The first Disney animated feature to make extensive use of computer technology, The Great Mouse Detective was based on the children's novel Basil of Baker Street by Eve Titus. The titular hero is Basil, a Holmes-like rodent (complete with deerstalker) who solves crimes in the company of his friend and chronicler Dr. Dawson. Basil and Dawson are retained by the daughter of a mouse toymaker who has been kidnapped by the diabolical Ratigan. The villain hopes to force the toymaker to construct a fake version of the queen who will grant power to the bad guy–or at least, for that part of the world behind the walls of London. Though nearly eliminated by Ratigan, Basil and Dawson trap the villain in the fast-moving mechanisms of Big Ben. By relying on computer animation, Disney was able to keep the budget of Great Mouse Detective down to a manageable size, thus earning back the losses incurred by the studio's previous cartoon feature, The Black Cauldron (which my family happens to love! It's one of my husband's favorite movies.)
Bonus Features:
“So You Think You Can Sleuth” – Viewers get an introduction to private investigating to kick off the “Great Mouse Detective” film.
“The World’s Greatest Criminal Mind” Sing-A-Long Song – young fans can sing along with Vincent Price to the song’s villainous vocals.
“The Making of the Great Mouse Detective” – In this bonus feature, fans get a behind the scenes look at this classic film.
My family really enjoyed this movie. There is nothing like old school animation with a classic storyline. It kept my kids attention, and they really liked the movie! Mom and dad like the blast from the past for us!
The Great Mouse Detective will make a great stocking stuffer this Christmas!
