Den of Thieves

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.

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

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.

Den of Thieves is basically Heat on steroids. Half the IQ, but twice the testosterone.

Criminal Squad isn't just a movie-it's a workout for your eyeballs: two hours of big muscles, big guns, and killer glares. Christian Gudegast throws the script at you like a hot potato. It doesn't aim high, but it's wound tighter than a string bikini, and let's face it-we're not here for poetry. We're here for bullets and heists, and damn, it delivers.

Gerard Butler is the embodiment of a corrupt cop fresh out of a mechanic's garage: rough, angry, and constantly on the verge of knocking someone out. He spends half the film chugging beers and the other half throwing punches. His investigation method? "Punch first, ask questions when I don't care." And it works because he carries the movie on his shoulders like Atlas lugging the world.

On the other side, Pablo Schreiber plays the charismatic heist mastermind with the haircut of an MMA coach and the brain of a chess player. His crew is stacked: 50 Cent (or 50 kilos of pure muscle) and a team that could rob a casino blind. Their heists are laser-precise, like Ocean's Eleven, but with bad-boy flair. The tension climbs in every shot, reminiscent of Heat, except this isn't De Niro and Pacino-it's Butler and Schreiber growling, "I'll take you down before you take me down."

Looking for subtlety? Switch channels. Here, it's all AK-47s and magazines emptying like a Vegas slot machine. The final shootout is straight out of Call of Duty: deafening gunfire, bullet-riddled walls, screams, and explosions. The movie grabs you by the throat and force-feeds you gunpowder. It's not a masterpiece, but you'll cheer because it's just so damn satisfying.

And then-bam!-the final twist. Sure, it's no Usual Suspects, but it's clean, clever, and feels like finding a decent toy inside a Kinder Surprise. The moral of the story? There isn't one. Just testosterone-fueled guys fighting to see who's got the biggest... machine gun, of course.

Criminal Squad is like a juicy, greasy steak: bloody, brutal, and no-frills. You know it's not a Michelin-star meal, but it fills you up and leaves you grinning. Butler is a growling grizzly bear, the action scenes slap, and the twist does its job. It's not fine dining, but it's the perfect meal for a night out with the boys.