Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		1.0
Overall		3.5

The Black Cauldron Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman August 23, 2023

It would be four years (more or less) after the release of The Black Cauldron that Walt Disney started to experience their "animation renaissance" with the release of The Little Mermaid, but the fact that Disney even made it far enough to experience that renaissance might be something of a minor miracle, considering how expensive and then unappreciated by ticket buying audience members The Black Cauldron turned out to be. There are some interesting supplements on Cinderella 4K that discuss how that 1950 opus "rescued" Disney from years of less than overwhelming profits, but it's arguable at least that in 1950 Disney's actual prospects were brighter, especially given the advent of that newfangled television thing, than they were in 1985, when animation efforts at the studio had cooled considerably, and in an era when nascent startups like The Disney Channel hadn't yet become a media superpower.

It's perhaps indicative of the perceived "lesser" status of this film that it took decades for Disney, a studio reliably counted on to provide numerous home theater releases of its products, to release this film for home consumption, and this Blu-ray is currently available only as a Disney Movie Club exclusive. The film definitely has some narrative issues, as if it had been cut and pasted at some point in its production (which it evidently was, at least with regard to its climax), but if those niggling qualms can be put aside, The Black Cauldron offers a rather sumptuous production design and a generally involving story.

The titular item is a "holding tank" for evil, in a way, though one of the film's narrative hiccups is it seems to suggest an evil king is being imprisoned by the cauldron, and then the rest of the film involves another (?) evil king attempting to retrieve the hidden item so that he can unleash its evil power. Standing in his way is "assistant pig keeper" Taron, who doesn't quite "keep" his little piglet charge Hen Wen, who rather incredibly has oracular powers, and the animal of course ends up captured by the villains. Taron ends up partnering with Princess Eilwony, a bard named Fflewddur Fflam, and a little magical furball called Gurgi in order to set things right. (The prevalence of consonants and lack of vowels in some of those names may hint at its Welsh source.)

In a way, it's kind of funny that 1985 audiences evidently felt the film was too "dark" and "disturbing" for kids, since my hunch is circa 1940's children were probably frightened out of their minds by at least some elements depicted in Pinocchio, Bambi and/or Fantasia. That said, the emphasis on "death" related imagery is probably not one generally associated with the "sweetness and light" of Disney, but it gives this film a decided edge.

The Black Cauldron Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Black Cauldron is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Disney / Buena Vista with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.35:1. The film evidently underwent a 4K restoration (kind of ironically for Disney to stream, vis a vis the Disney Channel's march to greatness), and this presentation is often quite ravishing as a result. Interestingly, this was the first Disney opus to utilize at least some passing CGI, but the bulk of the effort has the "old school" hand drawn excellence that has come to characterize the classic era of the studio. The palette is often lusciously suffused, and some of the warmer tones toward the red-purple end of the spectrum are especially vibrant. Line detail is typically sharp. Grain is very tightly resolved throughout.

The Black Cauldron Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Black Cauldron features a nicely expressive DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track, though considering the fantasy and magical sides of things, there really aren't a ton of whizzing sound effects on display. Instead, immersion is generated a lot of the time courtesy of a really towering score by Elmer Bernstein, as well as occasional ambient environmental sounds. Dialogue (and introductory narration by John Huston) is presented cleanly and clearly. Optional English subtitles are available.

The Black Cauldron Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Deleted Scene: The Fairfolk (HD; 9:50) is an interesting amalgamation of completed animation and various work drawings, with an intact soundtrack (including score).


• Bonus Short: Trick or Treat (HD; 8:13) is a 1952 Donald Duck offering.

The Black Cauldron Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

You can sense Disney attempting to reach beyond its standard fare with this film, and if the result is a little bumpy, it's also often visually ravishing and the score by Elmer Bernstein is another major plus. Technical merits are solid, and with a few passing caveats, The Black Cauldron comes Recommended.