Den of Thieves: Pantera

Well-made meathead action returns with European flair in Den of Thieves: Pantera, the rare modern sequel that’s as good as its predecessor.

Wasting no time to recapture the hard-nosed charms of his 2018 surprise hit, writer/director Christian Gudegast opens his follow-up with another clear-eyed, easy to follow heist in which surviving mastermind thief Donnie (O’Shea Jackson Jr.) and a new group of colleagues, the Panthers, steal diamonds from an airplane in Brussels.

News of the job rings a particular bell with LA Major Crimes Unit detective “Big Nick” O’Brien (Gerard Butler, doubling down on what’s now officially his signature role), who’s confident he’s found his man from the previous film’s Federal Reserve job and gets sent to France to close the case — or something like that.

Once there, he quickly finds Donnie in laughably fast fashion. And while the concept of the two joining forces is a bit far-fetched for both sides and somewhat clumsily handled in the script, viewers (and Donnie) gradually buy that Nick’s fed up with cop life and ready for an existence-altering big score.

Earning the trust of Donnie’s team, however, requires more effort, and yields a hilarious sequence involving Nick taking drugs at their behest — inspired buffoonery that complements his inability/reluctance to correctly pronounce “croissant.”

Throughout this opening establishing hour, Pantera’s energy is muted by an odd lack of music (with the exception of a few diegetic selections). But Gudegast compensates by serving up beautiful Nice scenery and sufficient intrigue via the team plotting how to infiltrate the city’s seemingly impenetrable diamond district and an extra wrinkle involving the mafia.

Though the film fails to develop memorable new characters beyond Panther leader Jovanna (Evin Ahmad), the ever-present potential for one or more double-crosses elevates the tension throughout the ultimate big heist.

That intrigue is sustained into the job’s subsequent complicated getaway drive, closing things out with top-shelf thrilling entertainment and an appealing setup for another installment.

After the mindless joys of Pantera, one or more additional chapters are welcome, and as long as Gudegast keeps releasing movies in January, the traditional dumping-ground month won't be a complete wasteland for new releases.

Grade: B. Rated R. Now playing at AMC River Hills 10, Carolina Cinemark, and Regal Biltmore Grande.

(Photo: Rico Torres/Lionsgate)