I wasn't really expecting much from this movie, but I was pleasantly surprised. Disney's 'dark age' films from the 80s tend to be overlooked. The Great Mouse Detective might not be one of the studios most glamourous films, but it is certainly one of their most fun-filled.

The animation isn't the greatest (aside from the spectacular clock sequence), but I don't think that was what the creators were aiming for. I think that they were aiming for heart and they succeeded, at least in my view. It's actually quite a sweet film without getting sentimental.

All the characters are full of life. I thought Basil was going to be an all serious, no nonsense sort of character, but boy was I proved wrong! I thought he was a very funny and charming chap with eccentric tendencies. (much like me!) Olivia was a believable portrayal of an innocent child and Ratigan is one badass villain!

Great music, memorable characters and a strong action packed non-formulaic plot, this is a definite addition to your DVD collection.

Though the storytelling of the movie wasn't what I was used to, and at times there seemed to be no score, I still enjoyed this movie. Good animation, especially in the Big Ben sequence, good story, and the characters were interesting and likeable. The songs were fun and fit the enviroment of the story. The humor was very visual and the character acting was superb! And then the villian. I really liked him! How he seemed so proper, then in the end he transformed into a full on disease ridden rat!

Good movie! A worthy Disney film. Check it out! 3 1/2 stars!

This was one of my all time favorites, next to Dalmations, when I was little. I loved the characters, the animation, and the story. Even now I still enjoy this one quite a bit. The voice acting is very good, I don't think they could have found a better cast for this film. The score was great, and I believe this is the only animated Disney film that Mancini scored. The animation is decent, not Disney's best, but it's definitely not bad. The story is entertaining and there are really no slow spots.
If you haven't seen this one, check it out sometime.

Is The Great Mouse Detective better or worse than The Black Cauldron? Let's analyze a few facts about both. The Black Cauldron's budget could run circles around the The Great Mouse Detective's several times over. In essence, The Black Cauldron has the superior vision, depth of field, and special effects, while The Great Mouse Detective looks to be on the level of saturday morning cartoons. On the other hand, however weak the plot may be, The Great Mouse Detective is just more fun to watch. It has a hero that's easier to identify with because of his flamboyant nature and sophisticated intelligence, and Vincent Price as the villain is just too perfect. The Great Mouse Detective also has more notable highlights. The highlight of The Black Cauldron is the sacrifice of Gurgi and the destruction of the cauldron. The Great Mouse Detective has three highlights. The most important is the fight scene on top of the Big Ben clock tower. This scene showcases some of the best camera angles and special effects ever seen in a Disney movie, not to mention some genuine drama to boot. Of course one shouldn't overlook the infamous "mouse trap" sequence. It is nothing short of sheer genius. The third, but least important, highlight of The Great Mouse Detective, is the "Let Me Be Good to You" sequence with the female dancer mouse. I only mention it because it's hands down the most risque sequence I've ever seen in a Disney movie.

If you had to put your money on only one, I'd make it The Great Mouse Detective, but it all depends on what type of film you like. However if you asked me, I'd still choose The Fox and the Hound over both.

I'm surprised to see the low ratings on this movie. Perhaps since I've loved it enormously since I first saw it (and I can't even remember that time), I simply see no faults in it. Like most other Disney films, I consider it a perfect example of what quality animated movies are like.

Despite the ratings here, I know that a lot of people consider this one of Disney's coolest films.

I hated it.

Perhaps being a Sherlock Holmes fan as a child had something to do with it, but watching Basil run around getting overexcited about things was boredom. It was old hat...like they put Holmes on stimulants and let him eat too much sugar, then turned him loose to try to engage my enthusiasm. Didn't work.

And Rattigan-the-Rat's stupid inferiority complex was not enough motivation for his crimes, nor for me to hate him. It seemed as if being born a rat was Rattigan's greatest crime. And what's wrong with being a rat? I've had pet rats. They are intelligent and can be very sweet. Stop dissing rats and wolves, Disney! (I'll leave the weasels to be defended by ferret fans...)

I never read the Basil of Baker Street books when I was young, so I can't resent the movie on their behalf. :p

But, frankly, the only part of the movie I found entertaining was the escape from the fabulously-complicated death machine which the villain put the heroes into before going off to carry out his schemes.

I did try to like this film, but it really is a bit of a mess. Watching it, you just have to wonder how they could possibly have fallen this far from 'The Fox and the Hound' six years earlier. Even more amazingly, how did they bounce back to the ripping 'Oliver and Company' two years later?

Alright, why was I so disappointed with Basil? Well, it's a comedy, but it's not funny. It's an adventure, but it's not exciting. It's has 'nail-biting' scenes which were plain boring, and the 'quality control' was just sloppy.

Examples: a fist crashes into a piano with a speed which is clearly insufficient to cause the demolition that results. Olivia opens her mouth and a scream comes out, but the musculature in the drawing just isn't capable of producing such a noise. Olivier's voice actor (who I noticed never got another job) just isn't very good. Rattigan is the most boring villian Disney ever dreamed up. The plot just seems to meander about. By halfway through it, I was considering just hitting 'eject'.

But it is a Disney film, and I don't know that they've ever made anything absolutely wretched. I did like the way Basil was animated, particularly his facial expressions, and the voice characterisation is good, too. Olivia looks good as well, even if she doesn't always sound so hot. The clocktower scene at the end is quite impressively done. But odds and ends like this don't make a good film, or even a half-decent one.

Athena mentions the sexy number in the bar (certainly a very curvaceous mouse). Actually it's very similar to Sasha's bar scene in 'All Dogs go to Heaven 2', and both of them are similar to Jessica Rabbit's nightclub song from 1987 - and of course all three of them are probably similar to 'Red Hot Riding Hood'. I wonder if there are any more films with such scenes, and if they are a bit of a tradition in animation circles. Well anyway, it was nice, but again, it was a glimmer in the general murk of the film.

If there's one positive out of this, perhaps it's that 'Basil' was Disney's last poor film before their late 80's resurrection.

It's not a total disaster, but with so much animation out there to choose from, I can't think of any reason to watch it now other than for the sake of completeness.

A tale that could have easily fallen back on its Holmes-like qualities, does take the time to develop its characters into ones that shine in their own right. Basil, in particular, is interesting to watch as he goes from being the lone, eccentric detective to wanting partner for his adventures. Although Vincent Price does a good job at voicing the villainous Ratigan, I found myself wanting for more evil and depth from his character. For a criminal mastermind, he seems to be a bit silly.

There are only a couple musical numbers in this film, but one is notable for it's almost un-Disney-like qualities. It takes place while Basil and Dawson are uncover at a sleazy waterfront pub. The entertainment that evening is a lovely young lady mouse who sings to the unwashed lot, "Let Me Be Good to You." At first it looks very benign, but moments later our lady mouse is doing high kicks in a very short skirt. If you listen to the lyrics, your eyebrows might be further raised as she sings such lines as "Hey fellas, the time is right / Get ready, tonight's the night / Boys what you're hopin' for will come true / Let me be good to you!" The song is written and performed by Melissa Manchester and I find it an interesting bit of spice for the film.