The Great Mouse Detective (Two-Disc Special Edition Blu-ray/DVD Combo) (1986)

The year is 1897 in London. Young mouse Olivia Flaversham (Susanne Pollatschek) lives happily with her father Hiram Flaversham (Alan Young) who is a toymaker. But when her father is kidnapped, Olivia intends to get him back. Aided by Doctor David Q. Dawson (Van Bettin), they go to find the renowned, legendary detective, Basil of Baker Street (Barrie Ingham). At first Basil is reluctant to help her but when he discovers that his evil arch-nemesis, Professor Ratigan (Vincent Price) is behind Flaversham's kidnapping, Basil decides to investigate. As they follow clues and use 'elementary thinking', the mice try to outwit the evil Ratigan if they are to save all of mousedom!

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.

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.

Buy The Great Mouse Detective (Two-Disc Special Edition Blu-ray/DVD Combo) (1986) Now

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.

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THE GREAT MOUSE DETECTIVE is one of the Disney animated films that is underrated and not scene or talked about it a lot. The animation and settings are superb. The music is brilliant and the characters very real for being animated that is.

First off, Mr. Henry Mancini (Pink Panther and the Elephant Walk fame) is the films composer of note. The main theme for Basil (Our Great Mouse Detective) and the subsequent enhancements made by the `dangerous' moments in the play make this score a fantastically orchestrated one.

The story is a little unique in that Basil and his sidekick Dawson (hence Holmes and Watson like) are searching for the abducted father of our little heroin (age 8) Olivia. The plans get complicated as the bad guy; Professor Ratigan tried to take over the mouse world with one evil plan against the mouse queen. Not only is the day saved, but I think the kids will learn a lot about respect, being brave, being honest and what friendship is all about. Nice moral play in this film. You even get inside the famous Big Ben itself.

Now the supreme evil character is voiced by the one and only Vincent Price. Need I say more?

The DVD extras on this one very good as well and surprisingly entertaining. To keep in the clock themes, there are two `time' related shorts that are pretty funny and the behind the scenes documentary are very good as well. There is even a sing-a-long for the kids. This is a delightful edition to the Disney and animated collection of any family. 8-20-02

Want The Great Mouse Detective (Two-Disc Special Edition Blu-ray/DVD Combo) (1986) Discount?

I had thought that Disney would never ruin their product when released on Blu-ray, since that format is all about QUALITY. I was wrong. Once again, the IDIOTS at Disney have ruined another glorious movie. This movie was filmed in a 1:66-1 aspect ratio. It won't take the viewer long to discover that foreheads and feet are cut in half or missing altogether in many scenes. I'M MAD, MAD, MAD!!!!!!!!!!!! WALT DISNEY EMPLOYEES, are you listening? STOP MESSING WITH THE ORIGINAL ASPECT RATIOS. Just because it's there, doesn't mean you have to FILL IT!

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