elicopperman The first half of the 80s was not a great time for Disney, as their films were barely financial hits and they were even threatening to close down their animation facility. It wouldn't be until the new generation of artists at the studio gave us their second film, The Great Mouse Detective, based on the Basil of Baker Street book series. While it was beaten out by An American Tail the same year, it did well with critics and earned enough money to save Disney from bankruptcy, so at least we would get Roger Rabbit, The Disney Renaissance and more down the road. But how does this film hold up?The main story centers in Victorian London, England, where a little mouse named Olivia Flaversham has her toymaker father abducted by a peglegged bat. Along with Major David Q. Dawson, she seeks the aid of Basil of Baker Street, basically Sherlock Holmes as a mouse. The case expands as Basil uncovers the crime's link to a plot against the British crown from the notorious Professor Ratigan. Pretty simple concept, yet the movie finds a way to make it fun, interesting, and even heartwarming at times. For one, the characters are absolutely delightful, whether it be the arrogant yet quick witted, intelligent and bold Basil, to the kind hearted albeit absent minded Dawson, to the innocent and cute Olivia, to even the villain Ratigan.Speaking of Ratigan, he is one of my favorite Disney villains, especially with Vincent Price lending his voice and mannerisms to the character. Ratigan is a villain who may seem cunning and cheery at first, but it's clear that he is hiding his inner demons, and it's not until the end when he finally lets it out. If there's one thing I adore about a villain, it's one who adores being evil and just embraces it all. Granted, his sidekick Fidget is kind of annoying and rather pathetic, but whenever Basil is around Ratigan, that's when his hatred for Basil shines through and it creates such a maniacal albeit witty presence that's always delightful to watch.The animation for this film was actually made in a year to reduce costs along with the aid of computers, and needless to say, it looks great. Not only does it feature the same lovable character designs one would expect from a Disney film, but the character animation is upbeat visual eye candy, the gritty backgrounds of London really fit the setting, the effects are fun to watch, and the usage of CGI (specifically the clock tower cogs) is barely even noticeable it's that well made. The music score and villain songs done by Henry Mancini, Ellen Fitzhugh and Larry Grossman are fun to listen to, deliciously sinister, fast and suspenseful when needed, and even subtly emotional when need be. Although one song written and perfumed by Melissa Manchester is.....well, let's just say it almost got this movie a PG rating....yeah.So overall, The Great Mouse Detective is not only a massive improvement over The Black Cauldron (which came out a year earlier mind you), but it's simply a delightful, upbeat and often suspenseful feature filled with lovable characters, high stakes, solid fast paced animation, hearty laughs, a chipper soundtrack, and overall, a fun adventure. It's a shame this movie isn't as talked about as other Disney films, because this is a movie worth checking out whether you're a fan of Disney, animation, or even the book series that this was based on. Fievel may have taken their glory, but who's to say this film can't be adored either?

datautisticgamer-74853 The Great Mouse Detective was not only successful enough at the box office to keep Disney running after the commercial failure of The Black Cauldron, it not only sparked interest in musicals, but it is among the best animated films Disney has made. The humor is witty and hits every time, the characters are ones you will love or love to hate (Professor Ratigan is one of my favorite Disney villains), the songs are a gold star in Henry Mancini's career, the story is executed almost perfectly, and I just had a very fun time watching this with my aunt. As for issues, they border on nitpicking (some of the calm darkness doesn't hit, but I am more of a fan of thriller darkness, so it barely ruined my experience). With the excellence Disney has done with this film, I'm surprised that they didn't excrete a sequel to it (thankfully, unlike The Fox and The Hound). Go watch it imminently; this overlooked, underrated film packs everything but disappointment. If this film failed (The Little Mermaid was about 3 years away), Disney animation would become a curious piece of history, so if you think The Little Mermaid revived Disney, just see The Great Mouse Detective. I'll be content to rebuke arguments stating that the Disney Renaissance did not start here.

wrightiswright No doubt one of Disney's lesser works, but still a fun ride... With lots of cute critters engaging in a surprising amount of drinking and gunplay, not to mention Vincent Price as the nefarious Professor Ratigan (just don't call him a rat).Ever-so-slightly inspired by Sherlock Holmes, there's also a great climax on board Big Ben, an inventor voiced by the same dude who does Scrooge McDuck, and even an appearance from Basil's loyal assistant Dawson! (Not a typo).So, despite what the packaging would have you believe, NOT a classic, but is it worth watching?Elementary, my dear reader. 6/10

aileencorcoran I'd heard many great things about "Basil, The Great Mouse Detective." Having never seen it, I looked for it on YouTube and sure enough, I found it. What I got was an entertaining, charming little movie, so quintessentially British, on that fine bridge between the Dark Era of Disney and the Renaissance."Great Mouse Detective" is based on a series of children's books by Eve Titus and Paul Galdone, which are heavily inspired by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's "Sherlock Holmes". Basil, the titular character, lives in Sherlock's house, for Basil is a mouse. The story starts out with a little mouse named Olivia (Susanne Pollatschek), whose father, renowned toymaker Mr Flaversham (Alan Young), is kidnapped by the evil henchman of Professor Ratigan (Vincent Price). Ratigan is planning to force Mr Flaversham into building a robot replica of the Mouse Queen (the Queen of England in mouse form), so he can fool the people into thinking he is the new ruler of the land. The real Mouse Queen, it is assumed, will be dealt with accordingly. Olivia, desperate to find her father, goes to the great Basil of Baker Street (Barrie Ingham), a charming, cocky little detective who is Ratigan's arch nemesis. Along with his accidental assistant, Dr Dawson (Val Bettin), Basil risks his whiskers in trying to save both Mr Flaversham, and the rodent population of London.The animation is flowing, the characters very expressive and likable. The protagonist is clever, vindictive and scatterbrained, but with a soft spot. One of the film's best scenes is where Basil believes he has been bested by Ratigan, and you can see how torn he is. It's a very relatable moment, and rather poignant. There is a Bassett Hound named Toby who acts like a regular dog, and is very funny and cute. The real treat however, is Ratigan. It was one of Price's dreams to be in a Disney film, and he is relishing every minute; Ratigan is easily the best character. He is so funny, so twisted, so smarmy. He loves being evil and knows his evilness has no bounds. His expressions are priceless, and it's no surprise he was animated by Glen Keane, who went on to animate the Beast and Marahute, the Golden Eagle from "Rescuers Down Under". The interactions between Ratigan and Basil are very good, and Basil is a very enjoyable character, but it's Ratigan who really steals the show.The best scene is the riveting climax inside Big Ben, where traditional animation and CGI are married perfectly to create an electrifying finale. "GMD" may not be as Great as Mousedom's greatest detective, but it's charming, good looking, and a lot of fun.