February 2018
Den of Thieves is a good example of a filmmaker taking inspiration visually and with the entire setting and mood and pitting of two sides - it's Heat, alright, it's damn Heat - and it actually being a strong effort. Christian Gudegast, who co-wrote and directed this 140 minute tribute to mandom in its bullet-flying, hard-drinking, muscle-bound weight-lifting tattooed uber-machismo, makes his debut as director here, and while it can never really live up to what Michael Mann did with his piece of "Guy" cinema, it also doesn't come with its high expectations and overly grandiose sense of epic pretention (and I don't mean that as a put down exactly for Heat, but... it is a movie very full of its importance, anticipated actor team-up besides). Den of Thieves cares about what it's trying to do, and that can go a long way for me in a world where a lot of filmmakers just come in and are lazy AF.
It's the over-long (by at least ten minutes) take on Los Angeles grit and it hearkens to a tradition of heist movies with tough criminals and tough cops. Melville of course this ain't, but I might hope that some plucky 17 or 18 year old growing in love with movies finds this in a near-empty February cineplex (or, in a few months, on any video platform) and may be inspired to seek out more. It's Gerard Butler vs Pablo Schrieber (with O'Shea Jackson Jr fully in the mix as the driver for the latter's crew, fully making a mark for himself not just as Ice Cube Jr, though the resemblance certainly helps at least at first), and it's unapologetic about its characters. This isn't to say that the movie necessarily *endorses* how they behave, at least I'd hope not. I do think the filmmaker does find this tough and exciting and hopes we will too. Does he indulge a bit much? Well, let's say that 50 Cent confronting his daughter's prom date is so 'on the cutting room floor' ready it's puzzling why it's here past a probably final cut (or maybe no one really cared as it's an under-the-radar middle-budget January release)
But the direction, how Gudegast and his camera operators move the compositions and know how to frame people and make a mood for a scene, is good. Really good. Maybe to that point where I could kind of forget about Christopher Nolan's own homaging in past films, though without the same sense of coherent visual grammar as this guy here (not to say he's *better* than Nolan, let's not get into that discussion). The point is that in the script and in how he directs the actors - most especially Butler, who I've never had any strong affinity for (sometimes disliked his attempts to be tough that come off lame in other films), but taps into a character he gives a damn about, his many, many warts and horrible parts and all - he is trying to craft a genuinely gripping story, which involves a plot to rob the Federal Reserve counting room in LA, and does so.
Again, some of this can be chalked up to low expectations, but I always like to go into crime films, especially the heist sub-genre, with all the hope and good will that I can afford as a fan. This filmmaker is a fan, and not an obnoxious one which is a key distinction. There aren't attempts at any sort of deeper commentary about how the cops or criminals operate, but that's okay; we just have to accept Butler's Nick and his wild bunch of "bad" cops have carved their own hardcore niche out (they're not entirely corrupt persay, just dirty and full of sh***t folks), and yet there's enough to understand how the criminals operate too, that they're largely either ex-Marines or ex sports aspirants. I'm not a hundred percent sure how close it hews to real life, but it creates its own reality.... a bloody, beefy, characters-sometimes-saying-homophobic crap group of people.
This doesn't mean that it has some kind of grand artistic pedestal to stand on, and I thought of a couple of plot-holes that were glaring in relation to what Nick and his cops would/wouldn't tell the people working in the Fed Reserve building given that they saw Donnie go in as the "Chinese food guy" to keep an eye out for. But if you like movies that are largely intelligently made, care about putting in a modicum of work into creating characters and relationships and, sure, even giving Nick a couple of kids taken away from him and so on etc (and that does work, surprisingly so), this hits the spot. At least it did for me.
It's the over-long (by at least ten minutes) take on Los Angeles grit and it hearkens to a tradition of heist movies with tough criminals and tough cops. Melville of course this ain't, but I might hope that some plucky 17 or 18 year old growing in love with movies finds this in a near-empty February cineplex (or, in a few months, on any video platform) and may be inspired to seek out more. It's Gerard Butler vs Pablo Schrieber (with O'Shea Jackson Jr fully in the mix as the driver for the latter's crew, fully making a mark for himself not just as Ice Cube Jr, though the resemblance certainly helps at least at first), and it's unapologetic about its characters. This isn't to say that the movie necessarily *endorses* how they behave, at least I'd hope not. I do think the filmmaker does find this tough and exciting and hopes we will too. Does he indulge a bit much? Well, let's say that 50 Cent confronting his daughter's prom date is so 'on the cutting room floor' ready it's puzzling why it's here past a probably final cut (or maybe no one really cared as it's an under-the-radar middle-budget January release)
But the direction, how Gudegast and his camera operators move the compositions and know how to frame people and make a mood for a scene, is good. Really good. Maybe to that point where I could kind of forget about Christopher Nolan's own homaging in past films, though without the same sense of coherent visual grammar as this guy here (not to say he's *better* than Nolan, let's not get into that discussion). The point is that in the script and in how he directs the actors - most especially Butler, who I've never had any strong affinity for (sometimes disliked his attempts to be tough that come off lame in other films), but taps into a character he gives a damn about, his many, many warts and horrible parts and all - he is trying to craft a genuinely gripping story, which involves a plot to rob the Federal Reserve counting room in LA, and does so.
Again, some of this can be chalked up to low expectations, but I always like to go into crime films, especially the heist sub-genre, with all the hope and good will that I can afford as a fan. This filmmaker is a fan, and not an obnoxious one which is a key distinction. There aren't attempts at any sort of deeper commentary about how the cops or criminals operate, but that's okay; we just have to accept Butler's Nick and his wild bunch of "bad" cops have carved their own hardcore niche out (they're not entirely corrupt persay, just dirty and full of sh***t folks), and yet there's enough to understand how the criminals operate too, that they're largely either ex-Marines or ex sports aspirants. I'm not a hundred percent sure how close it hews to real life, but it creates its own reality.... a bloody, beefy, characters-sometimes-saying-homophobic crap group of people.
This doesn't mean that it has some kind of grand artistic pedestal to stand on, and I thought of a couple of plot-holes that were glaring in relation to what Nick and his cops would/wouldn't tell the people working in the Fed Reserve building given that they saw Donnie go in as the "Chinese food guy" to keep an eye out for. But if you like movies that are largely intelligently made, care about putting in a modicum of work into creating characters and relationships and, sure, even giving Nick a couple of kids taken away from him and so on etc (and that does work, surprisingly so), this hits the spot. At least it did for me.
A Cat and Mouse Chase that works for the most part
Ed-Shullivan20 March 2020
A well trained but no so disciplined group of war vets go on a bank robbery spree culminating in an attempt to rob a bank reserve depot where old cash is accounted for, then shredded, and legitimately taken out of the U.S. currency pool. Gerard Butler plays 'Big Nick' O'Brien a rogue detective who leads a small but elite group of criminal detectives who want to shut this bank robbery team down for good.
There are a few unexpected but good twists and turns, and the car chases and gun battles that take place on the streets of Los Angeles are exceptionally well done. I was not impressed that the films' star Gerard Butler, who plays 'Big Nick' O'Brien was portrayed as an out of control cop who plays both physical and mental mind games with his wife who initiates divorce proceedings against him while he is in the midst of breaking up this military trained band of bank robbers.
It is a decent cat and mouse, good versus evil, action film that deserves at least two viewings to fully grasp how ell done this film was made. Kudos to the writer/director Christian Gudegast who pulled off a successful crime/action film that deserves more attention than it has received.
There are a few unexpected but good twists and turns, and the car chases and gun battles that take place on the streets of Los Angeles are exceptionally well done. I was not impressed that the films' star Gerard Butler, who plays 'Big Nick' O'Brien was portrayed as an out of control cop who plays both physical and mental mind games with his wife who initiates divorce proceedings against him while he is in the midst of breaking up this military trained band of bank robbers.
It is a decent cat and mouse, good versus evil, action film that deserves at least two viewings to fully grasp how ell done this film was made. Kudos to the writer/director Christian Gudegast who pulled off a successful crime/action film that deserves more attention than it has received.
A B-Movie Unaware it is a B-Movie
fletcherc2119 January 2018
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.
More holes in the plot than a brick of Swiss cheese
Top_Dawg_Critic4 February 2018
In Christian Gudegast's directorial debut, he did better in directing, than what he's know for, which is writing. There were more clearly obvious holes in the plot than a brick of Swiss cheese. His screenwriting of Gerard Butler's character was way too overboard. It was still a fun flick to see, but lost much potential with the sloppy writing. What is more laughable are all the 8, 9 and 10 reviews for this film... are the producers that dumb not to think anyone can click on a user name and see this film was the only one they rated - clearly fake reviews. This film is a generous and honest 7/10 from me.
Den of Thieves
0U7 February 2020
GOOD BUT DOESN'T BRING ON THE HEAT
kirbylee70-599-52617931 May 2018
Warning: Spoilers
I love a good heist movie. There've been some classics in the genre. THE ITALIAN JOB and OCEAN'S ELEVEN stand out in my memory. So when I heard a new heist film was out called DEN OF THIEVES starring Gerard Butler I was in. Sad to say it didn't live up to my expectations though.
The movie opens with an armored car robbery that goes awry. A guard is shot and killed, not something Ray Merrimen (Pablo Schreiber) the master planner had in mind. A shootout follows but the team escapes and he later reprimands the weak member of his team for not following orders.
The next day Det. Nick O'Brien (Butler) arrives to investigate the case. He and his team of elite no-nonsense officers have been tracking Merrimen for a while now. Through various leads and questionable methods of interrogation they begin to think they may have an idea of what the big heist is going to be. They just need to fill in the details.
As all of this is going along we also get a glimpse of O'Brien's home life. Like most police in movies like this his marriage is a shambles. He's also finding it difficult to spend quality time with his child. The end result is his wife leaving and moving in with her sister while filing for divorce.
The day of the heist arrives and O'Brien and his team have staked out the bank they know Merrimen is going to hit. Hit it he does taking those inside the bank hostage and threatening to kill them if he doesn't get money and a helicopter out of the bank. Stalling for time O'Brien and his team placate Merrimen. Until they realize something just isn't right.
SPOILER ALERT: This is when the movie gets good. We discover that the bank job was cover for a much larger plan, stealing used bills intended for destruction at the nearby Federal Reserve. As the job is going down O'Brien and his team realize what's happening and race to the scene to take down Merrimen and his team.
The film ends with a major chase and shootout taking up most of the last hour of the film. It's a tense struggle and not everyone will come out alive. But the movie doesn't end there. And that is the best part about the movie, the end. So if you decide to watch it keep in mind it's not over until the credits roll.
So what's good about the movie? It has an involved plot that needs paid attention to to be followed. The story here of the elite commando type team of criminals facing off against the best of the best of the police works well. And to make things a bit different the criminals are more inclined appear the more elite team than the police. The police are the gruff looking tough talking types some movies have gone towards.
This takes us to the bad. The language used by Butler here actually becomes distracting after a while rather than help form his character. He's not a character we care much about. There isn't a sympathetic character to associate yourself with. The criminals are willing to kill anyone who gets in their way. The police squad comes off as unruly, undisciplined in certain circumstances and just plain mean. Who do you root for?
Then there's the length of the film. There's no reason for this film to last nearly two and a half hours. It's not that epic of a story. Plenty of scenes could have been trimmed to bring the movie down to even two hours. If film directors in the 30s and 40s could make a decent film and tell an entire story in under 80 minutes why do today's directors feel the need to expand the length of a film for no reason?
While watching this film I kept thinking back to the movie HEAT from 1995 starring Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino. That movie lasted nearly three hours and didn't feel near as long as this one did. I was thinking that the director here felt he was making a monumental epic in the tradition of that film. If that was the case he failed miserably. The movie is entertaining enough for a single viewing but nothing that I would make myself sit through again or add to my collection. It's simply there.
The movie opens with an armored car robbery that goes awry. A guard is shot and killed, not something Ray Merrimen (Pablo Schreiber) the master planner had in mind. A shootout follows but the team escapes and he later reprimands the weak member of his team for not following orders.
The next day Det. Nick O'Brien (Butler) arrives to investigate the case. He and his team of elite no-nonsense officers have been tracking Merrimen for a while now. Through various leads and questionable methods of interrogation they begin to think they may have an idea of what the big heist is going to be. They just need to fill in the details.
As all of this is going along we also get a glimpse of O'Brien's home life. Like most police in movies like this his marriage is a shambles. He's also finding it difficult to spend quality time with his child. The end result is his wife leaving and moving in with her sister while filing for divorce.
The day of the heist arrives and O'Brien and his team have staked out the bank they know Merrimen is going to hit. Hit it he does taking those inside the bank hostage and threatening to kill them if he doesn't get money and a helicopter out of the bank. Stalling for time O'Brien and his team placate Merrimen. Until they realize something just isn't right.
SPOILER ALERT: This is when the movie gets good. We discover that the bank job was cover for a much larger plan, stealing used bills intended for destruction at the nearby Federal Reserve. As the job is going down O'Brien and his team realize what's happening and race to the scene to take down Merrimen and his team.
The film ends with a major chase and shootout taking up most of the last hour of the film. It's a tense struggle and not everyone will come out alive. But the movie doesn't end there. And that is the best part about the movie, the end. So if you decide to watch it keep in mind it's not over until the credits roll.
So what's good about the movie? It has an involved plot that needs paid attention to to be followed. The story here of the elite commando type team of criminals facing off against the best of the best of the police works well. And to make things a bit different the criminals are more inclined appear the more elite team than the police. The police are the gruff looking tough talking types some movies have gone towards.
This takes us to the bad. The language used by Butler here actually becomes distracting after a while rather than help form his character. He's not a character we care much about. There isn't a sympathetic character to associate yourself with. The criminals are willing to kill anyone who gets in their way. The police squad comes off as unruly, undisciplined in certain circumstances and just plain mean. Who do you root for?
Then there's the length of the film. There's no reason for this film to last nearly two and a half hours. It's not that epic of a story. Plenty of scenes could have been trimmed to bring the movie down to even two hours. If film directors in the 30s and 40s could make a decent film and tell an entire story in under 80 minutes why do today's directors feel the need to expand the length of a film for no reason?
While watching this film I kept thinking back to the movie HEAT from 1995 starring Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino. That movie lasted nearly three hours and didn't feel near as long as this one did. I was thinking that the director here felt he was making a monumental epic in the tradition of that film. If that was the case he failed miserably. The movie is entertaining enough for a single viewing but nothing that I would make myself sit through again or add to my collection. It's simply there.
Good movie!!!
brookesy7-607-49344713 April 2018
Underrated heist movie
andrewshuttler-8608614 July 2021
I see the comparisons with " Heat " as this clearly draws from that classic, but I do feel this stands alone also as a superior heist movie, it has an excellent ensemble cast , tense action and hard boiled dialogue. From a technical point of view and I can speak from having had nearly 20 years frontline firearms experience this film is spot on the weapons handling is excellent and very accurate and I particularly liked the " tac up " sequence. I do feel this film gets lost in the shadow of " Heat " but deserves to be held in similar high regard.
The ending makes up for the movie
DebraIonaVogel2 January 2021
Action-packed completely unbelievable movie with lots of shooting, bad ass bad boy cops and very smart at any cost criminals.
Gerard Butler is so annoying and overacts, it's almost unwatchable. Geez, dude, take it down a notch.
The ending was fantastic, waaaay better than I expected and made sitting through this worth it. A singularly smartly written character in this dumb movie.
Gerard Butler is so annoying and overacts, it's almost unwatchable. Geez, dude, take it down a notch.
The ending was fantastic, waaaay better than I expected and made sitting through this worth it. A singularly smartly written character in this dumb movie.
Going back to the essence of classic action movies in a convincing way
kluseba12 February 2018
Den of Thieves might be a stereotypical movie about tough guys trying to outsmart one another but it's a really entertaining ride and worth the praise it gets.
First of all, the story is fast-paced without any lengths. Each character is introduced appropriately, the tension slowly rises until a gripping climax and the final twist is quite impressive as well.
Secondly, the acting performances are stellar. Gerard Butler fully impresses as tough and pitiless detective who convinces with unshakable determination but also shows his flaws with his aggressive recklessness. Pablo Schreiber offers a very solid performance as strong, intelligent and ambitious criminal who turns out to be much more complex than meets the eye. The secret protagonist of the movie is O'Shea Jackson Junior's character who goes through a spectacular development from being a curious bartender, becoming involved in a gang of highly trained criminals and ending up what seems to be an undercover collaborator with the local police force. Each character has important flaws and strengths which makes everyone of them particularly authentic. Identifying a clear protagonist or antagonist is nearly impossible which sets this movie apart from other genre flicks.
Thirdly, the action sequences are quite spectacular, including car chases, gun fights and hand-to-hand combat but these elements are never overused and keep the movie diversified yet credible.
Fourthly, the main heist is truly spectacular and nerve-firing as the clever criminals face quite a few serious challenges. The whole sequence lasts about half an hour but feels less than half as long because it's so gripping.
Fifthly, despite being an action movie, this film doesn't overuse special effects, employs lighting techniques smoothly and utilizes calm camera work. Stylistically, this movie goes back to the great action movies of the eighties which is quite refreshing and not headache-inducing. Great action movies don't need shaky cameras and zombies but should stick to the simplest ingredients to fully convince. This is what Den of Thieves accomplishes very successfully.
In the end, watching Den of Thieves was a surprisingly positive experience. I haven't watched such an overall enjoyable action movie in a very long time. Fans of action cinema with tough guys in the key of the Die Hard franchise just can't get around this film. I certainly don't aim to sound controversial but the only thing to point out is that this movie was made by men for men and might appear somewhat stereotypical to most women. On the other side, it's just the other way around with films like Pitch Perfect. If this movie seems to be right down your alley, you will enjoy it for sure but if it's not your type of movie, just ignore it.
First of all, the story is fast-paced without any lengths. Each character is introduced appropriately, the tension slowly rises until a gripping climax and the final twist is quite impressive as well.
Secondly, the acting performances are stellar. Gerard Butler fully impresses as tough and pitiless detective who convinces with unshakable determination but also shows his flaws with his aggressive recklessness. Pablo Schreiber offers a very solid performance as strong, intelligent and ambitious criminal who turns out to be much more complex than meets the eye. The secret protagonist of the movie is O'Shea Jackson Junior's character who goes through a spectacular development from being a curious bartender, becoming involved in a gang of highly trained criminals and ending up what seems to be an undercover collaborator with the local police force. Each character has important flaws and strengths which makes everyone of them particularly authentic. Identifying a clear protagonist or antagonist is nearly impossible which sets this movie apart from other genre flicks.
Thirdly, the action sequences are quite spectacular, including car chases, gun fights and hand-to-hand combat but these elements are never overused and keep the movie diversified yet credible.
Fourthly, the main heist is truly spectacular and nerve-firing as the clever criminals face quite a few serious challenges. The whole sequence lasts about half an hour but feels less than half as long because it's so gripping.
Fifthly, despite being an action movie, this film doesn't overuse special effects, employs lighting techniques smoothly and utilizes calm camera work. Stylistically, this movie goes back to the great action movies of the eighties which is quite refreshing and not headache-inducing. Great action movies don't need shaky cameras and zombies but should stick to the simplest ingredients to fully convince. This is what Den of Thieves accomplishes very successfully.
In the end, watching Den of Thieves was a surprisingly positive experience. I haven't watched such an overall enjoyable action movie in a very long time. Fans of action cinema with tough guys in the key of the Die Hard franchise just can't get around this film. I certainly don't aim to sound controversial but the only thing to point out is that this movie was made by men for men and might appear somewhat stereotypical to most women. On the other side, it's just the other way around with films like Pitch Perfect. If this movie seems to be right down your alley, you will enjoy it for sure but if it's not your type of movie, just ignore it.
A cliché crime movie
owen98257 August 2021
The lead police officer has marital problems and engages in a rivalry with the lead bad guy.
The bad guys are all muscular / ex-military and capable with guns, but their plans are intricate and smart, so the guns and muscles aren't really justified or sensible, but hey, it's an action movie, so why not both?
The bad guys are always angry, because they're bad guys.
Not only does the lead police officer have marital problems, he also likes to bend the rules.
The movie is very much channelling Michael Mann's masterpiece, Heat; but also, these guys must've seen Ocean's Eleven (for overly complex robberies) and maybe Fast & The Furious (for unnecessary guns and muscle), then decided to mash all of them together.
I still enjoy crime movies, but this film was a fairly derivative work that would've been forgettable, had Gerard Butler and Ice Cube not managed to shine through and take this over the line.
The bad guys are all muscular / ex-military and capable with guns, but their plans are intricate and smart, so the guns and muscles aren't really justified or sensible, but hey, it's an action movie, so why not both?
The bad guys are always angry, because they're bad guys.
Not only does the lead police officer have marital problems, he also likes to bend the rules.
The movie is very much channelling Michael Mann's masterpiece, Heat; but also, these guys must've seen Ocean's Eleven (for overly complex robberies) and maybe Fast & The Furious (for unnecessary guns and muscle), then decided to mash all of them together.
I still enjoy crime movies, but this film was a fairly derivative work that would've been forgettable, had Gerard Butler and Ice Cube not managed to shine through and take this over the line.
Well worth a watch
gloopy-4523927 April 2018
This is far from the best film you will ever see but in a time when i'm often left thinking why did i bother, this was a refreshing change.From start to finish, this goes along at just the right pace and the 140 minutes soon goes by.The acting is good, the storyline is clever and smart and isn't merely a copycat of other heist films.Sit yourself down and enjoy the ride, this one is worth it.
Den of Thieves, Thieves you can trust
haileystrickland9 May 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Den of Thieves is a two hour and twenty minute long action packed movie. It was full of great acting and the beginning of the movie was beyond great.
The beginning started out by telling us how Los Angeles is the bank robbery capital of the world, and it broke it down to how many robberies happen in a year, month, week, day, and even down to the minute. The ending was interesting on how they planned it all out and robbed the Federal Reserve of Los Angeles.
I thought the film had really good acting, the soundtrack was music i typically listen too, it had a great plot twist at the end and had an amazing story line.
Some of the things i didn't like about the movie was how it feels really stretched out. It also had a lot of side things going on that didn't make sense so i don't know why it had to be in the movie.
Like i said before this movie had some great acting, they picked the right people for each character. Each major character had their own little part in the movie whether it was about their family or what they used to do before they become well executed bank robbers.
It throws you off because you would think the person in charge would of came up with the plan to rob The Federal Reserve in Los Angeles, California but it was actually one of the other guy's plan the entire time.
I would say renting or buying this movie is way better than seeing it in theaters because a lot happens in this movie and it's very easy to get lost very fast. You also have to pay attention to the small little details as well.
I'm not sure who is paying people to rate this highly. This B movie was a mess.
Sadboosh5624 January 2018
I'm going to struggle to meet the 10 lines of text needed to actually review a movie on this site but here we go.
We have Gerard Butler, who is pretty well known now, who plays a tougher than everyone cop. Like to the point where they have to show other bad guys tattoos to prove that they are tougher. The motel scene looks like a 15 year old's dream of how tough guys act. Sitting around with scantly clad women, just drinking, smoking and punching things.
I can't really figure out where the director was going with the two teams of people. They were both "bad guys" where they had the cops being shown doing criminal activity and then the bad guys were shown in a more humane light. This just creates 2 sides of a coin that you don't care which one it lands on. It wasn't the edgy "this is real life and everyone is terrible". It was meeting a quota for
We are shown a bit of how Butler's job gets in the way of his family life but not in any meaningful way. He isn't remorseful, honest (which there is no down side to being honest like in most movies) and most importantly he isn't even likable. A character with no redeeming qualities.
50 cent is a rapper turned actor and unlike any other person who followed that career path for these roles has made no effort to improve. I can't hate on him though as the roles he picks are minimal at best and can't say his character took away anything from the movie. He had maybe 1 line and then mumbled something at the end.
The "boss" Pablo Schreiber was decent. Not in my top 30 bad guys. No hand to hand fight, no real outsmarting(the bank scene he literally won himself 45 seconds over butler that somehow turned in to an hour lead) and meh leadership. You get to see him shirtless in a few scenes and they like to lift weights, which is very important. Again it is tough to even grade these people because of the lack of dialogue. You will not be quoting him any time soon from this movie. Actually you won't be quoting anything from this movie.
O'Shea Jackson Jr. actually showed some acting chops. I would say he was the most surprising actor in the movie. Nothing that will win an award but to shine in a turd of a movie is still something.
The action was sparse and a bit lacking. Generic gun fights. The twist at the end was the only reason it should be 5 stars. Was a little predictable if you are as perceptive as a 5th grader but was still nice they at least did SOMETHING. But then it just ends on Butler's part. Nothing mentioned from this family, nothing on his next move (if any)...just a few dead guys and the twist.
Overall I'd say wait for it to go to dvd and not waste your time with seeing it in the theaters. Maybe they will release an extended version that makes more sense of its useless subplots.
We have Gerard Butler, who is pretty well known now, who plays a tougher than everyone cop. Like to the point where they have to show other bad guys tattoos to prove that they are tougher. The motel scene looks like a 15 year old's dream of how tough guys act. Sitting around with scantly clad women, just drinking, smoking and punching things.
I can't really figure out where the director was going with the two teams of people. They were both "bad guys" where they had the cops being shown doing criminal activity and then the bad guys were shown in a more humane light. This just creates 2 sides of a coin that you don't care which one it lands on. It wasn't the edgy "this is real life and everyone is terrible". It was meeting a quota for
We are shown a bit of how Butler's job gets in the way of his family life but not in any meaningful way. He isn't remorseful, honest (which there is no down side to being honest like in most movies) and most importantly he isn't even likable. A character with no redeeming qualities.
50 cent is a rapper turned actor and unlike any other person who followed that career path for these roles has made no effort to improve. I can't hate on him though as the roles he picks are minimal at best and can't say his character took away anything from the movie. He had maybe 1 line and then mumbled something at the end.
The "boss" Pablo Schreiber was decent. Not in my top 30 bad guys. No hand to hand fight, no real outsmarting(the bank scene he literally won himself 45 seconds over butler that somehow turned in to an hour lead) and meh leadership. You get to see him shirtless in a few scenes and they like to lift weights, which is very important. Again it is tough to even grade these people because of the lack of dialogue. You will not be quoting him any time soon from this movie. Actually you won't be quoting anything from this movie.
O'Shea Jackson Jr. actually showed some acting chops. I would say he was the most surprising actor in the movie. Nothing that will win an award but to shine in a turd of a movie is still something.
The action was sparse and a bit lacking. Generic gun fights. The twist at the end was the only reason it should be 5 stars. Was a little predictable if you are as perceptive as a 5th grader but was still nice they at least did SOMETHING. But then it just ends on Butler's part. Nothing mentioned from this family, nothing on his next move (if any)...just a few dead guys and the twist.
Overall I'd say wait for it to go to dvd and not waste your time with seeing it in the theaters. Maybe they will release an extended version that makes more sense of its useless subplots.
Slow and unfocused
Gordon-1119 April 2018
This film tells the story of several policemen, who are on the hunt for a gang of highly skilled bank robbers.
The story sounds like an adrenaline pumping, action filled film on paper. In reality, it is a slow and unfocused film. The whole subplot about the policeman's divorce should have been cut, in my opinion. It drags on far too long, and is quite irrelevant to the main story. In addition, gun battles are somehow portrayed to be rather boring. The whole film turns out to be rather tedious and slow. To be blunt, I find it rather boring.
The story sounds like an adrenaline pumping, action filled film on paper. In reality, it is a slow and unfocused film. The whole subplot about the policeman's divorce should have been cut, in my opinion. It drags on far too long, and is quite irrelevant to the main story. In addition, gun battles are somehow portrayed to be rather boring. The whole film turns out to be rather tedious and slow. To be blunt, I find it rather boring.
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