‘Den Of Thieves’ Collection 4K UHD Blu-Ray SteelBook Review – The Heist Is On

Nick O’Brien is the hard-drinking leader of the Regulators, an elite unit of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Ray Merrimen is the recently paroled leader of the Outlaws, 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.

DEN OF THIEVES 2: PANTERA stars Gerard Butler (Plane, Has Fallen series) and O’Shea Jackson Jr. (Straight Outta Compton, Godzilla: King of the Monsters), who return in the sequel to 2018’s action-heist hit Den of Thieves. In DEN OF THIEVES 2: PANTERA, Big Nick (Butler) is back on the hunt in Europe and closing in on Donnie (Jackson), who is embroiled in the treacherous and unpredictable world of diamond thieves through the infamous Panther mafia, and their plot to pull off a massive heist of the world’s largest diamond exchange.

For in-depth thoughts on Den of Thieves, please see my colleague Tia Fabi’s review from its original debut here.

For in-depth thoughts on Den of Thieves 2: Pantera, please see my colleague M.N. Miller’s review from its original theatrical debut here.

For additional thoughts on both movies, please check out my thoughts on No Streaming Required:

Video Quality

Den of Thieves and Den of Thieves 2: Pantera arrive on 4K UHD Blu-Ray with a 2160p/Dolby Vision presentation in 2.39:1 that knock it out of the park on both accounts. Den of Thieves 2: Pantera is available individually as a wide release, but Den of Thieves is only available on 4K UHD Blu-Ray in a SteelBook collection alongside Den of Thieves 2: Pantera exclusively at Lionsgate Limited. Den of Thieves is presented on 4K UHD Blu-Ray in its Unrated form, while the Blu-Ray disc includes both the Theatrical and Unrated Cut. 

The deployment of Dolby Vision is a huge benefit to these films as you dial into the precise colors. Hues look more natural in the presentation with flourishes of vibrant production design and bold light sources memorably emanating off the screen. This presentation digs deep with black levels that are substantial and detailed with digital noise absent from the screen. None of the shadowy moments exhibit signs of crush. All of the brighter scenes during the day radiate with intense clarity and a strong handle of highlights that show no shortcomings with blooming. 

The 4K presentations provide a depth of field that cannot be observed as well with the accompanying Blu-Ray discs. The transfers spotlight an impressive amount of detail in the subtle facets of the production design and articles of clothing. Skin tones look remarkably consistent throughout and show a great amount of facial detail including stubble and bloody cuts. The increase in detail in every lighting condition is a strong benefit. These are top-notch 4K UHD presentations that represent the films as well as they deserve. 

Audio Quality

These discs come equipped with a bombastic Dolby Atmos presentation that skillfully brings them to life. Sounds are strategically rendered with precise directionality from the action-packed scenes to the dialogue-driven expository moments. These exchanges are presented clearly without ever being overwhelmed by any of the competing sonic elements. The score establishes the appropriate tone that complements the story. 

The sound design of these films is quite dynamic, and the implementation of environmental sounds is a real treat. The low end is engaged consistently during the action set pieces that have gunfire hitting you like a ton of bricks. The tracks are truly immersive with sounds of chaos exploding through in a way that dominates the height channels. The mix here is well done with ideal engagement of all the channels, so those with a good system should be pleased. Optional English, English SDH, French, and Spanish subtitles are provided. 

Special Features

This release comes in a sleek new SteelBook collection exclusively at Lionsgate Limited that is quite fetching in person. 

Den Of Thieves

• Establishing Shot with Christian Gudegast: A new five-minute piece with the filmmaker who discusses the film and the addition of the new Dolby Atmos mix for this release. 

• Alternate Ending: A nearly five-minute change to the ending. 

• Alpha Males: A two-minute look at the characters on both sides of the law. 

• Into The Den: A two-minute featurette that goes over the events of the film. 

• Alameda Corridor: A three-minute exploration of the action-packed climax. 

• Outtakes: A nearly 24-minute collection of unused material is provided. 

• Theatrical Trailer #1 (2:32)

• Theatrical Trailer #2 (2:22)

• Audio Commentary (Theatrical Version – Blu-Ray):  Writer / Director Christian Gudegast and Producer Tucker Tooley, 

Den Of Thieves 2: Pantera

• Audio Commentary: Writer / Director Christian Gudegast, Producer Tucker Tooley, Cinematographer Terry Stacey & Editor Roberth Nordh
• Flipping the Script – Plotting Den of Thieves 2: Pantera: A 21-minute featurette that explores how this film continues the story from the first film, expands the scope, evolves the characters, and more. 

• Deleted Scenes: There is an 18-minute collection of unused material that didn’t make the final cut. 

• Theatrical Trailer (2:30) 

Final Thoughts

The Den of Thieves films are a bit derivative of some certified classics of the genre, but that does not stop them from being immensely entertaining at times. The first film is the more consistent of the two with great twists and turns that simply do not go down as easily on the second attempt. These films are not particularly interested in a cohesive or logical plot, but those who want to shut off their brain and soak in some thrilling action set pieces should leave decently satiated. Lionsgate Home Entertainment has released a 4K UHD Blu-Ray set that sports a phenomenal A/V presentation and some fine special features. Recommended 

Den of Thieves 2: Pantera is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-ray, Blu-Ray, DVD and Digital. There is a 4K UHD Blu-Ray SteelBook packaged with the original Den of Thieves available exclusively at Lionsgate Limited.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Lionsgate Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.