Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		0.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.0

Blazing Saddles 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Hey, where the white women at?

Reviewed by Randy Miller III November 17, 2024

Just in time for its 50th anniversary, Warner Bros. finally corrals Mel Brooks' landmark Western satire Blazing Saddles on UHD, aiming to bury both the old VC-1 encoded 2006 Blu-ray (released mere months after the format's launch) and a well-regarded 40th Anniversary Edition. Featuring a 2160p/HDR10 transfer, two outstanding lossless audio mixes, and a decent collection of extras, it's a well-rounded disc that fans will enjoy. A Steelbook variant is also available.

For a synopsis and appreciation of the film, please see Casey Broadwater's review of the 2006 Blu-ray. I'll certainly agree that Blazing Saddles is a highly influential satire that pushed a lot of boundaries upon its original release and still holds up pretty well today. We should be thankful that Warner Bros. actually had the good sense to continue its legacy on the UHD format even though they've held off on other "sensitive" catalog titles like Gone With the Wind, which incidentally celebrated its 85th anniversary this year without so much as a peep from the studio.

Blazing Saddles 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

NOTE: These slightly compressed screenshots are sourced from the new 4K disc but downscaled to 1080p/SDR; therefore, they should not be considered a 100% accurate representation of this release's video quality.

Blazing Saddles is one of the few Warner Bros. 4K catalog titles that actually has a fairly decent Blu-ray under its belt already, as the 40th Anniversary Edition made use of much better disc encoding -- even with presumably the same source material as the studio's older VC-1 Blu-ray -- to produce an image that held up pretty well even on medium to large displays, according to our previous review. Word has it that this 4K disc's brand-new 2160p/HDR10 transfer is derived from a new scan of the camera negative and of course is using better encoding than a decade ago, so in many ways it clearly advances upon both older discs in direct comparison. For those who might dismiss Blazing Saddles as "just a comedy" and somehow less deserving of the same visual spit and polish of a dramatic epic, please remember that this was shot on 35mm with anamorphic lenses in Technicolor; to a certain extent, it should looks just as good as many of the classic Westerns it gleefully lampoons. As expected given the format, image detail is good under the right circumstances, although its anamorphic pedigree -- when combined with more than a few shots that aren't always fully in focus -- means that the film and especially non-focal points aren't exactly razor-sharp in most circumstances. That said, color reproduction is superb and black levels and shadow detail hold up nicely, coming in a bit darker than the 40th Anniversary Blu-ray bit with no signs of black crush or other presumed detail loss at the low end.

Disc encoding is very good as well, with the wide majority of this film running at a supportive bit rate that shows no signs of banding, posterization, or macro blocking. That said, there's one short but sustained shot around the 84:50 mark where motion blur is clearly noticeable; I wouldn't necessarily call it ghosting or interlacing, but either way it stood out for a few brief seconds. (Those with a greater understanding of the film's source elements may know if this was an unavoidable problem.) In any case, it's a quality effort overall that should appeal to die-hard fans.

Blazing Saddles 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Warner Bros. has made great strides in their treatment of catalog audio tracks in recent years; whereas the studio was once known for using lossy formats or ignoring original theatrical mixes, they're back on the straight and narrow and that trend continues with Blazing Saddles. Much like their other recent 4K catalog releases such as The Terminator and North by Northwest, fans have the option of either a new Dolby Atmos mix (built from previous surround remix tracks) or the original audio, which in this case is DTS-HD Master Audio mono in a split-channel 2.0 container.

While I'm normally all about theatrical authenticity, this is one clear example where certain aspects of the viewing experience are much improved on the new Atmos mix; specifically, the film's occasional musical numbers, which were obviously sourced from a true stereo recording and sound incredibly rich and warm in comparison with the much flatter and thinner mono track. Otherwise, there's only so much you can do with modest original audio stems; while the Atmos mix is certainly able to wring out a specific amount of discrete activity and channel panning during action scenes and sporadically rowdy moments, it's otherwise a toss-up between the two tracks. But since WB had the good sense to include both options, I've no choice to award Blazing Saddles a full five stars in the audio department.

Optional subtitles, including English (SDH), are offered during the main feature and all extras listed below.

Blazing Saddles 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This one-disc release ships in a keepcase with sloppy collage artwork, a matching slipcover, and a Digital Copy code. The extras are fairly well-rounded; most are sourced from earlier releases including both Blu-rays, although a few minor items are missing like the 1975 Black Bart pilot, a Madeline Kahn tribute, and the film's trailer.

• Audio Commentary - A familiar legacy track with director Mel Brooks.

• NEW! Inappropriate Inspiration: The Blazing Saddles Effect (21:09) - Try as I might, I couldn't dig up any specific background info for this mysteriously undated but relatively new-looking retrospective piece; it includes contributions from a few folks who worked on very recent fare like Brooks' History of the World Part II, so I'm assuming it was created for this 4K release. We hear from a handful of industry professionals including actor/writer Stephen Kramer Glickman, HoTW Part II producer Ike Barinholtz, comedian Jeff Garlin, film critic Pete Hammond, and HoTW Part II writer/director David Stassen, who all speak warmly and enthusiastically about Blazing Saddles' groundbreaking humor, cultural impact, and its indelible legacy.

• Blaze of Glory: Mel Brooks' Wild Wild West (29:41) - From the 40th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray.

• Back in the Saddle (28:21) - Seen on both previous Blu-rays.

• Additional Scenes (9:41) - Likewise, a group of familiar deleted scenes from earlier releases.

Blazing Saddles 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Blazing Saddles was only Mel Brooks' third film and a huge hit back in 1974, scoring big at the box office and even earning three Academy Award nominations. (The same can be said for Young Frankenstein, released later that same year and also performing well with fans and critics.) Blazing Saddles considerable legacy has survived five full decades of increasingly sensitive social mores; in other words it still plays like gangbusters, which means that fans and first-timers alike should have no problem enjoying Warner Bros.' welcome new 4K edition. Featuring solid A/V merits and a nice little collection of mostly familiar extras, it's a well rounded disc that comes firmly Recommended.