The first thing you’ll notice about Den of Thieves is a star-studded cast that includes Gerard Butler, 50 Cent, O-Shea Jackson Jr. (Ice Cube’s son), and Pablo Schreiber, among others. I just watched this movie for the first time (shoutout quarantine) and truth be told, I’m disappointed that it took me over two years to find out that Gerard Butler and 50 Cent made an action-packed heist movie that I had never seen. Butler plays “Big Nick” O’Brien, head of LASD’s major crimes unit aka the Regulators, who operate pretty much under their own guidelines.
Do we look like the types who will arrest you? Put you in handcuffs, drag you down to the station? We just shoot you, it’s less paperwork. – O’Brien
Meanwhile, 50 Cent is in a bank-robbing crew made up of ex-marines in the Los Angeles area. The squad is headed by Ray Merriman (Pablo Schreiber), who just recently got out of jail for doing the exact same thing. Rounding out the rest of the crew is Donnie Wilson (O’Shea Jackson Jr.), Bosco (Evan Jones), and Marcus (Marcus LaVoi). They use the tactical skills they developed in the marines to methodically plan and execute heists all around the southland. We see just how ruthless this crew is in the very first scene of the movie where they kill several cops and guards over an armored truck. It’s clear from that point forward that many, many, many, many, men wish death upon 50 Cent and the rest of his crew. If you want to read the full summary of the movie click here, because this blog isn’t necessarily about the plot.
Like any movie, Den of Thieves isn’t free of flaws, but one thing that drove me insane was that it clearly wasn’t filmed in the greater Los Angeles area, where it’s set. First off, LA is the capital of the TV and movie industry…why would a movie set to take place here need to be filmed elsewhere? I realize that a ton of movies aren’t filmed on location, but the audience isn’t supposed to know the difference! The magic of Hollywood is that they fool us into thinking that every movie is shot wherever they tell us it takes place. For example, a ton of movies set in the Middle East are actually shot in the California or Arizona desert because it looks virtually identical to those in the Middle East. Therefore my issue is not that they didn’t film this movie in LA, it’s that they did absolutely nothing to hide it. Apparently whoever funded Den of Thieves thought no one from Los Angeles would watch the movie because it’s blatantly obvious that they’re not in Southern California.
The biggest slap in the face to people from the LA area was the bank robbery scene that was supposed to take place in Montebello, which is basically centrally located in the LA basin – nothing but foothills in close proximity.
See any mountains within ten miles? Twenty? Thirty? No. So how the fuck am I supposed to believe this was shot anywhere near Montebello?
And see that white stuff at the top there? Yeah, that’s snow…in Southern California. Don’t get me wrong, it definitely snows out here, but nowhere near Montebello or the surrounding cities. Another dead giveaway that this isn’t LA are all the trees in every shot from this point in the movie on; I hate to say it but this city lacks nature. Also, I’d be willing to bet good money that you couldn’t find me a single street in Southern California where the traffic lights hang on a wire like this:
Our lights look like this:
Even Barstow uses metal poles to mount traffic lights for Christ’s sake! I realize that I’m nitpicking, but it’s the little shit like this that makes or breaks a movie for me. It didn’t occur to me how much we as viewers value setting until last night when I realized it’s everything.
If you think I’m being over-dramatic, imagine you were watching a movie supposed to be set in London, but there were palm trees and Spanish style homes in every scene filmed outdoors. If you’re like me, you’d constantly be wondering how palm trees could sustain life in a maritime climate when everyone knows they thrive best in a Mediterranean climate. Okay, maybe you’re not into geography as much as I am, but you know that would irritate you.
While the whole filming location thing didn’t ruin the entire movie for me, it was one of those things that I can’t unsee. In other words, the rewatchability aspect has been damaged because it’ll be the main thing I focus on every time I watch it from now on. I just need more information as to why a movie starring Gerard Butler and 50 Cent couldn’t afford to be shot in LA. It blows my mind that with the nonstop gunfights and car chases, the point in the budget where they drew the line was the filming location.
Overall score: 7.1
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