The work of Gerard Butler has been interesting to watch unfold. While he is not the most versatile performer, Butler carved a niche. He has existed as an action star akin to someone like Sylvester Stallone or Arnold Schwarzenegger. Known for films like 300 or the Has Fallen series, one of his most popular in recent years is the 2018 film Den of Thieves. Den of Thieves follows a specialized LA County Sheriff’s unit led by “Big Nick” O’Brien (Gerard Butler). His mission is to track down a group of former marines turned bank robbers led by Ray Merriman (Pablo Schrieber), about to take down one big score. What follows is a cat and mouse game throughout the streets of Los Angeles.
Before going further, it is best to point out of the obvious regarding Den of Thieves. The film is obviously taking inspiration from Michael Mann’s 1995 epic crime film Heat. There have certainly been many variations on Heat, but Den of Thieves manages to stand out amongst the pack. Gerard Butler chews the scenery as the no nonsense police officer hot on these thieves’ trail. While emulating moments similar to Al Pacino’s character Vincent Hanna from Heat, Butler rides a very fine line with this character. “Big Nick” is very much an archetypal “no-nonsense” cop, breaking rules to catch the bad guys, with crude humor to offset the tensity. It’s a strong and energetic performance that helps the film’s pacing, especially with it being 140-minutes in length.
The biggest problem with Den of Thieves has to reside in its screenplay by writer/director Christian Gudegast. Gudegast is quite obviously a fan of the heist film genre, with numerous references to other properties. Similar to movies like Heat, The Town, or Hell or High Water, he attempts to focus on character over plot. While Butler exudes “Big Nick” with an even bigger personality, our titular “thieves” get the short end of the stick. The film attempts to give them moments of depth and complexity. In those moments with occasional comedic tinges, they severely dampen the film’s pace.
Gudegast’s obvious love of the heist film genre is noticeable throughout. The heists themselves are tense, fast paced, and oftentimes kinetic to watch. Used sparingly, each action sequence serves a purpose. That purpose involves showing how the story’s cops and robberies operate. Seeing both of these teams’ proficiencies in their fields is the equivalent of watching people be good at their jobs. That is something easier said than done, especially in the genre of action filmmaking. No matter how proficiently such sequences are delivered, there has to be one goal above all else. The action has to have a sense of fun from one scene to the next, which Den of Thieves accomplishes. That effectiveness in the action setpieces lessens the supporting cast’s performances.
Gudegast is primarily interested in the case between Big Nick and Merriman. The supporting cast gets the short end of the stick. To emphasize this point I want to particularly highlight the supporting performances of O’Shea Jackson Jr. and Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson. In many cases, both performers are the other big names in the cast. While both have an engaging screen presence, they are not given much to do. Jackson certainly has the look and feel of an action star (holding a high-powered rifle with ease), but is given truly cringe inducing dialogue. The performance itself is not a problem, but the “humour” within it lands with a thud. The results of which make for a passable action star turn and not much else.
For those who have not seen Den of Thieves (even though the film is eight years old), I want to limit what is said about O’Shea Jackson Jr.’s character, Donnie. The reason being that his character may hold deeper connections to the story than one may think. Similarly to Curtis Jackson, he delivers on what the script asks of him. While not much at first, certain twists and revelations allow him to show off some additional range. Before that brief moment, he exists as nothing more than an archetype of a “new guy” on the crew. The idea of an “archetype” leads into my biggest problem with Den of Thieves as a whole. As engaging as some of the performances are, none of them feel like anything other than an archetype.
For a cops vs robbers action movie, one should not expect the equivalent of Shakespearean filmmaking. What is a requirement is for viewers to care about the characters themselves. None of their personal lives are interesting, existing in a liminal space of with no purpose besides moving the plot forward. Whenever a gun fight or car chase is not front and center, the pace grinds to a screeching halt. With more nuanced characters, some could forgive the conceit of character over plot (similarly to Heat). It certainly is not a fault of these actors, as they are trying their best with bland material.
In a world of Heat ripoffs, Den of Thieves is undoubtedly one of the better ones. It is a down and dirty cops vs robbers story, which will be more than enough for most viewers. Gerard Butler in particular shines, delivering an over the top performance you can’t take your eyes off of. Add in some stellar action set-pieces, Den of Thieves will deliver on its grimy B-movie inspirations. What holds it back from being truly special is the script’s interest in action over characterization. Besides Butler and Pablo Schrieber’s performances, the script makes every additional character feel tertiary. Which limits any dramatic heft making Den of Thieves a fun, but unmemorable experience.
Den of Thieves is now streaming on Netflix.
Learn more about the film at the IMDB site for the title.
You might also like…
