The Black Cauldron Review

The Black Cauldron


Release Date: 8th May 1986 - Australia


Production Companies
Walt Disney Pictures
Silver Screen Partners II (in association with)

Distribution
Walt Disney Studios Motion
Pictures Australia


Genre: Animation/Family/

Fantasy

Rating: PG

Runtime: 77 minutes


Budget: $44,000,000

Box Office Gross: $21,288,692 (USA)


Plot Summary

A young assistant pig keeper named Taran has often dreamed of becoming a great warrior but ends up protecting an oracular pig, Hen Wen, who knows the exact whereabouts of the fabled and mystical Black Cauldron. Unfortunately for Taran, he loses Hen Wen when the terrifying Horned King kidnaps her to search for the Cauldron. With the help of the brave Princess Eilonwy, an exaggerating minstrel named Fflewddur Fflam, and an annoying creature named Gurgi. They set out to find the Cauldron and stop the Horned King from unleashing its unspeakable power to create

an army of deathless

soldiers. Will Taran learn

what it takes to be a true

hero and that some things

are more important than

glory?

Voice Cast
Grant Bardsley - Taran
Susan Sheridan - Princess Eilonwy
Nigel Hawthorne - Fflewddur Fflam
John Byner - Gurgi/Doli
John Hurt - The Horned King
Freddie Jones - Dallben
Arthur Malet - King Eidilleg

Lindsay Rich - Fairfolk

Brandon Call - Fairfolk

Gregory Levinson - Fairfolk

Eda Reiss Merin - Orddu
Adele Malis-Morey - Orwen
Billie Hayes - Orgoch
Phil Fondacaro - Creeper/

Henchman

John Huston - Narrator

Peter Renaday - Henchman

James Almanazar - Henchman

Wayne Allwine - Henchman

Steve Hale - Henchman

Phil Nibbelink - Henchman

(Cameo)

Jack Laing - Henchman

Crew
Story/Directors - Ted Berman
and Richard Rich
Based on "The Chronicles of
Prydain" Novel Series - Lloyd
Alexander
Story/Producer - Joe Hale
Story/Storyboard Artist
(Uncredited) - Peter Young
Story/Character Designer/Title Designer: End Titles - David Jonas
Story/Character Designer - Al Wilson
Story - Vance Gerry, Roy Morita

and Art Stevens
Additional Dialogue - Rosemary Anne Sisson

and Roy Edward Disney
Additional Story Contributions -

Tony Marino, Steve Hulett, Mel Shaw,

Burny Mattinson, John Musker, Ron Clements

and Doug Lefler

Executive Producer - Ron Miller
Concept Designer - Michael Peraza Jr.

Conceptual Artist - Tim Burton (Uncredited)

Character Designers/Animators -

Andreas Deja and Phil Nibbelink
Character Designers - Michael G. Ploog

and Milt Kahl (Uncredited)

Animation Consultant - Eric Larson

Art Director (Uncredited)/Layout Artist -

Don Griffith

Color Stylist - Jim Coleman

Layout Stylist - Mike Hodgson

Production Manager - Don Hahn

Assistant Directors - Mark Hester,

Terry L. Noss, Randy Paton and

Tim O'Donnell (Uncredited)
Animation Camera Supervisor -
Peter Anderson
Picture and Sound Effects Editors -

Armetta Jackson-Hamlett, James Koford

and James Melton

Sound Effects Designer - Michael L. McDonough

Sound Supervisor - Robert Hathaway

Sound Effects - Wayne Allwine

and Paul Hozborn

Re-Recording Mixers - Nick Alphin,

Richard Portman and Frank Regula

Music - Elmer Bernstein

Music Scoring Mixer - Shawn Murphy


Review
Regarded as the Disney studio's black sheep but also one of its underappreciated efforts, THE BLACK CAULDRON is, in many ways, the epitome of what the studio could and should have done with this misstep. This animated feature is dark and distinctly different from the other Disney animated movies, in which a few had several dark moments. It has more of an action/adventure feel than your typical Disney fare. However, the film suffers from a massive tonality problem and goes a few steps too far. It was notoriously panned, both at the box office and by critics, and it performed so poorly that it nearly bankrupted the Disney animation studio. The movie would not come out on home video until 1998. By then, many Disney films had already been released on home video several times. It wasn't until years later that the film gained a cult following among modern audiences, who gravitated towards its darker, edgier tone.

As ambitious, dark, and downright scary as THE BLACK CAULDRON is, I consider this animated feature imperfect and disappointing to fantasy fans. The film has many problems with its story and characters due to being rushed and poorly developed. It includes the main protagonist, Taran, who is arrogant and a bit of a fool, and Princess Eilowny, an interesting character but somewhat underdeveloped, and we don't see her kingdom. Also, there are a lot of jump cuts in the movie due to the editing, which explains why some scenes are missing. On the positive side, I compliment the film for its dark atmosphere, stunning animation, and terrific music score by Elmer Bernstein. I find Taran's companion Gurgi - who acts like Gollum from Lord of the Rings - is a character I sympathise with despite him being annoying because people find him a nuisance. Gurgi is a poor and lonely creature who wants to have friends.

One more thing in THE BLACK CAULDRON we mustn't forget about is the antagonist, The Horned King, who is probably the scariest-looking and most sinister Disney villain ever brought to the screen. John Hurt did a remarkable job of voicing the character. No one has ever mentioned Hurt for portraying that villain. His eerie vocals bring an even more menacing touch to the character.

THE BLACK CAULDRON does not quite meet the benchmark of other Disney classics, but it's nice to know that the studio is trying to make a much darker film. Still, it would have worked better if it appealed to teenagers and young adults had it not been altered for young children. I would stick to the other cult-animated Disney films like Atlantis and Treasure Planet.

Star rating: (3/5) Average

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