Product Details

• Actors: Vincent Price, Barrie Ingham, Val Bettin, Susanne Pollatschek, Candy Candido
• Directors: Ron Clements, John Musker, Burny Mattinson, David Michener
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, HiFi Sound, NTSC
• Language: English
• Rating: G (General Audience)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Walt Disney Home Video
• VHS Release Date: November 3, 1992
• Run Time: 74 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (77 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6302426200
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,587 in Video (See Bestsellers in Video)

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Just because Walt Disney created contemporary and traditional classics of animation doesn't mean the studio is out of ideas--not by a long shot. The Great Mouse Detective is richly animated and offers a clever tale. It may not be as easily recognized a title as Aladdin or The Little Mermaid, but all three share the same director, Ron Clements. Originally released theatrically in 1986, the mystery borrows easily from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes and is based on Eve Titus's book Basil of Baker Street.

When a brilliant toymaker is kidnapped by a creepy peg-legged bat, his daughter, Olivia, enlists the aid of the legendary Basil. Basil, Olivia, and Basil's assistant, Dr. Dawson, are part of an intricate city system of Victorian-era London mice. Basil quickly realizes his archenemy, Professor Ratigan (a rat who wants to be a mouse), is behind the abduction. Ratigan (voiced by Vincent Price) fiendishly aspires to take over London rodents--and will stop at nothing to achieve his greatest desire. The unlikely trio of good guys become heroes, of course. The engaging story line is a perfect introduction to Doyle's work and mysteries in general. Look for a very cleverly executed voice-cameo by Basil Rathbone (as Sherlock Holmes, natch). Alan Young (Mr. Ed) also provides a voice. Ages 4 and up. --N.F. Mendoza

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A GREAT Disney film not to be missed!, February 15, 2003

By	Priscilla Stafford (Yokohama, Japan) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

The year is 1897 in London. Young mouse Olivia Flaversham (Susanne Pollatschek) lives happily with her father Hiram Flaversham (Alan Young) who is a toymaker. But when her father is kidnapped, Olivia intends to get him back. Aided by Doctor David Q. Dawson (Van Bettin), they go to find the renowned, legendary detective, Basil of Baker Street (Barrie Ingham). At first Basil is reluctant to help her but when he discovers that his evil arch-nemesis, Professor Ratigan (Vincent Price) is behind Flaversham's kidnapping, Basil decides to investigate. As they follow clues and use 'elementary thinking', the mice try to outwit the evil Ratigan if they are to save all of mousedom!

An incredibly charming movie, Disney gives us a fun and entertaining film for all ages. When I was very young, I was an avid watcher of ALL Disney animation films. But I remember that besides "Robin Hood", "Lion King", and "Aladdin", "The Great Mouse Detective" was my most favorite! I used to watch over and over. Unfortunately, over the years I strayed away from watching the old Disney classics until just the other day when I was rearranging my videos. I came across "The Great Mouse Detective" and I remembering how much I loved it, decided to watch it. And my, it's amazing how well I remembered it! I was able to say all the lines and sing all the songs while still totally enjoying myself!

My point in saying all of this is that the old Disney classics are... well... classics gems! Nothing objectionable for parents to be aware of for their kids, just some romping good fun. "The Great Mouse Detective" has it all; mystery, humor, a great setting (London), action, and suspense. And I can't forget to mention about the colorful characters, each and everyone incredibly likable. My favorite characters are Basil (of course, he's the hero!) and Fidget (Candy Candido, who has done the voices of characters in Disney movies "Sleeping Beauty", "Peter Pan", and "Robin Hood"). And I must mention that Vincent Price doing the voice of Professor Ratigan is a must see. I have always been a fan of his, listening to some of the old radio shows (example, "The Saint"), seeing some of movies, even watching him guest star on the old tv show "The Man from UNCLE". Just watching this movie for the chance to hear Vincent Price is worth it all.

And the music is also well-done by Henry Mancini and there are some fun songs:

"The World's Greatest Criminal Mind" (Vincent Price) - A rousingly funny song, I love the part where Ratigan begins strumming his harp!
"Let Me Be Good To You" (Melissa Manchester) - When this chorus mouse starts off this song, you're at first not sure what's going on. But after a while, I'm sure you too will begin kicking your feet up to the beat!
"Goodbye So Soon" (Vincent Price) - Great song, can't help but sing along each time though at this point in the movie, things are looking dire for Basil and his friends.

I can certainly recommend this movie for both kids and adults. Enjoy! Here are a few interesting trivia I found:

*~*Shortly before his death, he said that one of his most favorite roles was the voice of Professor Ratigan in the Disney feature "The Great Mouse Detective", especially since two original songs had been written for him.
*~*Basil of Baker Street and Dr. David Q. Dawson are named after Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce, who played Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson together in several films. Also, in the film, we actually see the shadow of the 'real' Sherlock Holmes, and the voice is actually done by Basil Rathbone.
*~*The clock tower scene is the first major use of computer animation (the clock's gears) in a feature-length animated film.
*~*Impressed with Alan Young's performance of a near-authentic Scottish accent for the voice of Hiram Flaversham, studio brass cast him as the voice of the Scottish-accented Scrooge McDuck in a series of Disney film and television projects. He became the official voice of the tightwad duck.
*~*During the recording of Vincent Price's lines, animators sketched his exaggerated Shakespearean gestures and worked them into the animated poses for Ratigan.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars More Holmesian than you might imagine, August 20, 2004

By	Darren Harrison "DVD collector and reviewer" (Washington D.C.) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Great Mouse Detective (DVD)

Among the selections of movies in the excellent Sherlock Holmes reference book `Sherlock Holmes on Screen: The Complete Film and TV History' by Alan Barnes is this 1986 Disney concoction that is equal part musical, comedy, thriller, suspense and children's movie. In fact, as Barnes points out, this feature has many more Holmesian elements than many live action movies that happen to have the character Sherlock Holmes among its cast list.
Indeed this clever animated movie owes a great deal to its literary roots and is based on Eve Titus' book `Basil of Baker Street.'
Living underneath the apartment of the famous Sherlock Holmes at 221 Baker Street is a mouse named Basil. Shaped primarily on the Rathbone interpretation of the character, Basil is the most famous detective in all of mousedom and is determined to track down his evil nemesis Prof. Ratigan (wonderfully played with obvious relish by Vincent Price).
Basil's chance comes when he is approached by the daughter of a kidnapped toymaker named Flaversham. Initially uninspired and uninterested in the girls search for her abducted father Basil becomes decidedly more interested when she reveals that one of those responsible is a bat with a peg leg.
The bat is a known as a henchman for Ratigan and soon Basil races off into another adventure to chase down the evil genius.
The animation in the movie is top notch, the songs lively and the humor - well funny, but where this movie falters a little is in pace. I would say it is just a little too long and slower paced than I expected. It's a very satisfying movie certainly, and a `must-own' for Sherlock Holmes fans (Basil Rathbone's voice is even heard in one scene), but there are moments where it seems to drag and other moments where you wish the characters would stop singing and just get on with developing the plot.
Great fun for the kids and people who are still a kid at heart/

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Under rated Disney Classic, January 10, 2004

By	J. Buettner "Jaws Fan" (Folsom, Ca) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Great Mouse Detective (DVD)

How the Great Mouse Detective has not found a wider audience is beyond me. Perhaps it's because adults see the cover of animated mouses and assume it's just for kids, but looks can be decieving. I have screened this movie for several of my adult friends (without kids) with many of them running out and buying a copy for themselves after realizing what a truely enjoyable classic it is.

Although the Little Mermaid has been given the credit for Disney Animation's rise to greatness throughout the 1990's it really began with this teriffic classic. The Great Mouse Detective marks the first effort of Don Musker and Ron Clemants (The directors of The Little Mermaid and Aladdin). Although it has two catchy showtunes it plays more like a detective adventure story than the later musical classics of Disney animation. What sets this film apart is that it is character driven. Each character in the film has quirks and traits that play into the film's plot. The Great Mouse Detective is wildly imaginative and orginal. This film also has perhaps the most thrilling endings in Disney animation too.

So in parting I beg you adults out there without kids to give this little animated tale a chance, I guarentee you will not be disappointed.