The Black CauldronFew, if any, are born with the qualities of a hero; they are generally won through experience and ordeal, wisdom and perseverance. The young boy, Taran (Grant Bardsley), spends his days wishing to be a valiant knight, to save the kingdom from the looming threat that is the Horned King (John Hurt). But Taran is tasked to be an assistant pig keeper, responsible for the welfare of Hen Wen, a porcine pet with "oracular powers", as revealed by his benefactor, the hedge wizard, Dallben the Enchanter (Freddie Jones). When Hen Wen's vision reveals that The Horned King seeks the diabolical artifact known as the Black Cauldron, Taran soon finds himself on the adventure of a lifetime, and a true understanding of what makes a hero.
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The Black Cauldron is adapted from a series of stories called "The Chronicles of Prydain" by Lloyd Alexander, adapted from legends of Welsh mythology. But in keeping with the Disney style of animation, the story is colorful and rich with gorgeous animation, full of interesting and entertaining characters, and also possessing a strong, moral narrative. Taran is not wholly arrogant from the start, but he is foolish, as Dallben observes when he claims he would be ill-prepared to stand up to the Horned King, who is very much a malevolent entity, more demonic than human. Hen Wen's vision signals the Horned King to the pig's powers, so Dallben sends Taran to a safe location to prevent the diabolical overlord from obtaining the secret location of the Black Cauldron via Hen Wen's gift. But in a moment of distraction, while fantasizing about being proclaimed a great knight, Hen Wen is abducted by a pair of devilish drakes in the employ of the Horned King. The guilt-stricken lad ventures into the black keep of the tyrant to save his pig, but is also abducted. He is aided in escaping by the magical Princess Eilonwy (Susan Sheridan), and they in turn save an unfortunate bard named Fflewddur Fflam (Nigel Hawthorne) from the clutches of the keep's mercenaries--and thus the adventuring party is formed.
During their escape, Taran discovers the magical sword left behind with the long dead king of the keep, one which seems to have a life of its own, and fights more skillfully than Taran could ever hope to do by himself. The presence of the sword provokes an element of arrogance in Taran, who proclaims his prowess was responsible for their egress at first, but Taran is not so conceited that he fails to observe that his brief outburst is hurtful to Eilonwy, and he apologizes. The sword represents the qualities of a hero as Taran perceived them to be prior to his adventure; it endows him with the ability to fight his foes and overcome obstacles. But as the story progresses, Taran rightly observes that, while filled with power and magic, it is but an object. Early in his adventure, he crosses paths with a sneaky little creature named Gurgi (John Byner), who tries to trick Taran for an apple, and flees at the first sign of trouble. Taran's chastisement makes Gurgi contrite, and he subsequently views Taran as his "master", someone who can teach him and be his friend. His journey into the Horned King's domain is obviously full of danger, but Taran understands that not only was it his responsibility to guard Hen Wen, but that should the vile king get his bony claws on the pig, the entire world may pay the price. Taran begins to comprehend both responsibility and courage here, true elements of a hero. But it is later when the eponymous Black Cauldron has become active and the only way to prevent its evil from flourishing is with an act of sacrifice that Taran understands yet another crucial aspect of what it is that makes a hero--it is more than a sword. Taran's journey is also one of maturity as much as heroism. He wishes to be a great knight, and longs to discard his undesirable title of an "assistant pig farmer", but he comes to understand that the task set before him is a matter entrusted to him by Dallben to ensure the boy is capable of more later in his life. And while Taran may be too young for romance to flourish, the sparks of it are there between him and Eilonwy, their friendship strengthened by their mutual adversity.
The Black Cauldron shares many qualities inherent in the best animated fantasy classics by Disney. The Horned King is a truly menacing foe, skeletal and with red eyes, his gravelly voice tinged with bitterness and malice. When he conjures the deathless army from the cauldron, supernatural green mist emerges which is ominous and foreboding; in reality, this was done using the effects of live-action dry ice. The Black Cauldron marked the first use of computer-generated special effects in a Disney animated film, provided by Jim Henson's Creature Shop, including for the cauldron itself; the majority of the animation is quintessential Disney, however. Characters like Gughi, Hen Wen, and the Horned King's goblin lickspittle called "The Creeper" (Phil Fondacaro) all recall the kind of stylized, semi-anthropomorphic creatures from many Disney films before and after, highly animated and exaggerated, with plenty of comic relief, good representations of the "twelve principles of animation" pioneered by Disney. The Black Cauldron was originally intended to be a part of a multi-picture deal, as the stories it is based upon were optioned all the way back in 1971; it was in a long period of development limbo for the fourteen years prior to its eventual release. The film underwent numerous alterations and changes during development, including an overhaul of the tone and presentation of characters. What might have been an even more intense and terrifying fantasy film was modified prior to its release--had the film not had twelve minutes directly (and controversially) cut by then director of Disney's movie division, Jeffrey Katzenberg--still resulted in the film being the first animated Disney movie to be given a PG rating. The renovations to the design of the film was motivated in part by having The Black Cauldron resemble another Disney animated classic: Sleeping Beauty; of note, Eilonwy bears a resemblance to Princess Aurora, and the Horned King's drakes recall the transformed manifestation of Maleficent. The Black Cauldron also shares some similarities with an animated game produced a couple of years prior, "Dragon's Lair", in terms of the special effects, coloration, and even setting. "Dragon's Lair" was animated by former Disney animator, Don Bluth, who along with other animators, left Disney during their previous production, The Fox and the Hound, so it makes one wonder if one influenced the other, or if it was mere coincidence. As a result of the complicated history of The Black Cauldron, like Taran in the story, it represents a kind of turning point for Disney, a moment where the development, subject matter, and technologies employed in its creation would be a stepping stone for the studio, a bit of an adventure itself and milestone of maturity.
Recommended for: Fans of an animated fantasy tale with gorgeous designs and effects, a fun adventure story, and lots of diverse characters. While some of the fantasy elements might be intense for very young viewers, it is a fun experience for older kids and adults both.
During their escape, Taran discovers the magical sword left behind with the long dead king of the keep, one which seems to have a life of its own, and fights more skillfully than Taran could ever hope to do by himself. The presence of the sword provokes an element of arrogance in Taran, who proclaims his prowess was responsible for their egress at first, but Taran is not so conceited that he fails to observe that his brief outburst is hurtful to Eilonwy, and he apologizes. The sword represents the qualities of a hero as Taran perceived them to be prior to his adventure; it endows him with the ability to fight his foes and overcome obstacles. But as the story progresses, Taran rightly observes that, while filled with power and magic, it is but an object. Early in his adventure, he crosses paths with a sneaky little creature named Gurgi (John Byner), who tries to trick Taran for an apple, and flees at the first sign of trouble. Taran's chastisement makes Gurgi contrite, and he subsequently views Taran as his "master", someone who can teach him and be his friend. His journey into the Horned King's domain is obviously full of danger, but Taran understands that not only was it his responsibility to guard Hen Wen, but that should the vile king get his bony claws on the pig, the entire world may pay the price. Taran begins to comprehend both responsibility and courage here, true elements of a hero. But it is later when the eponymous Black Cauldron has become active and the only way to prevent its evil from flourishing is with an act of sacrifice that Taran understands yet another crucial aspect of what it is that makes a hero--it is more than a sword. Taran's journey is also one of maturity as much as heroism. He wishes to be a great knight, and longs to discard his undesirable title of an "assistant pig farmer", but he comes to understand that the task set before him is a matter entrusted to him by Dallben to ensure the boy is capable of more later in his life. And while Taran may be too young for romance to flourish, the sparks of it are there between him and Eilonwy, their friendship strengthened by their mutual adversity.
The Black Cauldron shares many qualities inherent in the best animated fantasy classics by Disney. The Horned King is a truly menacing foe, skeletal and with red eyes, his gravelly voice tinged with bitterness and malice. When he conjures the deathless army from the cauldron, supernatural green mist emerges which is ominous and foreboding; in reality, this was done using the effects of live-action dry ice. The Black Cauldron marked the first use of computer-generated special effects in a Disney animated film, provided by Jim Henson's Creature Shop, including for the cauldron itself; the majority of the animation is quintessential Disney, however. Characters like Gughi, Hen Wen, and the Horned King's goblin lickspittle called "The Creeper" (Phil Fondacaro) all recall the kind of stylized, semi-anthropomorphic creatures from many Disney films before and after, highly animated and exaggerated, with plenty of comic relief, good representations of the "twelve principles of animation" pioneered by Disney. The Black Cauldron was originally intended to be a part of a multi-picture deal, as the stories it is based upon were optioned all the way back in 1971; it was in a long period of development limbo for the fourteen years prior to its eventual release. The film underwent numerous alterations and changes during development, including an overhaul of the tone and presentation of characters. What might have been an even more intense and terrifying fantasy film was modified prior to its release--had the film not had twelve minutes directly (and controversially) cut by then director of Disney's movie division, Jeffrey Katzenberg--still resulted in the film being the first animated Disney movie to be given a PG rating. The renovations to the design of the film was motivated in part by having The Black Cauldron resemble another Disney animated classic: Sleeping Beauty; of note, Eilonwy bears a resemblance to Princess Aurora, and the Horned King's drakes recall the transformed manifestation of Maleficent. The Black Cauldron also shares some similarities with an animated game produced a couple of years prior, "Dragon's Lair", in terms of the special effects, coloration, and even setting. "Dragon's Lair" was animated by former Disney animator, Don Bluth, who along with other animators, left Disney during their previous production, The Fox and the Hound, so it makes one wonder if one influenced the other, or if it was mere coincidence. As a result of the complicated history of The Black Cauldron, like Taran in the story, it represents a kind of turning point for Disney, a moment where the development, subject matter, and technologies employed in its creation would be a stepping stone for the studio, a bit of an adventure itself and milestone of maturity.
Recommended for: Fans of an animated fantasy tale with gorgeous designs and effects, a fun adventure story, and lots of diverse characters. While some of the fantasy elements might be intense for very young viewers, it is a fun experience for older kids and adults both.