The Great Mouse Detective

The Great Mouse Detective (also known as The Adventures of the Great Mouse Detective for its 1992 theatrical re-release and Basil the Great Mouse Detective in some countries) is the twenty-sixth animated feature in the Disney animated features canon. It was produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation, and originally released to movie theaters on July 2, 1986 by Walt Disney Pictures and Buena Vista Distribution. The film was directed by Burny Mattinson, David Michener, and the team of John Musker and Ron Clements, who later directed Disney's hit films The Little Mermaid and Aladdin.
==Overview==
Based on the children's story Basil of Baker Street by Eve Titus, it draws heavily on the tradition of Sherlock Holmes with a heroic mouse who consciously emulates the detective; Titus named the main character after actor Basil Rathbone, who is best remembered for playing Holmes in film (and whose voice, sampled from the Red-Headed League, was the voice of Holmes in this film, 19 years after his death). The main characters are all mice and rats living in London. The layouts were done on computers, and video cameras made a digital version of pencil testing possible, which helped speeding up the production. The movie is also notable for its early use of computer generated imagery (CGI): for a chase scene that takes place in the interior of Big Ben. The movements of the clock's gears were produced as wire-frame graphics on a computer, printed out and traced onto animation cels where colors were added, and the characters were then animated by hand over these cels and the characters' completed cels placed on top of them. The Great Mouse Detective is sometimes cited as the first animated film from Disney to use CGI, but 1985's The Black Cauldron has this distinction. This film succeeded at the box office and got many positive reviews from critics (especially a "two thumbs up" from popular critics Siskel and Ebert), a welcome change after the previous Disney flop The Black Cauldron. Its inexpensive success after its predecessor's failure gave the new management of Disney confidence in the viability of their animation department. This led to the creation of The Little Mermaid, released three years later, which signaled a renaissance for Walt Disney Productions. Although it is actually one of Disney's most underrated and darkest films, The Great Mouse Detective is regarded as a cult classic.
==Plot==
In London 1897, a young mouse named Olivia Flaversham is celebrating her birthday with her toymaker father, Hiram. Suddenly, a bat with a pegleg and a crippled wing burst into Flaversham's workshop, kidnapping Hiram. Olivia goes out to find Basil of Baker Street the famed Great Mouse Detective for help, but gets lost. A surgeon named Dr. David Q. Dawson, who had just returned from a lengthy service of the Mouse Queen's 66th Regiment in Afghanistan, stumbles upon Olivia and escorts her to Basil's residence. Upon their arrival, Basil is initially indifferent, but when Olivia mentions the peglegged bat that abducted her father, Basil realizes Olivia saw Fidget, an accomplice of Professor Ratigan, a crime lord that Basil been trying to arrest for years. At Ratigan's lair, it is then revealed Ratigan kidnapped Hiram to build a clockwork robot, which mimics the Queen of the Mice. Hiram refuses to participate in the scheme but capitulates when Ratigan threatens to harm Olivia. Ratigan plans to usurp the Queen and become "supreme ruler of all mousedom."
After Olivia gave Basil a full testimony of what happened, Fidget appears through Basil's window, and they attempt to chase him. Basil, along with Dawson and Olivia, take Toby, Sherlock Holmes's pet Basset Hound, to track down Fidget's scent, where they locate him in a human toyshop stealing clockwork mechanisms and toy soldiers' uniforms. Fidget insnares Olivia and captures her. Basil and Dawson pursue Fidget but are easily outsmarted. While investigating the shop, Dawson found Fidget's checklist, to which Basil does some chemical tests on to discover the list came from a riverfront near the Thames. When Fidget tells Ratigan what transpired, he was angry but then realizes Basil will be coming. Basil and Dawson disguise themselves as sailors and head to a pub called the "Rat Trap," inquiring Ratigan. A waitress attempted to serve Basil and Dawson drugged drinks. Dawson accidentally causes a fight among the thugs inside. They find Fidget and follow him to Ratigan's lair, but are caught in a welcoming ambush by Ratigan and his henchmen, and Basil is despaired for being outwitted. Ratigan has them tied to a spring-loaded mousetrap connected with a Rube Goldberg machine laid out to kill them both. Ratigan sets out for Buckingham Palace, where his henchman takeovers the royal guards' roles and seizes the Queen, replacing her with the toy robot. With Dawson's encouragement, Basil deduces the trap's weakness and escapes along with Dawson and Olivia.
At Buckingham Palace, Ratigan forces Hiram to operate the toy Queen, while the real one is taken to be fed to Felicia, Ratigan's pet cat. The toy Queen declares Ratigan the consort of all Mousedom, and he announces his dictatorial plans for his new "subjects." After Basil, Dawson, and Olivia save Hiram and the real Queen just in time, they restrain Fidget and Ratigan's other henchmen, and Toby chases Felicia into a compound of royal dogs. Basil seizes control of the mechanical queen, making it denounce Ratigan as a fraud then breaking it into pieces. The crowd, enraged by Ratigan's treason, turns on him, and he escapes on his dirigible with Fidget, holding Olivia hostage. Basil, Dawson, and Hiram build their own craft with a matchbox and some helium-filled balloons, held together by the Union Jack. Ratigan tosses Fidget (who can't fly) overboard to lighten the load; he attempts to drive the dirigible himself. Basil jumps onto the dirigible, but it crashes straight into the Big Ben.
Inside the clocktower, Ratigan still holding Olivia hostage, Basil manages to get Ratigan's cape stuck on some gears. He rescues Olivia and narrowly delivers her to Hiram. A broken-minded Ratigan breaks free and attacks Basil, knocking him onto the clock's hour hand. The fight ensues, and Ratigan viciously thrash Basil. When the clock strikes 10:00, the bell hits for the loudest noise, and causes Ratigan to fall to his death, taking Basil with him. However, Basil grabbed the motor of Ratigan's dirigible and saves himself. Back at Baker Street, Basil and Dawson were honored as heroes by the Queen. After the Flavershams leave, a new client arrives and solicits Basil and Dawson's help, with Basil noting Dawson is his trusted associate, prompting Dawson to remain and assist Basil, thereby making them a decent team and recount their adventures.
==Main characters==
*Basil of Baker Street - The great detective himself, based on the beloved imaginary sleuth Sherlock Holmes. His main goal is to get Professor Ratigan behind bars and rescue Olivia Flaversham's father while simultaneously preventing a royal assassination. There are a few differences between Basil in the book series and in the film version, such as mercurial moods in the latter. He also plays the violin rather well in the movie, whereas the book series stated Basil's violin playing was atrocious—instead, Basil played the flute.
*Professor Ratigan - Basil archenemy. Based on Professor James Moriarty from the Sherlock Holmes stories, this character plots to seize control of the British monarchy. He and Basil have a long-established adversarial relationship. In the book series, it is revealed his given name is Padraic and that Ratigan is in fact, a mouse. This could be the reason why Ratigan in the movie (who is a rat; hence he has five fingers while the other mice have four fingers) takes offense from being referred to as a rat.
*Dr. David Q. Dawson - Previously of the Queen's 66th Regiment in Afghanistan. His character is based upon Dr. John H. Watson from the Sherlock Holmes stories. The interaction between him and Basil mimics that of Watson and Holmes, as Dawson is constantly is amazed by Basil's deductions. He eventually becomes Basil's associate, friend, and personal biographer. In the film, the animators modeled the character after Nigel Bruce in both appearance and character. As a result, Dawson is essentially a fat bumbler who is redeemed by his good heart.
*Olivia Flaversham - A small girl mouse of Scottish descent who seeks Basil's help in finding her toymaker father. Basil carelessly mangles her surname several times when speaking to her, and gets the surname correct only once when speaking to Olivia's father, Hiram. Her surname is most likely based on Flora and Fauna Flaversham from the Basil of Baker Street book series.
*Fidget - Ratigan's henchman. He tends to do the dirty work for his boss. He has a crippled wing and a peg leg, and as a result he cannot fly properly. Ratigan throws him off the side of his flying machine near the end of the film, and he lands in the Thames.
*Hiram Flaversham - Olivia's father. He works as a toymaker and is kidnapped by Ratigan to make the Queen Mousetoria robot.
*Toby - Basil's loyal basset hound. He technically belongs to who lives above Basil, Toby is owned by a Mr. Sherman, a "bird-stuffer" and owner of a menagerie who willingly lends him to Holmes whenever requested.
*Felicia - Ratigan's large and pompous pet cat. Ratigan calls upon her by ringing a special bell, She is chased by Toby and eaten by Royal Guard Dogs during the climax of the film.
==The Great Mouse Detective theatrical release history==
*July 2, 1986 (original release)
*February 14, 1992 (re-release)
==Voice cast==
*Barrie Ingham - Basil of Baker Street / Bartholomew
*Val Bettin - Dr. David Q. Dawson / Thug 4
*Vincent Price - Professor Ratigan
*Candy Candido - Fidget the Bat
*Alan Young - Hiram Flaversham
*Susanne Pollatschek - Olivia Flaversham
*Diana Chesney - Mrs. Judson
*Eve Brenner - The Mouse Queen (alias Queen Mousetoria)
*Shani Wallis - Lady Mouse
*Russi Taylor - Minnie Mouse (first role)
*Ellen Fitzhugh - Bar Maid
*Basil Rathbone (recording from Red-Headed League) - Sherlock Holmes
*Laurie Main - Dr. John H. Watson
*Walker Edmiston - Citizen/Thug Guard
*Wayne Allwine - Thug Guard
*Tony Anselmo - Thug Guard
===Uncredited===
*Mel Blanc - The Horses
*Candy Candido - Bar Patron
*Charles Fleischer - Various Voices
*Melissa Manchester - "Miss Kitty" (The Rat Trap showgirl)
*Frank Welker - Toby/Felicia/Royal Guard Dogs/Figaro
==International Versions==
=== Danish ===
	DANSKE STEMMER 	· KARAKTER 	· ORIGINAL STEMME
	 	 	
	Jess Ingerslev 	· Basil Mus 	· Barrie Ingham (Basil Of Baker Street)
	Poul Bundgaard 	· Dr. David Hotson 	· Val Bettin (Dr. David Q. Dawson)
	Poul Bundgaard 	· Dr. Watson 	· Val Bettin
	Lillian Tillegreen 	· Dronning Musoria 	· Eve Brenner (The Mouse Queen)
	Claus Ryskjær 	· Flakse 	· Candy Candido (Fidget)
	Lillian Tillegreen 	· Fru Husmus 	· Shani Wallis (Lady Mouse)
	Jesper Klein 	· Makarotte 	· Barrie Ingham (Bartholomew)
	Henning Palner 	· Mester Jeronimus 	· Alan Young (Hiram Flaversham)
	Kristine Nørgaard Sørensen	· Olivia Jeronimus 	· Susanne Pollatschek (Olivia Flaversham)
	Peter Schrøder 	· Professor Rottigan	· Vincent Price (Professor Ratigan)
	Susanne Breuning 	· Sangerinde 	· Melissa Manchester (Miss Kitty Mouse)
	Kirsten Hansen-Møller 	· Servitrice 	· Ellen Fitzhugh (Bar Maid)
	Henning Palner 	· Sherlock Holmes 	· Basil Rathbone
==Supervising animators==
* Mark Henn
* Glen Keane (Ratigan)
* Robert Minkoff
* Hendel Butoy
==See also==
* List of Movies
==External links==
*
*
*The Great Mouse Detective: Disney's Underappreciated 26th Animated Film
**Cheese Crumpet*
*Reyelene's Kingdom Of Bats
*221B 1/2 Baker Street
*DeviantART: The Great Mouse Detective Fan Club
*The Mouse Avenger's GMD Fanfic World
Category:1986 films
Category:Anthropomorphic films
Category:Disney animated features canon
Category:Fictional detectives
Category:Children's films
Category:Disney films
Category:Films set in the United Kingdom
Category:Films set in London
Category:Films
Category:Re-Release films
Category:Films set in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Category:Film Scores by Henry Mancini
Category:Films set in England
Category:Dark fantasy films
Category:Films set in Europe
Category:The Great Mouse Detective
Category:Films directed by Ron Clements
Category:Films directed by Burny Mattinson
Category:Films directed by David Michener
Category:Films directed by John Musker
Category:1986 animated films
Category:Directorial debut films
Category:1980s children's animated films
Category:Rated G
Category:Films with opening credits
Category:1980s animated films