Well fellas, It's been some time since my last Disney review for my Disney theatrical animated feature films marathon. But considering that I intended to finish it and make the last review to it my 200th review long before Christmas, it's high time I get get right back on track to the marathon and start with a movie I wondered for many years how it is after repeatedly seeing a trailer to it from when I had a VHS copy of 101 Dalmatians. So without further ado, this is Disney review # 19: The Great Mouse Detective.
Plot: This is based on the book series: Basil of Baker Street (yeah didn't see that coming.) Toymaker Hiram Flaversham is celebrating his young daughter Olivia's birthday when a crippled bat with a peg leg named Fidget kidnaps him leaving his daughter alone and searching for him. Eventually she comes across a mouse named Dr. Dawson who helps her find Basil of Baker Street to find her father. When they find him and tell him what happened, Basil tells them that Fidget is working for the evil Professor Ratigan whom Basil has been working for years to put behind bars. So Basil, Olivia and Dr. Dawson go on a quest to find Olivia's father and find out what evil plot Ratigan's up to.
I can't really explain why I say this in a way that makes sense to all of you. But for a fair amount of personal reasons I really wonder how I would've viewed this movie if I grew up with it as well as many of the Disney films. Now that I'm older thought all I can kinda say is...huh. Most of that that has to do with the idea to the story in general, with the fact that it sounds like Disney just decided to adapt Sherlock Holmes and turn it into a cartoon with animals. But then it turns out that they based this off an actual book series. I mean gee...a Disney animated film that's based off just a book series roughly from around that film's current time instead of a legend, fairy tale, play, or book/book series from the 19th or early 20th century (The Jungle Book, Tarzan and The Hunchback of Notre dame if you're wondering about the last one) ...didn't see that coming. And what's stranger is that they actually include Sherlock Holmes and Watson in this film. I mean they weren't main characters but still. Other than that, it was...nice. It was decently dark, the characters were good it was a little funny. But really I think this is more or less just another one of those movies where the villain steals the show hands down. (which I will get to) which isn't really a bad thing but I'm sure that's not what they were aiming for.
Characters:
Basil: He was nice...I guess. There's nothing really super positive to say about him since I never grew up with him, but he certainly wasn't terrible. He was fun, smart, witty...but the only down was that his weakness was pride. Not the best weakness to have. And it's interesting how much he really is a mouse version of Sherlock Holmes with things like doing all these experiments and actually saying "Elementary my dear Dawson" about two-ish...maybe three-ish times.
Dawson: He was nice. A decent, cartoon mouse adaption to Watson.
Professor Ratigan: like I said, this one of those movies where the villain steals the show. Ratigan had this unique way from how the moves, how he talks, how he tries to control his emotions, and how he especially loves every. single. minute. of being evil that made him a really cool villain. And his song helped point that out with how his minions talked about all his evil deeds such as drowning widows and orphans. I'm really curious as to how the Professor Ratigan from both this movie and the book series is similar to this so called Professor Moriarty from Sherlock Holmes that we're soon to learn more about in Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows. So yeah. Good job on the villain.
Hiram Flaversham: there's nothing to really say about this character. I just want to say that it's interesting that Alan Young (the voice actor to this character) has done something voice acting wise in Disney that's not just being Scrooge McDuck.
Toby: funny dog. nuff said.
Music: It was okay. the songs were nothing special aside from "The World's Greatest Criminal Mind". And I really did like the music in the beginning of the Big Ben fight. It really worked to set things at a really dark mood.
And that's my review for the Great Mouse Detective. It's a decent film that's nothing extraordinary outside of the villain.
I remember watching this many times when I was a child. I do wonder how this film would fare if I watched it now at age 19, I expect I wouldn't like it as much, but still, great review
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