Den of Thieves Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		4.0

Den of Thieves Blu-ray Movie Review

Mad Money

Reviewed by Martin Liebman April 22, 2018

Christian Gudegast's name may not ring any bells. He's making his directorial debut with Den of Thieves, which he also wrote. He penned the middling A Man Apart and the disappointing sequel London Has Fallen. Those aren't two films that scream out "talent in the making," but he's made the transition from keyboard to camera well enough with Den of Thieves, a movie that brings nothing new to the cops-and-bank-robbers genre but that powers through with some impressive scenes and bubbling fierceness amidst a bit of filler that drags the movie down through a runtime that can be both exhilaratingly fast and sloth-like slow, which is extended in an unrated cut that runs a few minutes longer. The film proves engaging at most times, though. It's at its best in building tension and executing action, allowing for slow-burn intensity but it rings rather hollow throughout the sometimes copious amounts of fat that bog it down, particularly through the middle stretch.

A bank is robbed every 48 minutes in Los Angeles, making the city “the bank robbery capital of the world.” A band of thieves, well armed, trained in military tactics, and determined to get their money at any price, set a plan in motion to rob the only bank that’s never before been hit: the Federal Reserve Bank in Los Angeles. The plan is complex. The mastermind is an ex-Marine named Ray Merrimen (Pablo Schreiber), whose crew includes a talented young driver named Donnie (O'Shea Jackson Jr.), a family man named Levi (50 Cent), and the hotheaded Bo (Evan Jones), amongst a few others. The plan is brazen and demands precision, involving stealing money scheduled for destruction, and dependent on many moving parts playing in synchronized harmony, with countless cameras and eyes gazing in every direction. The cops are on to them, too. A small team of cops who operate on the fringes of the law, known as "The Renegades," are led by the grizzled Nick O'Brien (Gerard Butler), a family man whose life is on the verge of collapse.

The movie takes the "steal the to-be-destroyed money" idea from Mad Money, folds that into Heat, and and melts it all into the gritty gray-area and violent world of Training Day. Of course, it's not as good as either of the previous films, but Den of Thieves is certainly up there when it's at its best. The film begins with one of the most intense and engagingly crafted cops-and-robbers shootouts since Heat, and it ends with another. What comes in the middle, however, is maddening example of unbalanced filmmaking. Tight narrative cohesion is thrown out the window. Character drama, which ultimately means very little to the movie (only a scene in which 50 Cent’s character has a chat with his daughter’s boyfriend has any visceral impact by film’s end, and only indirectly), is elevated in position above the action and the intensity of various robberies, high stakes meetings between cops and robbers, and scenes in which the criminals stake out the Federal Reserve and get Donnie inside, posing as a food delivery man. There is an entire subplot involving Nick and his disgruntled wife, with his two daughters caught in the middle of the couple’s ferocious tug-of-war. It’s an entirely vapid storyline that cuts, rather than enhances, the focal point drama and action. The film is in dire need of additional cuts, too, but when it’s on, it’s gripping, fantastic, even, and one of the best examples of its kind.

Even as the movie is overlong and slogs through some other recycled character bits as it desperately tries to toe the gray-area line between right and wrong, it overcomes with its intensity of performances, precision of craftsmanship, and the unrelentingly excellent, engrossing action it executes. Rookie director Christian Gudegast may not yet fully grasp the importance of pacing and trimming fat, but he certainly knows how to build tension and craft some bloody, realistic, gritty, and emotionally fueled action scenes. The performances are stellar, with each character displaying a complexity that moves them beyond maneuvering pawns only meant to set up various action along interesting set pieces. Instead, there’s a weight to them, and much of the character build-up does prove worthwhile, but that Nick subplot just kills the movie’s middle stretch. The more interesting, and less complexly presented, subplots come from the other side of the law; the movie would have been better served building up Donnie, Levi, and Ray and leaving Nick’s personal problems out of the film entirely.

Den of Thieves Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Den of Thieves was digitally photographed. The resultant image can be a little noisy but is otherwise home to high yield, impressive visual delights. Urban textures are a standout. The movie begins with several shots of wet LA pavement, the bumper and exhaust on an armored truck, itself dripping wet. The textural qualities and attention to sharp, effortless detail are striking. The next morning, as the police huddle at the scene, with the sun ascending in the morning sky, the image maintains its excellence and ability to reveal precise suit and necktie textures, tactical vests and gear, wrinkly faces, dense hair, and local LA flavor environmental details with fantastic sharpness and clarity. The movie's intensive detailing and sharp, natural appearance remain throughout. Colors are appropriately presented, with bold yellow lettering on police vests, Donnie's Chinese food employee shirt, and other more intensive primaries standing out. Flashing police sirens, some natural greenery here and there, and red blood present with excellent vitality and color clarity. Black leaves are strong, particularly considering nighttime shots, accentuated by some contrasting bright light elements. Flesh tones appear accurate across the film's diverse cast of characters. No encode or source anomalies beyond the aforementioned noise are readily apparent. This is a terrific presentation from Universal.

Den of Thieves Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Den of Thieves' DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack is absolutely wonderful. The opening shootout is as sonically engaging as the scene is intense. Gunfire erupts from all over. Automatic fire spits out with some of the most realistic pops and bangs and thuds and low end depth as has ever been presented in a motion picture. A major shootout near the end of the film, in an open area but densely packed with vehicles stuck in traffic, is also terrific, with all of the same qualities in play, with intensely airy reverberations a hallmark. Other uses of firearms, including a shooting range scene in chapter 10 that offers good depth in the relatively cramped concrete locale, are equally enjoyable. Music features impressive fidelity and fluidity, including airy notes at a strip club midway through the film, and the picture's haunting, low key, accentuating score courtesy of Composer Cliff Martinez (a frequent collaborator with Steven Soderbergh), plays with precise detailing throughout the range, which includes a low end depth of some note. Support effects are excellent. Buzzing alarms, heavy metal doors moving about, and city atmospherics are perfectly refined and implemented. Dialogue clarity, positioning, and prioritization are excellent. Even without the added channels of a 7.1 or DTS:X soundtrack, this is a killer, reference quality presentation.

Den of Thieves Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Den of Thieves contains several extras in addition to two cuts of the film: Theatrical (2:20:28) and Unrated (2:28:49). A DVD copy of the film and a digital copy voucher are included with purchase.

• Alternate Ending (1080p, 4:51).
• Alpha Males (1080p, 2:06): A quick look at the characters on both sides of the law.
• Into the Den (1080p, 2:06): A brief plot recap.
• Alameda Corridor (1080p, 3:13): An all-too-short look at making the film's violent climax, with emphasis on weapons training on the range.
• Outtakes (1080p, 23:22 total runtime): Deleted/extended/alternate scenes. Included are Nick Comes Home, Donnie at the Hotel, Donnie Arrives at Enson's House, Nick and the Boys in the Hall, Enson in the Office, Enson & Maloa, Merrimen Boys Get Ready, Enson & Donnie in the Van, Nick & Deb at the Market, Nick & Deb at the Beach, and Donnie at the Salvage Yard.
• Theatrical Version Audio Commentary: With Director Christian Gudeast and Producer Tucker Tooley.
• Theatrical Trailer #1 (1080p, 2:32).
• Theatrical Trailer #2 (1080p, 2:22).

Den of Thieves Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Den of Thieves is a frustrating movie. At its best, it tangles with the genre's big boys for a seat at the supremacy table. When it's on, it's glue-to-the-screen intense. When it's off, it's sluggish, not unbearable, but spending valuable resources for minimal gain. Nick's family problems are the biggest offender. The cast is uniformly good and Christian Gudegast shows growth and potential, just needing to better understand pacing to compliment the many high points and moments in the film. Universal's Blu-ray is solid. Video and audio are terrific and a few extras round out a nice package. This seems like a candidate for another Universal UHD re-release a few months down the line, but it's impossible to say. Recommended.