Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing and quite mediocre
Review: The Books should not be ignored. This sorry film is just horrible. Where are the battles and drama I'm hungry for. I've read the books. Doly can do so much more than grumble. Taran has a horse. The horned king is not the original villian. For the love of Prydain. Avoid this movie like a bad habit.
Rating: 
Summary: Unusual
Review: Unusual for me to give a Disney animated feature only four stars, but I feel that's about right. This is definitely a good movie worth having, but don't think you're going to see a old classic like Lady and the Tramp, or a modern classic like Aladdin. This is from a somewhat ambiguous time in Disney Animation history. It's pretty evident in the film also, but I think the main problem was the story itself. Well, here's the bottom line, a film like this seems to only appeal to fans of this sort of story, a tale in a sort of Hobbit type setting. A medievel world that really doesn't seem like the real medievel times, and yet is definitely the medievel times of...somewhere. It's hard for most people to be interested in that type of film. You'll find that while stories like the Hobbit are successful, it's really only with a certain group of people. This is why the film bombed, not because of the controversy of it's PG rating. I remember that too, but only the critics ever make a big deal of stuff like that. So the villain was a little excessive for Disney's usual style. The whole film was too dark in my opinion, and that's not because I don't like dark films, it's because it just had a somewhat dim look to it. I'll say this, Princess Eilonwy is probably one of the most captivating of all the Disney Princesses. Too bad she's been so neglected by the Disney Store! Actually, this whole film has been far too neglected, even with it's flaws. The heroes are great, it's just the story, setting, dim picture, and unclear sound (typical of animation from that period)that severely hurts this film. What saves it are the Princess and Gurgi. They make it definitely worth buying and worth naming as a Disney classic. I noticed one reviewer comparing this to the Gummi Bears. Well, I can see his point, but this is also a good example of why it wasn't successful. There are some big differences between the two that made Gummis successful and Cauldron unsuccessful. Both of them have an equally charming and angelic princess that has been neglected by Disney, but the Gummi Bears was so much better because of the clear, bright colors and sound, the strong element of fun and magic brought about by the little bears that were like have 6 Gurgis around, and the Villain who was not always on his game, something that always makes a film better, and one of the main things, Gummis had few if any of those drab English accents that only make a movie like Cauldron less easy to watch. The bottom line is this is a good movie, but don't expect it to be like the usual Disney fare. This is more like taking the Hobbit(yuck) and changing it so that the animation is actually animated, the main characters are actually cute and likable, and, well, that's about it. The Hobbit with better characters and animation. If you liked the hobbit even a little bit, this will be your new favorite movie, if you love Disney animated films, you'll like this movie, but it won't reach the point the others have, but you'll fall in love with the princess. Heck, if you just like cute cartoon girls, get it for her, it's worth it. So...thumbs up, but don't expect too, too much. Still, it's better than the stuff from most other animation studios!
Rating: 
Summary: Nice try, but no cigar.
Review: There is a lot to say about the Black Cauldron... The music's great, the animation and effects are adequate... the story... what story? In the turmoil that was the "next generation" at Disney, the continuity and heart of The Black Cauldron got lost in the crowd. There are a few funny and scary moments, but for the most part this feature leaves a bad aftertaste. This is what happens when Disney tries to market a PG feature to a G audience... a lackluster product.If you are an animator or artist, you will find this film interesting. Otherwise, try something else.
Rating: 
Summary: brilliant
Review: So it's not like the book, not by a mile. But as a disney movie this one is quite a jewel. I remember seeing it in the theaters when I was just a little kid and I was impressed, it was dark and gritty and it was everything a Disney movie wasn't. It left a mark on me that would haunt me for years to come... As years went by the movie became a vague memory that would always be there on the background. every now and then it would pop up and it made me think "whatever did happen to that movie?" And then the moment of truth arrived, I purchased the movie and once more I was impressed. The grim drawings, the visually frightning villain and the intruiging story of the assistant pig-keeper named Taran. I never did understand why this movie was banned from the stables by Disney, it might not be what they are known for making, it's still a work of quality. No collection is complete without this movie. I only wish Disney would make more of these movies in the future..
Rating:
Summary: Here's hoping Disney has restored the cut footage...
Review: ...there was about 9 minutes of completed footage cut from the final film that showed the "un-dead" rising from the graves and advancing towards the castle to become part of the horned king's army. BEAUTIFUL stuff--even if it doesn't make the film a great film. The film was also completely re-cut when everything was completed. While most Disney animations go through continuous change up to the end, they have never been "completed" and then "re-cut." The original version was a bit to scary for the suits at the studio. Since it's pretty much been relegated to "ugly-step sister" status, it's a shame they couldn't have at least released the original version. OR--at least, show the extra footage... All that said, it really is just an awful movie, with horrible dialogue, horrible animation, and horrible color.
Rating: 
Summary: Disney's medieval tale represents the calm before the storm
Review: THE BLACK CAULDRON has achieved cult status only because it is the Disney studio's biggest box-office failure from the "dark ages" of the seventies to the mid-'80s. THE BLACK CAULDRON may be the most ambitious film in Disney's history (at least of that era), but yet is one of its least memorable endeavours. It's not the worst film Disney has ever made, but it just doesn't rank up with the "classic" characters and stories it is famous for. The only truly memorable character in THE BLACK CAULDRON is the comical little Gurgi, who ironically is nowhere to be found in Lloyd Alexander's series. The producers of the film wisely had most of the characters speak in Welsh accents to ensure authenticity, and not in Californian or Southern accents. The most spectacular moments are when Taran and his friends are confronted by the Emperor King in his dark, creepy castle. But most of the scenes in THE BLACK CAULDRON could have easily been made as a live-action feature, making this animated feature appear a little pretentious at times. I've read that loyal fans of Lloyd Alexander's work and THE BLACK CAULDRON consider this film a cult classic. I'd prefer to classify it as an interesting curio, and not much more than that.
Rating:
Summary: The Lost Disney Animated Movie...
Review: Not too many remember when this movie was released... it BOMBED in theatres.
Why?
No one was ready for PG rated Disney cartoon... especially one that IS NOT a musical. I think it lasted about two weeks in the theaters, then Disney pulled it. (Something else people might not realize, is that, while a failure in theaters, Black Cauldron was modified and ported over into TV. It became one of Disney's most successful animated TV series: The Gummy Bears. While Taran, Eilonwy, and Creeper are renamed and not the main characters, they are in there!) Left in the Disney vaults until 1998, this now restored full-length animated feature is a gem. Without your standard "filler" material of songs and silly dancing, The Black Cauldron uses dialog, stunning animation, and action to keep it moving. The movie is dark, foreboding, and just plain creepy. It is rated PG, and I DO NOT recommend letting your kids sit in front of this one alone! I really enjoy this movie and if the upcoming DVD version has it widescreen or anamorphic, I'll buy it again to get even clearer vistas. (Again, the animation is great... not your standard Disney fare.)
Rating:
Summary: A second opinion
Review: Well kiss my grits! I just fell victim to public opinion. That's something I swore I would never do. Some people don't like to admit if they're wrong. I'm not that kind of person. Sometimes it takes a second, or in this case a third, viewing to jog the old memory and see the true value of a movie. That's what happened to me. Upon closer inspection, this movie isn't all that bad. Okay, it is true that the characters could be developed a bit more, but does anybody really concentrate on development while watching a Disney movie? For an 80s movie, the animation style looks very 70s. The movie also drifts into some bad moments, including the odd fantasy cliche. If you can look beyond those elements, you'll find a movie that's quite all right. The characters also aren't all that bad. This movie plays like The Sword in the Stone, but without the humor. This isn't for the really young kids, however. I wasn't kidding when I said this movie was scary. This movie certainly is better than some of the stuff brought out in the 90s, which seem to rely too heavily on big musical numbers and jokes.
Rating:
Summary: So-so, not the worst
Review: When I saw it in theaters as a kid, I thought it was one of the greatest animated movies ever. When I saw it again years later on video, I was like, "What happened?" What I saw on the video was what I didn't see as a kid, a kid who was excited about the fantasy and adventure and the amazing special effects of the movie. I saw a boring, lifeless movie with little or no heart and too much emphasis on being a dark, spooky fantasy adventure. The animators must've forgotten to breathe life into the characters, because almost all of them are unmemorable and shallow. Gurgi steals the spotlight and also proves to be the most heroic, but at first he comes off as just a silly creature and a thief. The villain will frighten young kids, and the movie tries to be scary just for the sake of being scary. There is no real drama here, only eerie effects and lots of living skeletons. Almost all of the conflict is external, and even then it's cheap. Equate The Black Cauldron to the stereotypical villain who laughs cheesily at the captured heroes and reveals his plans to them before trying to kill them, and you're not too far off. Besides the fairy tales, Disney must not have done a fantasy story before because in an attempt to make a dark fantasy tale, they forgot to throw in the things important to all tales. With that said, it's certainly not the worst Disney movie. I think Hercules takes that honor. A lot of people like The Black Cauldron, too, so I'll take my chances and say rent it first. But if you want something more fun, look ahead in the timeline to movies like The Lion King or Aladdin or, for some real gems, look just a few years back for The Fox and the Hound or even earlier for Bambi or Lady and the Tramp.
Rating:
Summary: It's lovely, but.....
Review: There is an actually book,' The Black Cauldron,' though the series itself begins with,' The Book of Three.' In my opinion, Disney pasted much of 'The Book of Three' into this movie without really giving it any meaning. It's also missing some very valuable-and lovely-characters. Kind of a disappointment.
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