Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.0

Saw V Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman December 24, 2022

Note: This version of this film is available on Blu-ray as part of Via Vision Entertainment's Saw: The Ultimate Collection 4K.

Nothing screams the holiday season like the Saw franchise, am I right? (At least if the emphasis is on screaming.) Via Vision Entertainment is offering fans of the series some rather luxe packaging, but a release that is a bit odd in that it combines 4K UHD and 1080 offerings of the Saw films. The release more or less duplicates the releases that fans on this side of several ponds have seen, and so relevant portions of reviews I've personally written may be reprinted here, and some reviews of the Via Vision releases may contain further links to Region A reviews I didn't have a hand in.

Saw V was released on Blu-ray by Lionsgate itself kind of astoundingly almost fourteen years ago, and it follows in the (bloody and somewhat limited in "scope" due to being chained to a wall?) footsteps of Saw IV in that when compared to the never remastered and/or older Saw offerings on Blu-ray, this release has more "contemporary" video and audio codecs going for it. Those interested in a plot recap are encouraged to read Marty Liebman's Saw V Blu-ray review of the original Lionsgate Blu-ray release.

Saw V Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Saw V is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Via Vision Entertainment with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.78:1. This presentation duplicates what I'm calling the "more up to date" looking transfers that started happening with AVC compression. As with Saw IV, there are more appealing detail levels and better overall compression than some of the earlier MPEG-2 encoded releases, something that's especially helpful in preserving the gritty and frequently very dark look of the film while offering often surprisingly fulsome detail levels. It's a largely satisfying transfer that still arguably could be improvable given advances in technology in the intervening years. One way or the other Marty describes the transfer in some detail in his Saw V Blu-ray review.

Saw V Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

As with the video element, Saw V also follows Saw IV by offering another nicely immersive and frequently disturbingly visceral DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 track. Marty offers a worthwhile write up in his Saw IV Blu-ray review. Optional English and Spanish subtitles are available.

Saw V Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Marty's review is so old it doesn't feature our "new, improved" way of listing things, but Marty does provide quite a bit more information on these supplements in his Saw V Blu-ray review (my overall score for the supplements is a bit lower than Marty's, for those who keep track of such things):

• Audio Commentary by director David Hackl and first assistant director Steve Webb


• Audio Commentary by producers Oren Koules & Mark Burg and executive producers Peter Block & Jason Constantine


• The Traps of Saw V

  The Pendulum Trap (SD; 5:48)

  
  

  The Cube Trap (SD; 5:13)

  
  

  The Coffin Trap (SD; 5:44)

• The Fatal Five (SD; 11:55)


• Slicing the Cube: Editing the Cube Trap (SD; 5:03)


• Theatrical Trailer (HD; 00:50)

Saw V Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

As with Saw IV, it looks like I "liked" (perhaps a relative term, since I'm admittedly not a huge horror fan) Saw V a bit more than Marty did. A new director probably helped invest this with a little more energy, but it certainly continues with the horrifying "traditions" set by the preceding entries. Technical merits are generally solid and the supplements are enjoyable for anyone who may be considering making a purchase.