Tonight with the family: This Disney isn’t for every kid

A long time ago, on the edge of the Prydain Kingdom, a cruel and evil king that no one could stop was finally defeated and burned alive, taking the form of a large magical cauldron. Legend has it that the cauldron gives anyone the power to resurrect an army of the dead.

Centuries later, while a dark lord tries to capture an enchanted artifact, young Taram, a simple farmer who dreams of a warrior’s life, is in charge of guarding Piggy, a pig that can visualize the location of the cauldron.

A Disney representative of a difficult era

Let’s not argue: even if it undoubtedly resonated with many viewers who grew up in the 80s, The Crane and the Magic Cauldron, adapted from the works of Lloyd Chudley Alexander, is a fairly second-rate feature in the long history of Disney classics.

Set in the middle of a particularly difficult decade for bewitched studio artists, the film suffers from a really confusing script and seems to be constantly searching – like its characters, in the magical footsteps of the cauldron – for a temporarily lost heritage. Big Bay Company.

Darkest Disney

Looking forward to better days for Mickey Studios, Taram still boasts a unique atmosphere, quality animation and a true visual identity. Its main villain, the terrifying “Dark Lord” (who no doubt gave nightmares to many children who discovered him a little early) makes the film undoubtedly the darkest and scariest of Disney’s feature films.

A nostalgic little nugget that should appeal to 80s heirs to Taram and the Magic Cauldron, it should still be avoided if you have a very young audience.

What will you like…

• The spirit of adventure that emerges from the film, especially thanks to the magical sword that Taram discovers.

• Secondary characters and especially the so-called Gurki, a strange and quite attractive creature.

What could be bothering them…

• Pretty much the entire movie, actually. From the introduction to the final moments, “Taram and the Magic Cauldron” is a bittersweet work, permeated with a rather disturbing atmosphere.

• The Dark Lord, as we said above, is without a doubt the scariest character in film and maybe even in Disney history.

(Re)discover “Taram and the Cauldron” Trailer…