The Great Mouse Detective

What’s the Story?

The game is afoot in THE GREAT MOUSE DETECTIVE, a charming Disney cartoon about a Sherlock Holmes-like mouse. In 1897 London, toy-maker mouse Flaversham is kidnapped by a peg-legged bat. His daughter Olivia seeks the help of the famed mouse detective, Basil of Baker Street, and his trusty assistant, Dr. Dawson. Basil soon discovers that his archenemy, the evil Professor Ratigan (voiced by the legendary Vincent Price), engineered the kidnapping as part of his nefarious plan to do away with the Mouse Queen, put a mechanical dummy in her place and seize the reins of power. The clues lead Basil and Dawson on a thrilling adventure around London, from a waterfront hang-out to Ratigan's underground sewer lair. The story climaxes with a spectacular chase as the duo pursue Ratigan in his getaway balloon and finally defeat him after a duel inside Big Ben.

Is It Any Good?

Produced three years before The Little Mermaid put the Disney people back on the map, this often overlooked film is a highly entertaining cartoon in its own right. Made by veteran Disney animators and newcomers who would lead the studio into the future, the movie stands as a bridge between the two schools. The literate setting and old-fashioned values of story and character are pleasingly augmented with exciting action sequences. The animation is an accomplished blend of traditional techniques and stylized computer-generated segments.

The plot hews closely to typical Sherlock Holmes stories and adult movie fans will probably enjoy the scene when a silhouette of the real Holmes appears, voiced by none other than Basil Rathbone -- who played Holmes in a series of classic 1940s movies. Vincent Price is delightfully hammy as the dastardly Ratigan, and he even sings at one point.