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Rating:  - A Totally Botched Job
Disney took what is perhaps the best 6 book young adult fantasy series ever written, combined the first two books, combined the books major bad guy with one of his minions (Arawn an the Horned King are NOT the same person) eliminated 2 of the ongoing good guys (Gwydion and Coll are not to be foumd), 2 of the Black Cauldron books 3 major bad guys (Morgant and Ellidyr) are gone. Then they took one of the series major heroes, Gurghi, changed him from an undersized bigfoot into this waist high dust mop with a Donald Duck voice. I remember talking one of my friends into seeing this with me in high school, he was just like dude
-wtf? And I remember saying, I'm really sorry John, I didn;t know they were going to do this, the books are really cool.
Anyway, this is a mortal sin from Disney. In the name if all that which does not suck, don't buy this if you've read the books first. If you haven't then perhaps rent then definitely read the books.
Rating:  - Never read the books
I've noticed that every negative review of this film is just focusing on the discrepancies between the movie and the books. Having never read the books, I feel none of their animosity. To me, this is an excellent Disney film. I love the story and especially love the well-drawn animation. It is a little on the darker side of Disney but, as an avid horror fan, this greatly appeals to me.
Rating: - A Great Movie!!!
I saw this movie when I was a child and I absolutely loved it. Henwen is the cutest animal and the movie was quite gripping. I am an avid follower of Disney movies and even though this is not the standard Disney fare, it is one of my favourites. I haven't yet read Chronicles of Prydain, so I can't say how much the movie remains true to the book, but my advice is Enjoy the Movie! Forget the Book!
Rating:  - Whatta great movie
The Black Cauldron is a VERY quick synopsis of the books it was based on, The Chronicles Of Prydain. The movie could have done to be a bit longer - it was edited so tight that the story beats come at you like rapid-fire. But it is still such a neato movie with all of its dark and occult imagery. I love it. BUT I would love it even more if Disney were to release a true Special Edition or even a Director's Cut. There is so much of the story and character development left out that some extra scenes would be nice. This DVD has nothing, really, that adds to the back story of the film or the filmaking process. Disappointing that this particular movie recieves so little consideration from Disney but at least it's available.
Rating:  - doesn't deserve the reputation it's received...
THE BLACK CAULDRON has continually been dismissed by Disney enthusiasts and moviegoers since it was originally released in 1985. It was definitely one of the more ambitious animated projects undertaken by the studio. Ten years in the making, it was also the most expensive project since 1940's "Pinocchio" and the first 70mm widescreen movie since "Sleeping Beauty" in 1959. In THE BLACK CAULDRON, Disney attempted to cram Lloyd Alexander's densely-written "Prydain Chronicles" books into one movie, and the result was hardly a hit, but it's not a flop, either.
Taran (voiced by Grant Bardsley) is a dreamer, looking to find his place in the adventurous world beyond the cottage of his master, Dallben (Freddie Jones). Taran spends his days tending to a mystical clairvoyant pig called Hen Wen. The life of Hen Wen hangs in the balance when the evil Horned King (John Hurt) decides to use her powers to find the location of the Black Cauldron, where all the evil forces of the world are kept. Hen Wen is spirited away to the Horned King's castle with Taran in hot pursuit. Once at the castle, Taran teams with young Princess Eilonwy (Susan Sheridan), eccentric musician Fflewddur (Nigel Hawthorne), and a cute little furry creature called Gurgi (John Byner). Their only hope lies in finding the Black Cauldron before it's evil powers fall into the wrong hands...
This is not your usual Disney fare. It's very dark, there are no musical numbers, no real "happily ever after" ending, and the overall tone of the piece does not sit well with the previous Disney animated movies. I believe the animators were trying to capture a feeling and mood that had been earlier established in other animated films of the period (Don Bluth's "The Secret of NIMH" and Ralph Bakshi's "Lord of the Rings" immediately spring to mind). Elmer Bernstein's music perfectly underscores every mood.
THE BLACK CAULDRON is a thrilling medieval adventure, and will appeal to those with a taste for that. Disney purists are sadly always going to have a problem with it, but hopefully it will be appreciated for what it is.
The DVD includes a set-top game called "Quest for the Black Cauldron"; the vintage Donald Duck cartoon "Trick or Treat"; still galleries, and the trailer.
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