Once Upon A Disney #26: The Great Mouse Detective

As we roll on through the '80s, on the way to the Disney Renaissance, it's time to return to some good old talking rodents — A trope we know Disney does well. Get your best sleuthing hat on, because we're hitting the streets of London with... 

The Great Mouse Detective (1986)

When someone suggests another round but you want to get home for 'Strictly'

Released just a year after the slightly off-brand Black Cauldron, The Great Mouse Detective feels like a firm move back to familiar territory for the studio. The film is adapted from the children's novel series Basil of Baker Street, which follows a mouse version of Sherlock Holmes as he solves mysteries of the rodent world — the perfect fodder for a cosy Disney animation. It's essentially The Rescuers set in Victorian London. 

The opening shot, panning from a London street to a tiny doorway underneath a toy shop, introduces us to the miniature, and fittingly festive world we'll be exploring in the next 90 minutes. In this world, the mice have the same professions as the humans they live below, which means that Flaversham, an extremely Scottish old fella, is a mouse toymaker. 

Remember hugs? *offers elbow tap*

His workshop oozes nostalgic Disney magic (think Pinocchio at a smaller scale). His adorable daughter Olivia is his biggest fan. However, as soon as we settle down with a cup of hot cocoa, things take a traumatic turn. Poor old Flaversham is whisked away in the night by a mysterious dark figure, leaving poor little Olivia trembling in the storage cupboard. Enter Basil the Great Mouse Detective. 

The Great Mouse Detective is a significant step up in quality from The Black Cauldron, both in the richness of the animation, and — more noticeably — the voice performances. Like in The Rescuers, the characters are fully formed and the relationships sparkle with tenderness and humour. Basil himself — who literally lives below Sherlock Holmes — emanates his eccentric brilliance, his revelations and mood swings constantly astounding his right-hand man, Wats-ahem-I mean Dawson. Basil, Dawson, and Olivia make a charming team. Olivia's fearlessness and determination to find her father makes her an asset to the team, and Dawson's genuine care and concern for her is heartwarming. 

'And THAT'S why Pierce Brosnan is an underrated Bond'

However, while the film has a tender heart, it doesn't shy away from the sinister.  While our Big Bad, Professor Ratigan, has a penchant for the fabulous — crooning away with his own villainous song — he does pose a very real threat. His absurdly large, overshadowing stature clearly marks him out as a menacing force, and — somewhat unusually for a kids film — we see him put his deadly words into action early on, feeding one of his henchmen to a particularly sinister cat (made all the more terrifying by its relative size compared to the miniature world we've got used to). 

Savage

Ratigan's booby traps are genuinely well-matched to Basil's skills, making our villain smarter than most. Lured into trying to rescue Olivia, the criminal mastermind sets up an elaborate 'mouse trap' that very nearly defeats Basil and Dawson, making for tense viewing. The setpiece where Basil and Ratigan are playing cat-and-mouse — or should I say rat-and-mouse — within the inner workings of Big Ben's clock is one of the most perilous Disney finales I can think of. I'd equate the genuine threat level and darkness of this film to One Hundred and One Dalmatians, where the power-hungry villain really is intent on death at any cost. A film perhaps a little too scary for younger viewers, but surprisingly satisfying for most. 

Candid shot

Villain Rating: 9/10 — Professor Ratigan has that campy, menacing style that marks all the best Disney villains. As well as posing a real threat to our heroes, even seen sentencing his own to an untimely death, he also knows how to dress — And enjoys a good musical number. An all-rounder, really. 

Best Song: While this is marketed as a 'musical adventure,' there are only three songs, and none of them particularly memorable (even if the 'sexy cabaret' number is for all the wrong reasons). However, 'The World's Greatest Criminal Mind,' sung by Professor Ratigan and his henchman, does have a villainous, decadent joy akin to 'Gaston' or 'Mine, Mine, Mine' from later Disney classics — complete with harp breakdown. 

Um... no

Disney Detail: During the toy shop heist (a setting reminiscent of Gepetto's workshop) Basil, Dawson and Olivia come across an adorable wooden Dumbo toy. 

Why it's a Classic: Like many of the mid-80s Disney films, this one isn't top of most lists. However, its nostalgic setting, confident voice acting, strong hero and villain, and a plot that runs like clockwork makes it a satisfying watch, and one that Walt would probably have approved of.