The Sherlock Holmes Vault Collection Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		2.5
Audio		2.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		3.0

The Sherlock Holmes Vault Collection Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman December 13, 2021

Several online sites offer the presumed fact that the character of Sherlock Holmes is perhaps the most portrayed personage in the entire annals of film and, later, television. The sheer number of Holmes adaptations for either the large or small screens is so overwhelming in fact that some fans may have a challenge in choosing their favorite. Some may go with more venerable classic interpretations like those from Basil Rathbone (Sherlock Holmes: The Complete Collection) or even Jeremy Brett (Sherlock Holmes: The Complete Granada Television Series), while others may prefer more modern performances from the likes of Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock: The Complete Series) or Jonny Lee Miller (Elementary). The Basil Rathbone - Nigel Bruce Holmes films are an interesting assortment, for a couple of reasons. As fans no doubt know, the first two films in the series, The Hound of the Baskervilles and The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, were set in Victorian England, while all the subsequent entries in the franchise were "updated" to an explicit World War II setting mimicking their production era and no doubt tied to a perceived need for cinematic heroes to vanquish various enemies. That aspect clearly presages some of the latter day revisions to the character as seen in both the Cumberbatch and Miller television series, but as will be mentioned in a moment, is not the first such instance of that particular strategy. But as a film franchise regardless of any time shift, the Rathbone - Bruce films are often the first to come to mind, at least in terms of Holmes films from that general period. In that regard, three British productions aggregated in this collection might reasonably be deemed to be one of the major groups of Holmes films to come in the sound era at least prior to the now legendary teaming of Rathbone and Bruce, with Arthur Wontner starring as the venerable sleuth and Ian Fleming (not that one) as Dr. Watson. The Wontner - Fleming films in this set were produced in 1931, 1935 and 1937, while the fourth film in the set, A Study in Scarlet, features Reginald Owen and came out in 1933. The Wontner films in particular but also the Reginald Owen film presage the World War II era Rathbone films by at least somewhat contemporizing events.

For reviews of the films in this set, please click on the following links:

Sherlock Holmes' Fatal Hour Blu-ray review

The Triumph of Sherlock Holmes Blu-ray review

Silver Blaze Blu-ray review

A Study in Scarlet Blu-ray review

The Sherlock Holmes Vault Collection Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Video quality of each film is assessed in the above linked reviews.

The Sherlock Holmes Vault Collection Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Audio quality of each film is assessed in the above linked reviews.

The Sherlock Holmes Vault Collection Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Supplements included on each disc are detailed in the above linked reviews.

The Sherlock Holmes Vault Collection Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I'm a huge fan of Sherlock Holmes adaptations, and have enjoyed any number of odd entries into this subgenre (if you haven't checked out Matt "Max Headroom" Frewer as Holmes, take a few deep breaths before proceeding). My hunch is none of the films in this set is going to jump to the head of fans' lists, but they're at least historical curios. The transfers here are probably the best that could be expected considering the lack of decent source elements, but prospective customers should carefully parse the screenshots to see how they feel about the appearance of the films, while keeping in mind the audio is at about the same (or arguably worse) level. The supplements in this set may be the true hidden treasure (so to speak), for those who are considering making a purchase.