Imagine the iconic diner sit-down scene between Al Pacino and Robert De Niro in Michael Mann's Heat stretched out to feature length and you'll get some idea of Den of Thieves 2: Pantera. Admittedly, there's a terrific action sequence in director-screenwriter Christian Gudegast's follow-up to his overlong 2018 heist thriller.

Gerard Butler as ‘Big Nick’ O’Brien and O’Shea Jackson Jr. as Donnie Wilson in “Den of Thieves 2: Pantera.” Photo courtesy of Lionsgate. Photo Credit: Rico Torres January has never been a month known for quality when it pertains to the yearly cinematic timeline.