After the undelightful wash that was The Black Cauldron, Disney needed a win. They got one and then some with this charming play on Sherlock Holmes. Everything in the Disney mold comes out fresh and clean here- music, animation, and characters. In the annals of Disney animated films, The Great Mouse Detective could easily be labeled as one of the studio’s most under-appreciated works.When her father is abducted, young Olivia Flaversham turns to Basil of Baker Street for help. The cocksure yet oftentimes oblivious sleuth accepts the task of finding the young girl’s father when he realizes the abduction is connected to the evildoings of his arch nemesis, Professor Ratigan. With the help of Dr. David Q. Dawson, Basil scours the streets and sewers of London in a desperate attempt to stop Ratigan once and for all.
If it hadn’t been for Cinderella and The Rescuers, you’d swear the Disney crew was crazy for using rats and mice as their main characters. They’re not normally likeable creatures but The Great Mouse Detective lives up to its titular superlative. Not once did I find myself rejecting the film because of the use of mice. Kudos to the source author, the writers, and the animators for creating a world where Basil and friends are not just believable, but acceptable too. I’m not very familiar with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s tales of Sherlock Holmes, but I found the character of Basil to be a breath of fresh air. It’s been far too long since a Disney character possessed the confidence and swagger Basil exudes. Granted, these qualities tend to get him in over his head but that’s part of the fun of it all.
Another thing this film has going for it is some terrific animation. The colors and crispness call to mind the Disney Renaissance of what most people recall as the 1990s. That renaissance actually started in 1989 with The Little Mermaid. Guess what film that production and animation team worked on prior to rejuvenating Disney animation? If you guessed The Great Mouse Detective, you must be paying attention. While there had been some animated-over CGI in The Black Cauldron, the CGI foundations are more noticeable here. The crème de la crème is the chase through the gears of Big Ben. CGI modeling gives that sequence a unique sense of depth beyond the screen unseen in prior Disney films.
There is something delightful about the music in this film. The title music comes at you fast and fierce. Well, fierce for an era- and location-appropriate film about crime-solving mice. The playful tones not only match the action, it accentuates the tension, action, and/or silliness occurring on screen. Disney has had great music in many of their films but that music usually comes in the form of songs. The Great Mouse Detective is fairly light on the songs but you wouldn’t know it by the strength of the incidental music. Avoiding too many songs is a blessing in disguise for this film because the story doesn’t really require song-and-dance numbers.
It may not have all the bells and whistles of Disney’s greatest animated tales, but The Great Mouse Detective is a marvel compared to the films filling the gap between it and The Jungle Book. I don’t mean to put them all down, because some of them had a few unique qualities to boast of. None of those films exude the same amount of magic as this charmer though. Incremental steps evidence progress in the other 80s Disney flicks but it feels like the all the creative departments hit their strides here. It’s a shame this film got stuck between two duds. Otherwise, it might be remembered by more people.
RATING: 3.75 out of 5
