The Great Mouse Detective

When a brilliant toymaker is kidnapped by a creepy peg-legged bat, his daughter, Olivia, enlists the aid of the legendary Basil. Basil, Olivia, and Basil's assistant, Dr. Dawson, are part of an intricate city system of Victorian-era London mice. Basil quickly realizes his archenemy, Professor Ratigan (a rat who wants to be a mouse), is behind the abduction. Ratigan (voiced by Vincent Price) fiendishly aspires to take over London rodents--and will stop at nothing to achieve his greatest desire. The unlikely trio of good guys become heroes, of course. The engaging story line is a perfect introduction to Doyle's work and mysteries in general. Look for a very cleverly executed voice-cameo by Basil Rathbone (as Sherlock Holmes, natch). Alan Young (Mr. Ed) also provides a voice. Ages 4 and up. --N.F. Mendoza

Product Description
In victorian london england a little mouse girls toymaker father is abducted by a peglegged bat. She enlists the aid of basil of baker street the rodent worlds answer to sherlock holmes. The case expands as basil uncovers the crimes link to a plot against the crown itself. Studio: Buena Vista Home Video Release Date: 01/25/2005 Run time: 73 minutes Rating: G

An incredibly charming movie, Disney gives us a fun and entertaining film for all ages. When I was very young, I was an avid watcher of ALL Disney animation films. But I remember that besides "Robin Hood", "Lion King", and "Aladdin", "The Great Mouse Detective" was my most favorite! I used to watch over and over. Unfortunately, over the years I strayed away from watching the old Disney classics until just the other day when I was rearranging my videos. I came across "The Great Mouse Detective" and I remembering how much I loved it, decided to watch it. And my, it's amazing how well I remembered it! I was able to say all the lines and sing all the songs while still totally enjoying myself!

My point in saying all of this is that the old Disney classics are... well... classics gems! Nothing objectionable for parents to be aware of for their kids, just some romping good fun. "The Great Mouse Detective" has it all; mystery, humor, a great setting (London), action, and suspense. And I can't forget to mention about the colorful characters, each and everyone incredibly likable. My favorite characters are Basil (of course, he's the hero!) and Fidget (Candy Candido, who has done the voices of characters in Disney movies "Sleeping Beauty", "Peter Pan", and "Robin Hood"). And I must mention that Vincent Price doing the voice of Professor Ratigan is a must see. I have always been a fan of his, listening to some of the old radio shows (example, "The Saint"), seeing some of movies, even watching him guest star on the old tv show "The Man from UNCLE". Just watching this movie for the chance to hear Vincent Price is worth it all.

And the music is also well-done by Henry Mancini and there are some fun songs:

"The World's Greatest Criminal Mind" (Vincent Price) - A rousingly funny song, I love the part where Ratigan begins strumming his harp!
"Let Me Be Good To You" (Melissa Manchester) - When this chorus mouse starts off this song, you're at first not sure what's going on. But after a while, I'm sure you too will begin kicking your feet up to the beat!
"Goodbye So Soon" (Vincent Price) - Great song, can't help but sing along each time though at this point in the movie, things are looking dire for Basil and his friends.

I can certainly recommend this movie for both kids and adults. Enjoy! Here are a few interesting trivia I found:

*~*Shortly before his death, he said that one of his most favorite roles was the voice of Professor Ratigan in the Disney feature "The Great Mouse Detective", especially since two original songs had been written for him.
*~*Basil of Baker Street and Dr. David Q. Dawson are named after Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce, who played Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson together in several films. Also, in the film, we actually see the shadow of the 'real' Sherlock Holmes, and the voice is actually done by Basil Rathbone.
*~*The clock tower scene is the first major use of computer animation (the clock's gears) in a feature-length animated film.
*~*Impressed with Alan Young's performance of a near-authentic Scottish accent for the voice of Hiram Flaversham, studio brass cast him as the voice of the Scottish-accented Scrooge McDuck in a series of Disney film and television projects. He became the official voice of the tightwad duck.
*~*During the recording of Vincent Price's lines, animators sketched his exaggerated Shakespearean gestures and worked them into the animated poses for Ratigan.


Under rated Disney Classic   January 11, 2004
J. Buettner (Folsom, Ca)
13 out of 13 found this review helpful

How the Great Mouse Detective has not found a wider audience is beyond me. Perhaps it's because adults see the cover of animated mouses and assume it's just for kids, but looks can be decieving. I have screened this movie for several of my adult friends (without kids) with many of them running out and buying a copy for themselves after realizing what a truely enjoyable classic it is.

Although the Little Mermaid has been given the credit for Disney Animation's rise to greatness throughout the 1990's it really began with this teriffic classic. The Great Mouse Detective marks the first effort of Don Musker and Ron Clemants (The directors of The Little Mermaid and Aladdin). Although it has two catchy showtunes it plays more like a detective adventure story than the later musical classics of Disney animation. What sets this film apart is that it is character driven. Each character in the film has quirks and traits that play into the film's plot. The Great Mouse Detective is wildly imaginative and orginal. This film also has perhaps the most thrilling endings in Disney animation too.

So in parting I beg you adults out there without kids to give this little animated tale a chance, I guarentee you will not be disappointed.


Ten years later I still love this movie.   July 18, 2002
Distant Voyageur (Io)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful

I got this movie for my 9th birthday in 1991 and I absolutely adored it. I watched this Disney movie so much at one point that I was ACTUALLY able to remember almost every line off this movie. That expresses how much I really loved. Now scroll ahead to now ten years later. At the age of 19 my opinion of this movie has not changed at all. I still absolutely love it to pieces.

This 1986 masterpiece from Disney is a story about a tough mouse detective called Basil who alongside with his sidekick battles the evil rat named Professor Ratigan(Great name too) who sends his henchman bat Fidget who ends up kidnapping Olivias Flamershams father and ultimately Olivia herself and it's up to Basil, his sidekick Dawson and a family pet dog by the name of Toby to rescue her and her father and stop Ratigan and his malevolent crime schemes before he takes over all of Englands mousedon(Mouse equivilent of kingdom).

To me The Great Mouse Detective contains incredible depth and wonderful charachters and it doesn't suffer from excessive cheesiness like some of Disneys more popular films such as Pocahontas.

In fact it's the more obscure movies like this and Robin Hood that I tend to enjoy more than lets say, The Little Mermaid(I like that movie too. Don't get be wrong) or Aladdin( I love that one too as well as it's two sequels). I say get this wonderful Disney video. It's bound to be an entertaining movie for all ages. I will still enjoy this movie if I live to be 120.


A superb "Sherlock Holmes" movie; one of the best, for all ages!   January 7, 2006
Allie Jones (Salt Lake City, UT, USA)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful

The Great Mouse Detective -- Disney's adaptation of Eve Titus's book Basil of Baker Street -- is by far the best "portrayal" of Sherlock Holmes, both characters and adventures, for kids, teens, or adults...with the possible exception of Without a Clue starring Michael Caine and Ben Kingsley [PG]. Both movies are true Holmes despite obvious differences, such as being a mouse.

The Great Mouse Detective can be appreciated on many levels. It's great fun for kids, even if they haven't read, or heard, Eve Titus's Basil of Baker Street books. Basil is, of course, THE mouse counterpart to that greatest of detectives Sherlock Holmes. You could say he is Holmes' "under study" for the animal world, living literally "under" Holmes' residence in Baker Street. The Great Mouse Detective is a superb introduction to Sherlock Holmes, but it doesn't take knowledge of Holmes to enjoy it immensely.

For an older audience, there is subtle humor that you miss as a kid, but is hilarious. The movie's a must for those who've enjoyed the great conglomerate, "allusive" humor in Shanghai Knights, such as Jackie Chan balancing and fighting using an umbrella to the title music of "Singing in the Rain." Without seeing The Great Mouse Detective, no viewer can fully appreciate the humor of the "fight in Big Ben" scene in Shanghai Knights and the plunge from the face of the clock to the ground far below.

The fall to their "deaths" of arch villain and hero is a great example of another level at which The Great Mouse Detective can be appreciated. It's is "straight out of Holmes." No one well-read in Doyle's Adventures can fail to recognize the moment where Doyle "kills" Holmes off (or that he brings him back by popular demand). Basil has all Holmes' mannerisms, and the arch villain Ratigan is hyper-Moriarty. All the principle characters are there, and "extras" could be found in any number of the Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.

So why is the movie not more widely known? Perhaps for lack of expert hype and marketing. It's a movie that deserves more, unlike other recent Disney offerings. There seems to be no other reason. Disney, now famed for sequels, could do that too, if they brought back their artists (computers just can't get the same quality). After all, there are other Basil of Baker street stories. To match the humor and marvelous Holmes qualities of The Great Mouse Detective, however, would be a difficult task indeed! Holmes is a genius, and it took genius to make The Great Mouse Detective the great movie it is.



A True Classic   July 30, 2002
3 out of 3 found this review helpful

About a week ago, I was searching through my videos and I stumbled upon this delightful movie. At first, I was critical about watching what I had seen when I was 5, but then when I pushed the video in, my mind changed.

Not only is the animation very high quality, but the music that goes along with it is top notch as well. I even memorized the lyrics to the songs! And that, coming from me, a teenager who loves rock, is a great compliment. The music is just right for this one.

While we Sherlockians will suddenly see that the movie is based on Holmes's adventure in "The Final Problem", the younger viewers will be able to enjoy the movie without needing any knowledge of this. This combination makes it fun for the kids, and gives the older viewers hints and suggestions as to the film's real story.

All in all, it comes down to this: If you love Sherlock Holmes with all your heart and want your kids to be interested, or if you like stories that mirror others, then buy this. If not, then the supreme animation and music should be enough to make this an ideal purchase anyway.