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Poster for The Black Cauldron

The Black Cauldron

Seen it?

1985 | 80 min | Animation, Adventure, Family, Fantasy

Weeknight Watch

Why it’s a Weeknight Watch

It's still drawing plenty of interest, but a lukewarm 6.4 out of 10 from audiences held it back. Fine if it's on; don't plan your night around it.

Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.

Is it for you?

Who'll love it
Made for fantasy fans, adventure fans and families. If you loved Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire or The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, start here.
The mood
Feel-good.
The pace
Moves along nicely, at 1 hr 20 min.
What might put you off
Rated PG: scary moments. Worth a look first if you have very young kids.

Taran is an assistant pigkeeper with boyish dreams of becoming a great warrior. However, he has to put the daydreaming aside when his charge, an oracular pig named Hen Wen, is kidnapped by an evil lord known as the Horned King. The villain hopes Hen will show him the way to The Black Cauldron, which has the power to create a giant army of unstoppable soldiers.

How it earned its rating

  • CriticsSolid

    57% on Rotten Tomatoes, 59 on Metacritic

  • AudiencesBelow par

    6.4 out of 10

  • AwardsNot counted

    No major awards or nominations

  • Box office & staying powerSolid

    $44 million worldwide on a $25 million budget; still draws a steady audience long after release

  • Buzz & cultural impactStrong

    About 387K people sought it out in the past year

Trailer

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Cast & crew

Directed by Richard Rich, Ted Berman

  • Grant BardsleyTaran (voice)
  • Susan SheridanEilonwy (voice)
  • John BynerGurgi / Doli (voice)
  • Nigel HawthorneFflewddur Fflam (voice)
  • John HurtThe Horned King (voice)
  • Freddie JonesDallben (voice)
  • Phil FondacaroCreeper / Henchman (voice)
  • Arthur MaletKing Eidilleg (voice)
  • Lindsay RichFairfolk (voice)
  • Brandon CallFairfolk (voice)