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Blazing Saddles
Common Sense says
- R
- 1974
- 93 minutes
Parents say
Kids say
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A lot or a little?
The parents' guide to what's in this movie.
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that Blazing Saddles is a classic spoofy comedy with bawdy language, sexual innuendo, and a send up of racism that younger viewers may not be able to understand and therefore misinterpret. Drinking and prostitution are also lampooned. There are some laughs at the expense of flamboyant characters who are meant to be thought of as gay.
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User Reviews
- Parents say
- Kids say
Satire at its finest
great spoof, but racy in most spots.
What's the story?
Mel Brooks' BLAZING SADDLES lampoons the Westerns of the 40's and 50's, mocking the conventions of the genre as well as its racist undertones. Greedy magnate Headley Lamarr (Harvey Korman) is planning to steal a plot of land away from the kindly townsfolk of Rockridge. He appoints a black sheriff named Bart (Cleavon Little), relying on the intolerance of the community to spark a mass exodus out of town. Things don't go quite as planned, as Bart teams up a washed-up gunslinger (Gene Wilder), wins the citizens' respect, and enlists his old co-workers from the railroad line to help foil Lamarr's scheme.
Is it any good?
As frenzied and eager to please as any Mel Brooks comedy, Blazing Saddles' defining characteristic is its willingness to poke fun at the normally taboo subject of racism. The film hasn't aged perfectly; the gags that amused in the 1970s by virtue of their sheer outrageousness might just seem like bad taste now. But, wo-written by Richard Pryor in the prime of his career, the movie has enough funny moments to outweigh theones that fall flat. The action, meanwhile, possesses the unmistakably silly tone of Brooks' comedies, including frenetic pacing and a few snappy song numbers.
Talk to your kids about ...
Families can talk about what makes something a satire. What or who in particular does the movie intend to mock?
How does the film's humor address racial stereotypes present in society as well as in movies about the Old West?
Movie details
- In theaters: February 7, 1974
- On DVD or streaming: June 29, 2004
- Cast: Cleavon Little, Gene Wilder, Madeline Kahn
- Director: Mel Brooks
- Studio: Warner Bros.
- Genre: Comedy
- Topics: Friendship
- Run time: 93 minutes
- MPAA rating: R
Themes & Topics
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Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.