Customer Reviews
Movie: 3.75/5 Picture Quality: 4/5 Sound Quality: 4.5/5 Extras: 2.25/5 - By: LGANS316, 16 Jul 2008 
Version: U.K / Region B
Version: U.S.A / Region A
MPEG-4 AVC
Running time: 1:52:01
Movie size: 19,677,437,952 bytes
Disc size: 23,620,157,820 bytes
Average video bit rate: 18.32 Mbps
DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 2714Kbps (48kHz/16-bit)
Not Lock,Stock or Snatch - By: Brendan O. Clarke, 05 Jul 2008 
Despite a good premise, this poor movie is oddly uninvoling, culminating in a real disappointment. Regarding the actors Statham proves he is a one trick pony; the stunning Saffron Burrows is still beautiful but untalented (She failed to conquer Hollywood with Deep Blue Sea & has since returned to the UK licking her wounds), & everybody else is average at best (except for Peter Bowls).
Directed by the talented Roger Donaldson (The Recruit, Species, Thirteen Days), this movie's direction is alll over the place; argueably Donaldson's worst film to date. This is a messy yarn boasting borderline-absurd levels of 1970s bling & Statham in turtlenecks & stubble. The robbery itself is a good, taut set piece. If we're honest, though, Statham is treading water, this one trick pony is lucky to be still employed as an actor.
Jason Statham Crime Flick - By: Northern Warrior, 01 Jul 2008 Allegedly based on true events (the final credits mention the names have been changed to protect the guilty), The Bank Job is partly a homage to the traditional British robbery film & partly a tale of political & society intrigue. The main premise of the story is that a Black Power activist Michael X managed to obtain photographs of a prominent British royal (possibly Princess Margaret) enjoying a decidedly unregal menage-a-trois while on holiday in the Caribbean. On returning to England, Michael X uses the pictures to blackmail the authorities into turning a blind eye to his criminal activities.
The British Secret Service (MI5 or MI6) learns the location of the photographs in a Bank safety deposit box. Thus they set in motion the chain of events which convinces Terry (Jason Statham) & his cronies to tunnel into the safe & empty the deposit boxes thus retrieving the photographs to 1. Protect the Royal and, 2. Remove Michael X's "Get Out of Jail Free" card. Up until this point the film is an enjoyable, if somewhat risque, crime caper. However things take a darker turn when inevitably this is not the only secret held in the security vault, including some compromising photographs of Secret Service officials & a crime boss's ledger of payments to corrupt police officers. This leads to a classic four way stand-off between the various parties before the final denoument.
In general terms The Bank Job is an enjoyable & entertaining heist movie. The Blu-Ray picture & sound transfer are superb. There are a couple of downers - Jason Statham needs to start working on an act other than the grizzled Cockney "wide-boy", he is reallly, reallly, in danger of being permanently typecast. There are a few plot holes & transport enthusiasts will spot the tube trains in the scenes filmed on the Underground are not correct for the era, nor is the main line train at Paddington station.
To conclude, it's not quite as quirky as Lock Stock... or Snatch but if you want a good popcorn movie & a nostalgic glimpse of the early 70's you could do far worse.
