Disney’s The Great Mouse Detective: An Unconventional Gem
Believe me when I say that I know Disney well, having worked at Walt Disney World in Florida no less than a year. Everyone has their favourite films to choose from out of the entertainment titan’s extensive catalogue of old and new classics.
Musical soundtracks, bright and colourful animation, and child-friendly themes are the norm for Disney.
Except when it isn’t.
Between the folds of Disney’s Wartime (1943-1949) and Bronze (1970-1988) Eras, some of the more obscure and lesser-known Disney titles can be found. And one in particular, while not entirely on par with other classics, took things in an interesting and different direction away from the Disney formula. Possibly, the right direction.
“The Great Mouse Detective” was released in 1989 and is one of my personal favourite Disney films for reasons that are not entirely conventional of a traditional Disney formula.
Following the adventures of the mouse detective in question, Basil of Baker Street and his endearing and bumbling companion Mr Dawson, they unravel the mystery of a father’s kidnapping when the daughter, Olivia, comes to their door. The story and characters are a mirrored and respectable homage to those of Sherlock Holmes, made famous by author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
Realizing that the father was kidnapped by a peg-legged bat, the three find links that lead to them undoing a most villainous and despicable plan to overthrow all of mouse-dom, conjured up by Basil’s egotistical, intelligent and ferociously hot-headed archenemy, Professor Rattigan.
What first intrigues me about this film is its style and theming. Unlike most other Disney films featuring bright colour palettes and vibrant imagery, TGMD captures a darker and more dreary look, more akin to the streets of London where the film takes place. Cartoon violence is no stranger here either, where guns, punches and scratches are common place, and stripping is also alluded to at a local bar the characters visit.
For most titles before and after, this is usually unheard of. But ironically, it makes this film more enjoyable for both kids and adults, unlike newer titles that may leave parents bored.
The music and soundtrack is also not as embellished. There is an original score no doubt with memorable melodies, but as far as full-blown musical pieces with lyrics are concerned, TGMD features only three small original songs. One example is the villain’s (Rattigan’s) song, “World’s Greatest Criminal Mind”. While characteristic of the villain’s narcissistic and power-hungry nature, this song is admittedly forgettable. Strange, considering the popularity of most Disney Villain songs.
“Let Me be Good to You” and “Goodbye , So Soon” hold well too, but LMBGTY is definitely the stronger of the three.
But then again, a grim and gripping story of this calibre doesn’t really need such musical numbers anyway and the instrumental soundtrack alone serves enough to elevate the film above and beyond.
The voice acting is spot on from everyone, particularly Vincent Price as the malicious Rattigan, whose actions and mannerisms in the voicing booth were carried over into the animated rat.
Finally, the clockwork scene inside the Big Ben tower towards the climax of the film is still bang-on even after all these years.
Not only was it a big milestone in CGI for Disney as a whole (or at least the stepping stones towards it), it feels like an entirely different film when we get to it, the full scope of the tower being felt as if you are indeed, as small as a mouse. It looked superb then and it still holds up well today, you can certainly see where most of the budget went too!
Small, obscure gems like The Great Mouse Detective are great examples of what animation studios like Disney can deliver when it breaks away from tradition. In many ways, it’s a reverse Disney film, and it’s often those ones that gain quite the cult following like “Treasure Planet” and “Atlantis: The Lost Empire”.
If you’ve grown tired of the same Strawberry-Vanilla flavour you usually get with your pre-packaged Disney, and perhaps you want something with a little more bitter punch like a cup of black tea, then I highly recommend The Great Mouse Detective, a most unconventionally clever Disney classic.
Thank you for reading and have a beautiful day!.
Daniel
