IMDb > The Black Cauldron (1985)
The Black Cauldron
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The Black Cauldron (1985) More at IMDbPro »

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The Black Cauldron (1985) -- A young boy and a bunch of misfit friends embark on a quest to find a dark magic item of ultimate power before a diaboical tyrant can.

IMDb Holiday Movie Guide

Overview

User Rating:
6.3/10   5,542 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 7% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Writers:
Lloyd Alexander (novel)
David Jonas (story) ...
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Contact:
View company contact information for The Black Cauldron on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
24 July 1985 (USA) more
Tagline:
Seven years in the making - In the celebrated Disney tradition comes our 25th animated motion picture. more
Plot:
A young boy and a bunch of misfit friends embark on a quest to find a dark magic item of ultimate power before a diabolical tyrant can. full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
NewsDesk:
(5 articles)
Movie Kiddie Fare: Dead Puppies, Flying Monkeys?
 (From The Wrap. 14 October 2009, 3:12 PM, PDT)

Treasure Planet – Movie Review
 (From AreYouScreening. 13 August 2009, 11:24 PM, PDT)

User Comments:
It ain't half bad (ain't half good, neither) more (79 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
Grant Bardsley ... Taran (voice)
Susan Sheridan ... Eilonwy (voice)
Freddie Jones ... Dallben (voice)
Nigel Hawthorne ... Fflewddur Fflam (voice)
Arthur Malet ... King Eidilleg (voice)
John Byner ... Gurgi / Doli (voice)
Lindsay Rich ... Fairfolk (voice)
Brandon Call ... Fairfolk (voice)
Gregory Levinson ... Fairfolk (voice)
Eda Reiss Merin ... Orddu (voice)
Adele Malis-Morey ... Orwen (voice)
Billie Hayes ... Orgoch (voice)

Phil Fondacaro ... Creeper / henchman (voice)
Peter Renaday ... Henchman (voice) (as Pete Renaday)
James Almanzar ... Henchman (voice)
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
Taran and the Magic Cauldron
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MPAA:
Rated PG for some scary images.
Runtime:
80 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
2.20 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Dolby (35 mm prints)

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The management team at Disney changed during Cauldron's production. New studio chairman Jeffrey Katzenberg made several cuts in the film before its release to prevent it getting an R or PG-13 rating. more
Goofs:
Continuity: Taran unchains the gate barring their escape from the castle. In subsequent shots, the lock and chains reappear and then, finally disappear. more
Quotes:
[first lines]
Narrator: Legend has it, in the mystic land of Prydain, there was once a king so cruel and so evil, that even the Gods feared him. Since no prison could hold him, he was thrown alive into a crucible of molten iron. There his demonic spirit was captured in the form of a great, black cauldron. For uncounted centuries, the black cauldron lay hidden, waiting, while evil men searched for it, knowing whoever possessed it would have the power to resurrect an army of deathless warriors...
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Army of Darkness (1992) more

FAQ

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21 out of 24 people found the following comment useful.
It ain't half bad (ain't half good, neither), 8 August 1998
Author: Joshua T. from Arizona, USA

There were many good things going on in the Black Cauldron. First, there were NO SONGS, which really helped move things along. Second, the villain was truly frightening, the supporting cast was a lot of fun, and the movie's breakneck pace held my interest and entertained me throughout. But, there were some bad things as well. Taran wasn't really a character at all. Every important thing that happened to him was by luck or accident. And at the end of the story he's right back where he started. Also, the plot was little more than a succession of action sequences, with little sense holding it together. The heroes simply fell out of one situation into the next, perhaps the result of squeezing two full-length novels into one movie. And don't get me started on the ending. Our hero stumbles through the picture so that -- his furball sidekick can become the true hero of the piece. Yech. Still, I was entertained, and I'd see it again. But for those looking for the REAL Black Cauldron, read "The Chronicles of Prydain" by Lloyd Alexander. You'll be glad you did.

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for The Black Cauldron (1985)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Never saw this but read all the books years ago..... badwithsports
The Legend of Zelda link222-1
Very underated. BlueDevilReviews
Black Cauldron Animator-- 5th grade teacher Puddlemini
NOT for (young) kids... ferran275-1
THE HORNED KING (may be the scariest person ever) alexschneider
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Recommendations

If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
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Willow Stardust The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
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