Let's start the same way I usually start these reviews by discussing the characters. There is not a single character in The Black Cauldron that has dimensions outside of our villain (and his dimensions are never fully developed). Our leading character, Taran, is akin to Arthur in The Sword in the Stone, and if you have read or can remember back to my review of that disappointment, that is not a compliment to Taran. He is thrown into this story with absolutely no motivation or purpose. He is just there. Princess Eilonwy is only a slight improvement, but overall, she is just as wooden and unmemorable as Taran. Our "comedic relief" character, Gurgi, is a loathsome Disney creation. For one, most of Gurgi's lines are inaudible. I simply cannot understand what he is saying most of the time. Plus, when it comes down to the climatic emotional moment towards the end as Gurgi sacrifices himself to destroy the cauldron, I literally couldn't care less. The only character that is even remotely passable is our villain, the Horned King. However, beyond his vile demeanor and raspy voice, his character possesses very little substance as well. He's like Madame Medusa in The Rescuers: he's just evil because he can be.
It doesn't help these characters that Disney has assembled one of their weakest casts in their history. Taran and Eilonwy's voices would be better off if Disney had hired a computer to provide the voice. It's as if the actors had never delivered dialogue for an animated film before. On top of that, the one character that is a solid creation hardly gets a chance to shine. The Horned King never gets a dramatic speech or a scene-stealing sequence, and his presence demands just that. The Horned King, as a matter of fact, almost single-handedly saves this film from the mires of atrocity, but he is squandered in that disaster of a story surrounded by horrible characters.
Two Disney signatures, excellent animation and incredible musical numbers, are non-existent in The Black Cauldron. I understand that these new animators from The Fox and the Hound are flying solo for the first time with this film, but that is not an excuse. This is still Disney we are talking about, and I expect the best of the best no matter what. Simply put, the animation in The Black Cauldron is lackluster at its absolute best. Not surprising, but the best animation appears in scenes starring the Horned King. Apparently, though, Disney thought the animation during the scenes with the fairies are far more important (they are not, but I digress). The omission of songs from this film are understandable given the (failed) attempt of achieving an extremely unique tone, but since the final result is so bad, it may not have been a terrible idea to add a song or two into the film. Furthermore, speaking of that tone, what is Disney trying to do in that regard here? The darkness of the Horned King's scenes provide a scary, dramatic tone, and most of the time, it works, but then the tone would shift on a dime back to those wooden characters with a jovial, light tone. If Disney had picked a tone and ran it through the entire film, this film would have been much better. Alas, though, that is certainly not the case.
I have admitted that I like something about all Disney films, but outside of the Horned King, there is not much to like at all about The Black Cauldron. Maybe Disney should try to bury this one again.
Rating: 5/10
Historical Significance: The Black Cauldron marks a number of 'firsts' for Disney. It was the studio's first animated film to not feature songs of any variety, whether sung by the characters or by performers off screen. It was also their first animated film to receive a PG rating from the MPAA. In fact, it apparently had to be edited twice to avoid the PG-13 rating because the scenes with the Horned King were considered to be too intense for children. The Black Cauldron was also the first Disney film to feature ending credits instead of opening the film with the credits. It also did not feature "The End" to close, a first for the studio once again.
Behind the Scenes: Disney held screenings of The Black Cauldron prior to its theatrical release, and reports began coming in that families were abruptly leaving with terrified children crying hysterically as a result of the Horned King's activation of the Black Cauldron when he raises the dead to life. Disney eventually cut nearly fifteen minutes of those scenes, a decision that the studio admits hurt the final product. However, to this day, the Horned King is one of the most complained about villains by parents in Disney history, along with Chernabog in Fantasia and the Headless Horsemen in The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad.
Favorite Character: In an ensemble of awful characters, the Horned King is the lone bright spot. His look is downright menacing as the animators do a fine job of bringing him to life. We know his evilness before he even says a word. His dialogue is decent, but unfortunately nothing spectacular. Ifhe had been given that one defining, signature scene, he would be a superb Disney villain. Instead, he is just a pretty good villain with some wasted potential.
Favorite Scene: The aforementioned "un-dead" sequence with the Horned King activating the cauldron is the only scene worth mentioning for this section. It allows the animators to actually show off their skill in an inspired manner. Sure, this scene is quite terrifying for young children, but it is the only highlight to be found in The Black Cauldron.
Updated Ranking: We have a new bottom-feeder. You're off the hook, Make Mine Music.
- Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
- Peter Pan
- Cinderella
- The Jungle Book
- Sleeping Beauty
- Pinocchio
- Lady and the Tramp
- The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
- Alice in Wonderland
- Dumbo
- Bambi
- 101 Dalmatians
- Fantasia
- The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad
- The AristoCats
- Fun and Fancy Free
- The Fox and the Hound
- Robin Hood
- Melody Time
- The Three Caballeros
- Saludos Amigos
- The Rescuers
- The Sword in the Stone
- Make Mine Music
- The Black Cauldron
It can only get better from here, right? I'll find out tomorrow with The Great Mouse Detective!
-Cody Fleenor
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