Den of Thieves (2018) is directed by Christian Gudegast and stars Gerard Butler, Pablo Schreiber, O’Shea Jackson Jr., 50 Cent, Meadow Williams, Maurice Compte, Brain Van Holt, Evan Jones, Mo McRae, Kaiwi Lyman, Dawn Olivieri, Eric Braeden, Jordan Bridges, Lewis Tan, Cooper Andrews, and Marcus LaVoi. The film follows Nick “Big Nick” O’Brien (Butler), leader of a special LAPD task force who’s hot on the trail of a group of bank robbers led by mastermind Ray Merrimen (Schreiber). With the help of Donnie (Jackson Jr.), the crew’s new driver, Ray sets in motion a plan to rob the Federal Reserve Bank. Leading up to the heist, we’re shown the day-to-day lives of Nick, Ray, and Donnie as well as the various circumstances that motivate them. When the heist eventually goes down, both sides of the law face a life-or-death scenario where only the most cunning will come out on top. 

Although some of the performances (especially O’Shea Jackson Jr.) are a bit wooden, the characters are well-formed and entertaining. Like its obvious inspiration, Heat (1995), the film takes its time to establish and develop its main players. Yes, this causes the first half to lack forward momentum in terms of the story, but it’s such effective characterization that it feels worth the trade. Gerard Butler as this kind of scummy detective character is a joy to watch. He unsurprisingly nails the character’s action requirements, but what really stands out are his unhinged and hilarious blow-ups that go as far as they can without feeling out of place. As for Pablo Schreiber, I think he’s well-cast. Unfortunately, he plays his character much too safe and his presence is entirely forgettable compared to Butler.

Although the film’s biggest issue is that it’s essentially a ripoff of Heat, it’s also the film’s saving grace. If you’re going to copy, you may as well copy from the best. It’s close, but because the film is so much fun, it feels more inspired by Heat than derivative of it. Like Al Pacino’s character in that movie, Nick’s hard-nosed commitment to the rule of law is balanced by the fact that he’s maybe the scummiest character. In fact, it’s hilariously over-the-top how scummy ALL of the cop characters are. It breaks a bit of immersion, but I’d be lying if I say it’s not extremely entertaining. I don’t particularly agree with their behavior, but it’s refreshing to see a script that isn’t afraid to make its scummy characters scummy to the fullest extent – vegans, homosexuals, special needs people, etc. all get an offensive comment thrown their way, but it’s tough to feel like any particular group is being unfairly targeted when none of them are off the table. 

The film’s toxically male machismo is sometimes overwhelming and it doesn’t help that the dialogue is often juvenile and angry. However, there’s something that feels entirely intentional about this approach. It’s the definition of a “guy movie” through and through and therefore is much more focused on action spectacle as opposed to intellectual ideas. The endless cop/heist movie cliches will annoy some viewers, but they’re mostly executed properly and work regardless of the lack of originality. 

The film should satisfy most action junkies. For God’s sake, the entire last hour of the film is one long heist/action sequence. This sounds overboard, but it’s extremely earned and stands out as the most easily watchable portion of the film. My one big problem with this last hour is that the film ends with a somewhat silly twist that feels completely out of whack with the logic and tone of what is established.

Overall, although it’s somewhat derivative of a much better film, it’s a valiant effort that succeeds in capturing some of the most important elements that made Heat so great. It’s not a particularly smart or meaningful experience, but it’s not trying to be. If you want a movie with intense action and a ridiculously fun lead performance from Gerard Butler, check this out. If you want something deep, this is the wrong movie. That being said, there’s something smart about a movie that’s intentionally designed to let the viewer just shut off their brain and enjoy the ride. B-