History WesternAnimation / TheBlackCauldron

The Disney Animated Canon's succeeding film, ''WesternAnimation/TheGreatMouseDetective'', is often thought to be the first Disney animated film to have CGI, but in fact, it was ''The Black Cauldron'' that used it first.[[note]]Creator/ChuckJones once argued, though, that technically 1961's ''WesternAnimation/OneHundredAndOneDalmatians'' was the first to use CGI, as back then xerox machines were classified as a type of computer.[[/note]] While largely animated by a team of young [=CalArts=] graduates, the film was nonetheless helmed by veteran Disney artists Ted Berman and Art Stevens and featured character designs provided by an otherwise-retired [[UsefulNotes/DisneysNineOldMen Milt Kahl]], hence the film's visual similarities to numerous mid-century Mouse productions. A major critical and financial failure (being thwarted at the box office by ''WesternAnimation/TheCareBearsMovie''), the film was [[OldShame promptly buried by Disney for decades]] and earned the disapproval of then-recently-hired executives Michael Eisner and Jeffrey Katzenberg, compelling them to restructure the studio's production methods and creative priorities in response to the film's failure (thereby leading, ultimately, to the Disney Renaissance).

-->-- The {{curse}} of the Black Cauldron

* AvoidTheDreadedGRating: Inverted. Since this film was being finalized just before the PG-13 rating was introduced, Katzenberg feared that it would get rated R. He [[{{Bowdlerise}} cut out many scenes]] to improve its chances of getting PG, which it did.

* FamilyUnfriendlyDeath:
** [[spoiler: The Horned King is absorbed into the cauldron, his clothing, blood and flesh are sucked into the demonic spirit and destroyed (since it wants his soul, not his body), leaving but a disturbingly smiling skeleton, which explodes after having its spirit yanked straight out]].
** Scenes of the Cauldron Born tearing apart the Horned King's living minions were cut to keep it from getting an R rating.

Based on ''Literature/TheChroniclesOfPrydain'' by Creator/LloydAlexander, ''The Black Cauldron'' is easily one of Disney's darkest animated features.

%%* GutturalGrowler: The Horned King.

The Disney Animated Canon's succeeding film, ''WesternAnimation/TheGreatMouseDetective'', is often thought to be the first Disney animated film to have CGI, but in fact, it was ''The Black Cauldron'' that used it first.[[note]]Creator/ChuckJones once argued, though, that technically 1961's ''WesternAnimation/OneHundredAndOneDalmatians'' was the first to use CGI, as back then xerox machines were classified as a type of computer.[[/note]] While largely animated by a team of young [=CalArts=] graduates, the film was nonetheless helmed by veteran Disney artists Ted Berman and Art Stevens and featured character designs provided by an otherwise-retired [[UsefulNotes/DisneysNineOldMen Milt Kahl]], hence the film's visual similarities to numerous mid-century Mouse productions. A major critical and financial failure (being thwarted at the box office by ''WesternAnimation/TheCareBearsMovie''), the film was [[OldShame promptly buried by Disney for decades]] and earned the disapproval of then-recently-hired executives Michael Eisner and Creator/JeffreyKatzenberg, compelling them to restructure the studio's production methods and creative priorities in response to the film's failure (thereby leading, ultimately, to the Disney Renaissance).

Based on the ''Literature/TheChroniclesOfPrydain'' by Creator/LloydAlexander, ''The Black Cauldron'' is easily one of Disney's darkest animated features.

The Disney Animated Canon's succeeding film, ''WesternAnimation/TheGreatMouseDetective'', is often thought to be the first Disney animated film to have CGI, but in fact, it was ''The Black Cauldron'' that used it first.[[note]]Creator/ChuckJones once argued, though, that technically 1961's ''WesternAnimation/OneHundredAndOneDalmatians'' was the first to use CGI, as back then xerox machines were classified as a type of computer.[[/note]] While largely animated by a team of young CalArts graduates, the film was nonetheless helmed by veteran Disney artists Ted Berman and Art Stevens and featured character designs provided by an otherwise-retired [[UsefulNotes/DisneysNineOldMen Milt Kahl]], hence the film's visual similarities to numerous mid-century Mouse productions. A major critical and financial failure (being thwarted at the box office by ''WesternAnimation/TheCareBearsMovie''), the film was [[OldShame promptly buried by Disney for decades]] and earned the disapproval of then-recently-hired executives Michael Eisner and Creator/JeffreyKatzenberg, compelling them to restructure the studio's production methods and creative priorities in response to the film's failure (thereby leading, ultimately, to the Disney Renaissance).

The Disney Animated Canon's succeeding film, ''WesternAnimation/TheGreatMouseDetective'', is often thought to be the first Disney animated film to have CGI, but in fact, it was ''The Black Cauldron'' that used it first.[[note]]Creator/ChuckJones once argued, though, that technically 1961's ''WesternAnimation/OneHundredAndOneDalmatians'' was the first to use CGI, as back then xerox machines were classified as a type of computer.[[/note]]

* AdaptationDistillation: One of the weirdest Disney examples; it cobbles together the characters from the first book and story elements of both the first and second books, leading to something of a strangely mixed, 85-minute condensation of the first two novels. Considering how relatively slow the eliminated portions are (especially given the necessity of quick, visually exciting subject matter that animation usually demands), the idea makes a certain amount of sense, and could have worked, but it simply wasn't executed well.

* OffModel:
** On the poster above as well as the official soundtrack cover (which uses the poster's art), Eilonwy's dress is blue instead of violet and pink.
** On the 25th Anniversary DVD cover, Gurgi has brown eyes and Hen Wen has black eyes instead of them both having blue eyes.
** The Horned King's first scene has him twitching because the animation looped at the end.

* FailureHero: Taran so wants to be a KnightInShiningArmour, but at almost no point in the film does he successfully do anything useful with his own skills: He loses Hen Wen almost immediately after being entrusted with her; when held captive by the Horned King he only escapes with the help of Eilonwy and the magic sword; and he unwittingly brings the Black Cauldron into the Horned King's hands by getting it from the witches with whom it probably would've been completely secure (as well as giving away the potentially [[StoryBreakerPower story breaking]] magic sword in the process). At the end of the film, Taran actually acknowledges that he's a failure as a warrior and forfeits his chance to become one in order to [[spoiler:resurrect Gurgi]].

* WarriorUndead: [[BigBad The Horned King]] plans to use the eponymous Cauldron to create an army of undead skeletons called the Cauldron-Born to TakeOverTheWorld. In addition to the skeletons he animates by lowering them into the Cauldron, a DeletedScene shows that the Horned King can also create more Cauldron-Born from his living soldiers when he feels that they have [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness outlived their usefulness]].

->''"Whosoever uses the '''[[TitleDrop Black Cauldron]]''' for evil will be '''[[TheOmnipotent all-powerful]]''', for my blood will flow with his, and together we will either rule the world or '''[[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt destroy]]''' it."''

* BadBoss: The Horned King's first response to ''any'' setback whatsoever is to strangle Creeper, whether it's his fault or not. Also, his reward to his (deceased) human minions for their service is to turn them into mindless undead warriors instead of giving them a proper burial. Not to mention what would have happened to his ''living'' minions had there not been extreme ExecutiveMeddling going on.
* BackFromTheDead: [[spoiler: Gurgi, who jumps into the cauldron to stop the undead armies, which demonstrates the sincerity of his friendship to Taran through his sacrifice, prompting Taran to persuade the witches to resurrect Gurgi.]]

* DeusExMachina: While the cauldron is the first artifact and/or character introduced, the way it qualifies is how it takes out [[spoiler:the Horned King]]. While it was explained that a living person entering the cauldron of his or her own free will would seal its powers, it is not explained why it kills the guy and destroys the castle. It's implied that it's just that evil, but that's a rather [[HandWave flimsy explanation]]. It's pretty obvious this was done in desperation to avoid a KudzuPlot and tie up all loose ends quickly.
** It is also highly anticlimactic, because the [[spoiler: King]] doesn't get to DO anything, despite being hinted as being a powerful sorcerer, that can ''teleport at whim''.

* BerserkButton:
** Eilonwy. Don't ever be sexist (Taran) in her presence or take the side of a sexist (Fflam).
** Also, the Horned King is quite calm and cold-blooded, but if you spoil his plans he immediately gets enraged and tries to choke you to death. Especially if you're someone named Creeper.
* BewitchedAmphibians: Fflewddur gets turned into a frog by one of the witch sisters who wants to eat him, but he gets changed back by the one who has a crush on him.

Released on July 24, 1985, ''The Black Cauldron'' is the 25th entry in the Franchise/DisneyAnimatedCanon. It is the story of Taran, a young Assistant Pig Keeper who desperately wants to be a great warrior. He is charged with hiding Hen Wen, an innocent-looking pig - who is actually an oracle. The BigBad, the Horned King, wants the pig because she can uncover the location of the [[TitleDrop Black]] [[MacGuffin Cauldron]], with which he will bring to life an army of invincible, undead warriors to conquer the world.

* SomeoneHasToDie: The only way to destroy the evil magic possessed by the ArtifactOfDoom the movie is named after was for a living being to ''willingly'' climb into the Cauldron, but whoever did so would sacrifice his life in the process. (Which the three witches who give it to the heroes [[EvilGloating gleefully tell them]].) [[spoiler:At first, none of the heroes were willing to do so - or demand such a sacrifice of anyone else. When the [[BigBad Horned King]] unleashes its power, Taran tries to do so, but Gurgi stops him, and does it himself. The movie has a happy ending, however; when the three witches reclaim the now-worthless Cauldron, Fflewddur goads them into demonstrating their power, and SwissArmyTears are able to revive Gugri.]]

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[[quoteright:299:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rsz_blackcauldronvideo.png]]
''[[caption-width-right:299:Hidden by darkness, Guarded by witches. Discovered by a boy. Stolen by a king. Whoever owns it will rule the world. Or destroy it.]]''