The Black Cauldron (1985)
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A young farmhand must embark on a perilous quest to stop an evil king from using a mystical cauldron to raise an army of the undead.
The story
In the land of Prydain, Taran, a teenage assistant pig-keeper, dreams of becoming a warrior. When his mentor, Dallben the Enchanter, learns that the evil Horned King is seeking the Black Cauldron—a mystical relic capable of creating an army of undead warriors—he tasks Taran with protecting a magical pig, Hen Wen. However, the pig is captured by the Horned King's creatures. Taran sets off on a journey to rescue her, encountering various allies and enemies along the way. He must navigate dangerous lands and face the growing threat of the Horned King's power as he seeks to prevent the resurrection of the undead.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Taran, a farm boy in Prydain, embarks on a quest to save the magical pig Hen Wen from the Horned King. Along with companions including Princess Eilonwy, the bard Fflewddur Fflam, and the creature Gurgi, Taran travels through various lands. They enter the realm of the Fair Folk and eventually reach the Marshes of Morva, where they encounter three witches. Taran trades a magical sword for the location of the Black Cauldron, only to realize the sword's power is lost. The Horned King uses the cauldron to raise an army of 'Cauldron-Born' undead. Gurgi sacrifices himself to save the group from the undead. In the final confrontation, the cauldron's power backfires on the Horned King, destroying his castle. The witches then use their magic to resurrect Gurgi in exchange for the cauldron, and the heroes return safely to Dallben.
- First release year
- 1985
- Runtime (minutes)
- 80
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Ted Berman; Richard Rich
- Writers
- David Jonas · story; Al Wilson · story; Vance Gerry · story; Roy Morita · story; Ted Berman · story; Peter Young · story; Richard Rich · story; Art Stevens · story; Joe Hale · story
- Cast and characters
- Grant Bardsley · Taran; Susan Sheridan · Princess Eilonwy; Freddie Jones · Dallben; Nigel Hawthorne · Fflewddur Fflam; Arthur Malet · King Eidilleg; John Byner · Gurgi; and Doli; Phil Fondacaro · Creeper; Eda Reiss Merin · Orddu; Adele Maus-Morey · Orwen; Billie Hayes · Orgoch; John Hurt · The Horned King; John Huston · The Narrator
- Genres
- animated; fantasy; adventure
- Themes
- heroism; friendship; bravery
- Tone and mood
- dark; fantasy
- Setting
- The land of Prydain, featuring a castle, the underground kingdom of the Fair Folk, and the Marshes of Morva.
- Premise and plot tags
- quest; fantasy; adventure
- Source material / true-story basis
- The Book of Three and The Black Cauldron by Lloyd Alexander
- Franchise connections
- The Chronicles of Prydain
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews from critics and was a box-office failure, though it has since gained a cult following.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 59 · scale: 100 · review count: 16
- Awards and nominations
- Academy Award · Technical · Win
- Production trivia
- It was the first Disney animated film to receive a PG rating.; It was the first Disney animated film to feature computer-generated imagery.; It was the most expensive animated film ever made at the time.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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