Den Of Thieves: Blu-ray Review
The Movie:
Nick O’Brien (Gerard Butler) is the hard-drinking leader of the Regulators, an elite unit of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Ray Merrimen (Pablo Schreiber) is the recently paroled leader of the Outlaws (O’Shea Jackson Jr., 50 Cent) a gang of ex-military men who use their expertise and tactical skills to evade the law. O’Brien, Merrimen and their crews soon find themselves on a direct collision course as the criminals hatch an elaborate plan for a seemingly impossible heist — the city’s Federal Reserve Bank.
I’m a huge lover of heist films. When done right they are some of the most exciting and entertaining out there. Gerard Butler films in recent years haven’t really been the best so naturally there was a bit of hesitation. However I wasn’t going to just let it sway me from checking it out either way. Much to my surprise I really enjoyed this film a whole lot. Sure the story felt very familiar and there were the usual heist tropes but the execution is what made this film so entertaining. I will say however that the movie did feel a bit long and I do think it could’ve been cut down to a good 2 hours and it would’ve felt solid. That was probably my only negative thing about the film in total. Butler threw out a fantastic performance and his gritty portrayal of his character really suited him nicely. I genuinely think that these are the kind of roles that I want to see more of him in. Schreiber and Curtis Jackson were great as well and they get their moment to shine but the standout performance of the three goes to O’Shea Jackson Jr. He showed that he can essentially lead a film without being a major focus and that doesn’t happen very often. This is definitely one to check out if you’re in the mood for a good heist film but be prepared for it to be a bit lengthy. 7/10
Special Features:
Alternate Ending – A decent alternate version but I do prefer the original ending.
Alpha Males – A look at the characters from both sides (good and bad) and how they impact the film.
Into the Den – A really quick look at the plot of the film.
Alameda Corridor – This feature focuses on the climax of the film and the weapons training that went in to making it feel authentic.
Outtakes – Almost 25 minutes of Deleted/Alternate/Extended scenes that are decent enough to check out if interested.
Theatrical Version Audio Commentary With Director Christian Gudeast And Producer Tucker Tooley
