The Black Cauldron

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The Black Cauldron

PG

1985

1h 20m

Kids & Family

Fantasy

Animation

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

56%

Tomatometer

36 Reviews

48%

Popcornmeter

25,000+ Ratings

In the land of Prydain, lowly pig herder Taran (Grant Bardsley) dreams of becoming a gallant knight. Young Taran receives his heroic calling when the evil Horned King (John Hurt) kidnaps Hen-Wren, a prophesying pig that had been entrusted to Taran. Now, with help from his furry sidekick Gurgi and Princess Eilonwy, Taran must locate the magical black cauldron before the Horned King is able to use its mystical powers to summon an army of the undead.

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Critics Consensus

Ambitious but flawed, The Black Cauldron is technically brilliant as usual, but lacks the compelling characters of other Disney animated classics.

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Paul Attanasio

Washington Post

Technically brilliant though short on narrative, "The Black Cauldron" is a painless, old-fashioned way to take out the kids, and a triumph for the animation department at the Disney studio, where it has been in development for almost a dozen years.

Jan 3, 2018

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Empire Magazine

Possibly not the worst animated feature the House Of Mouse has produced, but certainly stumbling around the darker recesses of the Disney vault.

Rated: 2/5

Nov 4, 2009

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Variety Staff

Variety

The characters, though cute and cuddly and sweet and mean and ugly and simply awful, don't really have much to do that would remain of interest to any but the youngest minds.

Feb 5, 2009

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David Reddish

CBR

Flaws and all, it doesn't deserve its reputation as the nadir of Disney's animated storytelling. If nothing else, it's still a hell of a lot more entertaining than Wish.

Rated: 3/4

Nov 19, 2024

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Carson Timar

ButteredPopcorn

While The Black Cauldron might not be the best Disney film, it easily could be the studio's most underrated work.

Nov 11, 2023

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Wesley Lovell

Cinema Sight

“The Black Cauldron” is an intriguing medieval film to be shared by a family or any group of fantasy role-players.

Rated: 3.5/4

Oct 4, 2023

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Gregory T

Hugely underrated Disney classic that delivers a solid dark fantasy/adventure story with horror elements that can be enjoyed by all age groups. This deserves a second chance in the form of a live action remake incorporating updated special effects technology.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/16/25

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Tauhid E

i should read the books.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

09/13/25

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Shaked G

Mediocre. Sceary for kids and boring for adults.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

09/06/25

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Juju S

C'est probablement le Disney le plus sombre, que ce soit en terme de visuel ou d'histoire. Je suis bien contente de ne pas avoir vu ce film étant enfant, je pense que la mort du seigneur des ténèbres m'aurait traumatisé. Je suis presque traumatisée en tant qu'adulte. L'histoire n'est pas mauvaise, et certains personnages sont intéressants, d'où le 1 étoile.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

08/20/25

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Luke R.

It’s a fine film. I looked at the pictures in the book when I was a kid before I saw the movie.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

09/28/25

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Ariel S

🧙‍♂️ Visually dark & ambitious for Disney, The Black Cauldron mixes fantasy and fear but stumbles in pacing and character depth. It’s a cult classic with eerie charm—but not for little kids. A flawed gem with bold animation.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

06/28/25

Full Review

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Ted Berman

Director

Richard Rich

Director

Wayne Allwine

Henchman

James Almanzar

Henchman

Grant Bardsley

Taran

John Byner

Gurgi

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Synopsis

In the land of Prydain, lowly pig herder Taran (Grant Bardsley) dreams of becoming a gallant knight. Young Taran receives his heroic calling when the evil Horned King (John Hurt) kidnaps Hen-Wren, a prophesying pig that had been entrusted to Taran. Now, with help from his furry sidekick Gurgi and Princess Eilonwy, Taran must locate the magical black cauldron before the Horned King is able to use its mystical powers to summon an army of the undead.

Director: Ted Berman, Richard Rich
Producer: Joe Hale
Production Co: Walt Disney Productions
Rating: PG
Genre: Kids & Family, Fantasy, Animation
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 1, 2014
Runtime: 1h 20m
Sound Mix: Surround

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