The Great Mouse Detective - 7 stars out of 10

The Great Mouse Detective - 7 stars out of 10

"The Great Mouse Detective" is a Disney film for adults.  Kids will enjoy watching the mice and rats on the screen but the script is not written with Timon/Pumbaa characters, nor does it make use of "kid humor."  This story is one that features scary villains and relies on the deductive reasoning of Basil to engage the audience.  This Sherlock Holmes allegory constantly alludes to the world of Holmes and the characters from the stories as this detective tries to crack the case and save all of Mousedom.  This film is a great artistic achievement, bringing Victorian-era London to life (as both a real world and a mouse world), providing visual appeal through the elaborate chemistry and "mousetrap" sequences, and keeping the film kid-friendly through the use of silhouettes to mask intense content.  The most impressive sequence of animation occurs during the final showdown inside of Big Ben, with gears threatening the lives of the characters with every turn.  This is one of Disney's first ventures into CGI and produces a breathtaking effect.  Aside from the artistry and the excellent story that contains a few twists that extend the ending when all seems to be resolved, I love the voice acting.  My favorite voice from the film was Susanne Pollatschek who provided Olivia's perfectly adorable Scottish accent.  According to IMDB, this was the only role that she ever played and that's a shame, because I adored this performance.  Probably the most underrated performance comes from Alan Young (the voice of Uncle Scrooge from DuckTales, Wilbur from Mr. Ed).  His character -Flaversham- did not receive much screen time but in one emotional monologue, he really had a chance to shine.  I would be remiss if I did not mention Vincent Price, who offered his famed speaking voice to the film as Ratigan toward the end of his fruitful career.  Finally, Barrie Ingham is amazing in the title role, mixing sophistication with emotion.  I love the character of Basil because he shows real human emotions.  Throughout the film, he exudes confidence, frustration, insensitivity, defeat, and a dozen other emotions that give him life.  This film is not an epic like "The Lion King" or "Aladdin."  Instead of showing a character's progression throughout a large portion of life, this film just focuses on one event and explores its details.  I believe that this is one reason that "The Great Mouse Detective" is often overlooked as a significant installment in the Disney Canon but do not be misled - it may not have a king who is reclaiming his throne or a distraught Disney Princess but this story is unforgettable.