Review of Den of Thieves (2018) by Marvette C — 06 Feb 2018

Well made from a technical standpoint but the material is too by the numbers and yet curiously void of the action the genre promises that it didn't quite do it for me. Fortunately Den of Thieves clips along at an enjoyable pace in spite of its hindering dialogue to action ratio, loose editing, and runtime of almost two and a half hours.

I think ultimately what kept the film watchable as oppose to unbearable was the director, a first timer who wrote the fantastic Man on Fire and crap-tastic London Has Fallen, and the pitch perfect acting of O'Shea Jackson, Jr.

and Gerard Butler. The two deliver performances that are both solid though far from equal. While Butler's larger than life, Nicolas Cage-eque turn as a tough as nails corrupt cop ranks among the guiltiest of pleasures, Jackson Jr.

is simply a phenomenal actor doing a phenomenal job in complex and difficult role. Also, I just want to add that even if his acting isn't necessarily acting as much as it is showing up to set on time, I enjoy seeing Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson in movies because he has such a unique screen presence that especially lends itself to this kind of ridiculous crime flick.