About the Movie
Released in 1985, The Black Cauldron is possibly the most underrated Disney movie of all time. The movie was intended to be the film that put Disney back in the limelight; as it turns out, though, The Little Mermaid was destined for that fate. To this day, I am baffled by the box-office failure of this incredible movie.
It has all the makings of a great adventure, with an excellent plot, strong characters, and good animation and music. I think the problem with that movie was that it was ahead of its time--if it had come out now, with the phenomenal successes of such darker fantasy film series like Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter, it probably would have done very well.
In any case, The Black Cauldron is based on Lloyd Alexander's Prydain Chronicles, and is the story of a young man named Taran who dreams of becoming a brave warrior, but who is actually an assistant pigkeeper. Little does Taran know, however, that his charge, Hen Wen, is a pig with special psychic powers--powers desired by the evil Horned King, who plans to use her to locate the Black Cauldron and rule the world. Dallben, Taran's mentor and guardian, tries to help Taran and Hen Wen escape into hiding, but the duo is captured, and from there, Taran's adventure begins. Along the way, he makes friends such as Princess Eilonwy, Fflewddur Fflam, and Gurgi; crosses villains like the Horned King and his henchman, Creeper; and encounters the magical Fair Folk and the treacherous Witches of Morva. It is an excellent fantasy-adventure film, and is definitely worth checking out.