'The Black Hole' was a direct response to 'Star Wars'.
Back then, Disney Studios were in trouble. 'Star Wars' was a megahit and Disney's animation studios - the mainstay entertainment branch for the company was failing. Badly. Disney figured in order to survive they should cash in on the whole Space Action genre, hence, 'The Black Hole'.
During this period of the early 1980's Disney struggled. A lot. During this period they made some of their most interesting movies because they were hungry to break out into new territory. 'TRON' and 'Dragonslayer' (with Paramount) were also made during this time. 'Dragonslayer' is a particularly meaty movie - and one of Disney's boldest ever. We witness virgin sacrifices to a genuinely frightening dragon and the story's princess gets eaten by dragon hatchlings. It's bloody, too.
EATEN! We witness her remains surrounded by ugly toadlike dragon hatchlings. Disney has never matched that scene - and it was a kid's movie, too!
Disney will never badge movies like this again with their own name.
They are now entrenched in producing average, crowd pleasing popcorn entertainment of the lowest common denominator. There's no meat in a Disney production. It's all sugar and syrup for the masses - and the easily entertained who have been doped up on formula of spectacle without content, culminating in the endless string of banal MCU movies that are all exactly alike. It makes money - but it's still shit.
It's like McDonalds and Coca Cola - just because it's popular, doesn't mean it's any good. Shit is still shit no matter how sweet it tastes.
Disney will never make anything bold. ...or challenging. Ever again. It will be safe and have wide appeal. Saturday audiences will lap it up like a fireworks display - but the spectacle is shallow and the story non-existent. Disney makes money. But it does so by selling shit to audiences eager to lap up easy entertainment laced with sugar - and nothing else.
Besides, if 'The Black Hole' was actually any good, why was there never a sequel..? It was always Disney's own property yet it never really went anywhere beyond 1 movie.
-Windebieste.