I bet you were wondering if there was going to ever be anything on here that wasn't rated R. Well, there is and you might want to stick a special asterik by it, because this is a very special movie. The Black Cauldron is the only Disney animated feature ever to have been given a PG rating by the MPAA. It is special because it was the first Disney animated film ever to not have any musical numbers. It is special because it took over a decade to reach video, and wasn't even granted a rerelease in theaters as most Disney movies are given. It is special because it is considered a red-headed stepchild in the Disney animated feature family. It also is my favorite of all.
The Black Cauldron introduces us to the world of Prydain, a magical place where evil kings rule, oracular pigs are not unheard of, and witches and fairies populate the forests. Taran, the lowly assistant pig-keeper is shown whining about how he is stuck with cleaning, feeding, and playing with this swine all day long instead of learning the art of swordplay. That is when the action begins. The evil Horned King is on the prowl for the mysterious Black Cauldron and with it will control the most powerful army ever seen: an army of the undead. Cauldron-born soldiers who never give up. Hen Wen, the oracular pig, gets captured and it's up to Taran to find him and figure out a way to stop the Horned King from setting his paws on that Cauldron. Along the way he meets a beautiful princess, a bumbling old man with a harp, a furry little creature who looks like a cross between a monkey and an mop, fairies, witches, and dragons.
What a damn good movie! And none of that childish crap where the hero breaks out into a song and dance routine. We have an actual movie on our hands folks! Of course, it's drawn out onto paper, but hell, most movies start out on sketchboards anyway. The Black Cauldron doesn't actually deserve it's PG rating. It's not nearly as dark as imagined, there's no cursing (unlike a favorite Don Bluth film of mine), and there's no blood. There are scary scenes however made more scarier by the fact that they are drawn so very well. Tim Burton worked on the animation and he's such a master of everything weird. I recommend this movie for all ages. They will be delighted by the excellent visuals, and the engaging story line. The movie was based on The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander. They are excellent books as well.
My rating: 8 stars
If you would like more information on The Black Cauldron go to Bring Back the Black Cauldron.