The Vault Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		3.0

The Vault Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman July 20, 2021

The Vault isn't particularly concerned with telling a new story but rather with repackaging the classic "heist" story into its own construct. Here's a film, directed by Jaume Balagueró (REC, REC 2), that is another in a long line of "crack the impossible safe" Heist pictures that spends about half its time in the preparation stage and about half its time during the execution phase. In this way, the picture languishes in a state of familiarity, so it's up to the details -- the how, when, where, and why; characters; and the unique challenges to this vault -- to make the movie stand apart. It differentiates itself in these areas to satisfaction, enough so that, paired with its well-rounded technical construction and solid acting, make it an agreeable time-killer that Heist genre fans will enjoy, even if the movie amounts to little more than reskinning an established story.

Young Thom Johnson (Freddie Highmore) is a highly sought-after engineer who has turned down a number of lucrative job offers, not wanting to follow in his father's footsteps. It's not all about the money for Thom. There has to be something more. He finds an offer he likes when he accepts a proposition from Walter Moreland (Liam Cunningham) who approaches him with a different kind of offer: to help him to break into the most secure vault in the world. Nobody can crack it. It is a “miracle of engineering” and beating it will make him “richer than he ever thought possible.” The vault is housed within the Bank of Spain in Madrid. And the World Cup Finals will prove the perfect cover for the heist. As Thom begins to piece together the truth about the vault, the group, which also includes Lorraine (Àstrid Bergès-Frisbey) and James (Sam Riley), plans a daring robbery that will depend on his critical thinking skills and the group’s cohesion if it’s to work amidst the very real dangers the crew will face in carrying out the plan.

The Vault represents a radical departure for Jaume Balagueró, whose work on the REC franchise earned him widespread critical acclaim. His follow-up works in the genre, like Muse, certainly don't scream something more "mainstream" or "approachable," but that's exactly what audiences can expect to find in The Vault. Here's a film that is more traditionally oriented, believably plotted, and well outside the Horror and Sci-Fi realms (and it's certainly not made from a shaky handheld perspective) in which Balagueró made his name. And he certainly proves himself well capable of working within the mainstream. Still, new and different thought it may be for its director, The Vault itself does not play in a new sandbox but rather brings some spiffy new toys into it while working some of the angles in interesting ways, jut interesting enough to keep the focus on the whole experience rather than fret over the relative absence of core story originality. Balagueró proves himself a capable technician and tactician, building a visually and aurally captivating film while also extrapolating the utmost energy from the project at the same time.

The film is essentially divided into three parts: the introduction in which Thom's character is established and recruited and learns the crude details about the vault and the bank, the intensive planning phase, and the frantic job itself. This is all within the shadow of a World Cup finals game which brings added opportunity for interest, not in the game itself but rather in the dynamics it can add. The game -- or perhaps better said the attention given to it and the crowd assembled to watch it -- give the film an added energy by sheer spectacle but which is also a vital component against which to play out the robbery. The scriptwriters -- five total are credited -- offer challenge for the planning and execution, too, finding some interesting angles to explore and perils to overcome in both phases. The film is smart while remaining accessible and it's fun, too; even at two hours it never feels overtaxed or bloated. It's quick, engaging, and helped along by a good score and smart editing. It's a solid picture, really.

Freddie Highmore turns in a sound performance as Thom Johnson, believably intelligent and a gifted puzzle solver who thinks fast on his feet. Mercifully, Highmore doesn't play the part "quirky" but rather as a straight arrow. The film overall shies away from needless humor and worthless asides, focusing on character intensity which allows story and action to hold center stage. Highmore's work is established by the opening scenes in which he turns down several lucrative job offers -- worth hundreds of thousands of dollars per year -- in search of his own path forward. He's not interested in following in his father's footsteps and the opportunity to stretch himself and submerge himself into a real world problem -- even one attached to a criminal endeavor -- gives him a sense of purpose and the character's outlook, focus, and ability represent much of the movie's main draw. He's surrounded by a solid cast against whom he plays well, each bringing a unique flavor, but nothing too vividly or distractingly drawn, to the experience.

The Vault Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Paramount opens up The Vault on Blu-ray with a practically perfect 1080p transfer. The digitally shot picture couldn't look much better. It's ultra sharp and well capable of revealing precision detailing across the entire spectrum, including basics like human faces and hairs, clothing, and general environments but also some of the rich textures in and around the vault, the well appointed bank interiors, and even with the densely packed crowd of soccer fans gathered to watch the game. The digital photography never leaves anything less than perfectly rendered and accessible. Colors are bold and vivid, particularly the barrage of jerseys seen in the final act as the crowd gathers for the game. But black levels, skin tones, and other clothing colors leap off the screen with high yield intensity and clarity. There are practically no source artifacts like noise to worry about, even in low light, and there are no major encode issues to report, either. This is a top shelf Blu-ray from Paramount.

The Vault Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Vault features a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. The track proves to be dynamic and large. Music takes charge early and proves dominant at the most intense examples, including at the very beginning after the scene at sea. Following is a flavorful but less intense example of score at a dinner scene at the 13-minute mark. Within 13 minutes the track shows its full range of musical prowess and its capable delivery holds true for film's duration. The excellent detail and volume immersion remain throughout, including, notably, during the scenes of raucous din as the gathered crowd soaks in the soccer game late in the film. The sense of believable immersion is obvious, and the clarity that grows from all the noise is commendable. Smaller environmental details and larger sound effects during the robbery are perfectly clear and naturally positioned as well. Surround implementation and stage width are hallmarks here. Dialogue is clear and decisive in front-center delivery.

The Vault Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This Blu-ray release of The Vault includes no supplemental content. A digital copy code is included with purchase. A DVD copy is not. This release does not ship with a slipcover.

The Vault Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

In the years to come, The Vault will not be remembered as a classic within its genre, but it's likely a film genre fans will return to time and again. It's very well done. Even as its essence isn't all that different from its peers, there's an unmistakably high quality picture at play, delivering a rhythmic pace, excellent technical workmanship, and a no-nonsense tone. It plays well even at just a hair under two hours and should please audiences attuned to the Heist genre. Paramount's Blu-ray is disappointingly featureless but the video and audio presentations are first-class. Recommended.