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The Black Cauldron (Disney's Masterpiece) [VHS] 
Actors : Grant Bardsley, Freddie Jones, Susan Sheridan, Nigel Hawthorne, Arthur Malet
Director : Richard Rich, Ted Berman
Studio : Walt Disney Home Video
by Walt Disney Home Video
Release Date : 1998-08-04
Publisher : Walt Disney Home Video
Availability : Usually ships in 1-2 business days
EAN : 9780788805851
UPC : 786936020212
Avg. Customer Rating: (based on 137 reviews)
List Price : $22.99
Our Price : $2.88
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Product Description |
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The Black Cauldron (Disney's Masterpiece) [VHS] (1985)
Grant Bardsley (Actor), Freddie Jones (Actor), Richard Rich (Director), Ted Berman |
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very cute movie, and close to the story |
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I love this book by Lloyd Alexander and read it to my 8-year-old son recently. Naturally, when we finished, we wanted to see the movie. Although the story has been changed somewhat to fit the cartoon 90-minute format, we still really enjoyed watching it. |
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Controversial Disney movie misunderstood, but still too mature to take lightly |
The Walt Disney Company's 1985 release "The Black Cauldron" can be startingly mature. A dark fantasy adapted from Lloyd Alexander's "The Chronicles of Prydain" book series, it features deep spiritual storylines and was given a PG rating for several very good reasons.
With the voice talents of Freddie Jones, Grant Bardsley and John Hurt("The Elephant Man," "Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone,") it tells the story of Taran, an assistant pig attendant charged with keeping his sweet and clairvoyant pig out of the grasp of the demonic Horned King. The Horned King is voiced with palpable malice by John Hurt in a genuinely edgy vocal performance that makes one wonder what Mr. Hurt would do in a live-action rendering of the same role. The very name "The Horned King" can be seen as a satanic euphemism in an uncommonly direct association with evil for a Disney villain.
This movie is very certainly not for everyone, as its prevailing tone is of a downbeat nature. However, for those who can stomach the darkness and appreciate the hard-won moral in the end, it is a very good movie. |
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Ambitious attempt that started a genre |
At the time this film was released, Disney was getting competition from other animators--remember the animated versions of 'Watership Down' and Bakshi's 'Lord of the Rings'. However, none of these were very successful at the box office. The real competition was from live action features using loads of what was then state-of-the-art special effects. Namely 'Star Wars' and 'Star Trek' films and their imitators.
This film is a lushly animated masterpiece that is interesting to compare with 'Watership Down' and 'Lord of the Rings' (Bakshi's film that is). It also, along with these other two films, helps set the precedent for making animated features that might appeal to boys and to older children more. These are all films many adults could watch and enjoy as well. So much later we see the results: films like 'Titan A.E.' and 'Atlantis'.
Still the Disney animators at the time tried to push too much storyline into too little animation--80 minutes just isn't enough to tell a story that could have been a very Lord-of-the-Rings-or-Star-Wars-like cycle about good ultimately overcoming all-powerful evil. The other compromise they make is trying to offset the darkness of the film with comic relief and cute characters that you would find in Disney's numerous G-rated efforts.
To conclude, this is a classic that should appeal to kids who enjoy films like 'Titan A.E.', 'Atlantis', and 'Treasure Planet' (although BC was done in the era before CGI). Parents might also consider getting copies of 'Watership Down' and 'Lord of the Rings' from around the same time, but please note none of these are suitable for young children, at least not without the most careful of pre-screening and parental supervision. |
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A BRILLIANT ANIMATED FILM THAT DESERVED SO MUCH MORE 9.5 OUT OF 10 |
Recently, for some unknown reason, I decided to dig up some old VHS tapes that I had not seen in years (Some I have not watched in at least ten years). So I dug fifteen old animated films that I grew up with as a kid to see if they still held up. So the first film I watched was this. I researched a little bit about before I went back into watching it, and was left wondering, "Why do so many people piss all over this film?" Although the majority of critics were in favor of the film when it released in 1985 (62% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes), there were a good number of critics and moviegoers who bashed the hell out of this film because for them, it was either "too dark" or "boring." This film deserved so much more than what it got. It bombed in theaters, and was not released on video until 1998. Surprisingly, among the film's supporters was Roger Ebert (Who I will never forgive for some of his opinions on a good number of films) who gave the film a 3.5 out of 4-star rating and addressed the complaints among people that it was too dark by using past Disney classics which had plenty of grim moments and weren't so happy-go-lucky and said that it was a return to its roots. This is one of Disney's more bold efforts, and you don't see these kinds of efforts anymore (Instead we're condemned to endless High School Musical sequels, Disney Channel, numerous straight-to-DVD sequels, and plenty of other mind-blowingly awful films). I implore you, give this film a chance. Watch it with your kids though, because it is a pretty grim and creepy film, but it is a superb film.
WHAT IT'S ABOUT: The story about the black cauldron details that many centuries ago, there was a king who was so evil and so powerful, that even the gods feared him, so he was thrown into a black cauldron, which, if found by the right user will unleash an army of the undead upon the world and there is almost no way to stop whoever wields it except for a sacrifice of a good person's soul. We are then introduced to Taran, a wannabe knight who constantly day dreams about it which annoys Dallben, the man who takes care of him. Unfortunately, Taran is a pig-keeper for a pig named Henwin, who has special powers that can see into the future and reveal other things as well. When Henwin randomly freaks out as Taran is giving her a bath, she is brought inside the house where it is revealed to Taran that this pig has special powers, and she reveals that the villain in this film; The Horned King; is after the black cauldron, and then during the vision, it is discovered that The Horned King knows about this pig and Taran is forced to flee with Henwin to a safe place. But unfortunately during a day dream, Henwin wanders away from him and he sets out to go and find her. Then he meets a strange, furry creature named Gurgi who steals his apple and then wanders away. When Taran finds Henwin, she is being chased by dragons from The Horned King and is taken away to the castle. So Taran goes to the castle and manages to set her free, but is captured and put in a dungeon. During his brief period in the prison, he meets a girl named Princess Eilonwy who helps him and a man named Fflewddur Fflam (Who has a magical harp that criticizes him by busting strings) escape from the castle in an epic fashion. Then the true crazy adventure of Taran, Eilonwy, Gurgi, and Fflewddur beings as they try and find the black cauldron before the king does and prevent him from capturing them.
MUSIC: The music is bizarre, yet it fits this crazy fantasy film. It was very enjoyable to listen to, and at the same time it could be pretty creepy.
ACTION: This film is spectacle and is rather violent as well which makes it certainly earn its hard PG-rating. This film was never dull in this area and was rather spectacular.
ACTING: This is the area in which the film loses the potential perfect rating. While the actors are good for the most part, there are moments when they slip up or there's some corny dialogue. However, the good outweighs the bad in this area, and these actors do a very respectable job at their roles.
OVERALL: If you're tired of the crap that Disney is putting out these days (Please don't remind me of Chicken Little or Meet the Robinsons). This film is very good and superb. It is one of Disney's darker and more bold efforts and it succeeds very well at it. Don't let the kids watch it alone though, this film can be pretty violent and creepy.
THE GOOD: Wonderful animation, good acting, cool action scenes, an enthralling story, wonderful characters, and it's actually kind of creepy.
THE BAD: Moments of cheesy acting and dialogue. |
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Definitely Not A Typical Disney Animated Film |
If you get this product, please do not read the back of it. First, the synopsis tells you the moral of the story and takes away the reason to watch it. Second, it mentions the Black Cauldron is Disney's 25th animated classic. This means that if it is a Disney animated film it is automatically a classic. I find that thought an insult to my intelligence.
This departs from the previous films. I don't mind the lack of music, but it is both creepier and darker than the other classics, and it has other scenes that I question its appropriateness (e.g. a voluptuous witch with a low cut outfit with a scene emphasizing that part of her anataomy). I also found that the horned king, while evil, lacks the charm and personality of other Disney villains (e.g. Malificent of Sleeping Beauty or 101 Dalmatians' Cruella DeVille).
As art, it is visually stunning. The animation is top notch. The story is, while a bit occultish, very well put together. In other words, it gets good technical marks.
Jeff
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