The Great Mouse Detective 1986

Let me tell you a little story about this movie and why I'm rating it so high...

In Norway...there's been a Disney Special shown every Christmas eve called (I believe) From All of Us to All of You. It's a run of shorts presented by Jiminy Cricket, and the last one is always a clip from one of the newest Disney productions. One of those clips made such an impression on me that I bugged my father all Christmas long to get to see that movie...and when he finally relented and I got to see it, I was blown away. The excitement, the mystery, the chase at the end. Everything was perfect.

To me, The Great Mouse Detective is one of those childhood memories that has burned itself into my mind and I will probably never be able to view this movie with any objectivity again.

So...what can I do...but rate this one as perfect?!?

This homage to Sherlock Holmes is one of the better Disney animated films from the 80s. The filmmakers manage to recreate a wonderfully atmospheric setting in Victorian London, especially in the exterior scenes at night and they cram in as many Holmes references as they can in the relatively short running time. Vincent Price is a highlight as the memorable villain and the final sequence at Big Ben is still a really nice piece of early computer animation that adds some dynamic shots to the film. The three principal songs are ok, if not particularly memorable, but Henry Mancini has created a catchy and fun score to go with the film.

I had a lot of fun! Forgot it was a Sherlock adaptation so that was a fun surprise and the animation is amazing, especially the Big Ben chase scene with the computer animation (I think).

Surprised there was never a tv show or something with more adventures.

First time watching 'The Great Mouse Detective', it's good!

I wasn't sure what to expect given I hadn't really heard of this Disney animated film before, but it is actually an entertaining watch. Its story draws parallels with Sherlock Holmes, just of course with mice. It's enjoyable watching it all progress, with Basil being the Sherlock in this case.

Barrie Ingham does a grand job as the lead detective, his voice works ideally. Seeing Basil go through the processes is fun. Ratigan is a terrific antagonist, with Vincent Price voicing impressively. I also like Candy Candido's Fidget, who is the bad guy's sidekick. Val Bettin's Dawson character is kinda pointless, though he still has a place in the story.

The animation isn't the greatest of Disney's, not that it's bad but the background stuff is some scenes is quite poor; particularly in the Rat Trap. The overall premise is fun, it's paced mostly well though the ending drags ever so slightly.

Up until 1986, pre-Renaissance, this is one of the studio's best in my opinion.

A clever riff on Sherlock Holmes, Disney’s The Great Mouse Detective is an amusing children’s film that’s a lot of fun. When a peg-legged bat abducts her father, a young mouse named Olivia seeks out the renowned detective Basil of Baker Street to help her find him. Especially well-crafted, the film makes numerous allusions to Sherlock Holmes stories and character. However, the characters are more than just parodies and have their own unique charm. Vincent Price in particular gives a delightfully performance as Basil’s arch-nemesis Professor Ratigan. One of Disney’s more underappreciated classics, The Great Mouse Detective puts on a jolly good show.

This movie is so HARDCORE

Hiram Flaversham sounds a lot like Scrooge mcDuck ;)