The Mouse of the Baskervilles - The Great Mouse Detective

26 – The Great Mouse Detective

Something weird happened while I was watching 1986's The Great Mouse Detective. I actually didn't remember seeing this one as a kid but as I was watching the movie memories just suddenly came rushing back about it. The movie itself is based on the children's book series “Basil of Baker Street.” That series is, in turn, obviously based on Sherlock Holmes. I've never read a Sherlock Holmes book so I wouldn't say I'm really familiar with it except for the basics and the awesome BBC series.

The movie starts on the young Scottish mouse Olivia Flaversham's birthday. Suddenly, a peg legged bat barges in and takes Hiram, her father, away. Olivia then meets the old army doctor, Dawson, who helps her find the famed Basil of Baker Street, a great detective. Together, they uncover a plot devised by the master criminal and archenemy of Basil, Professor Ratigan.

The filmmakers did something cool with Basil that they've done with a few characters before. Before we see him we hear how great of a detective he is and get to see how he lives from the strange contraptions in his house. When we finally do see him he makes a great display of his ability to disguise himself and then goes on to correctly deduce who Dawson is. It's really great to see who Basil is so clearly and quickly. It was impressive, both because Basil is impressive and also because the filmmakers did it so well. We also find out that he has incredible mood swings. He gets very downtrodden whenever he comes up at a dead end in a case but gets very excited whenever he finds a clue or gets an idea. He also seems to have some trouble in social situations and sometimes says a bit too much. He really develops a good relationship with Dawson and Olivia by the end.

The movie didn't spend nearly as much time on Dawson as Basil. We do find that he's very kind, willing to help Olivia, a little girl he's just met. He is a bit timid and clumsy for an army doctor but it doesn't stop him from going with Basil to solve the case. He never acts really stupid but he also doesn't help the case directly very much. His best quality is that he doesn't give up hope easily. This makes him an especially good pair for Basil, particularly at the end of the movie.

The villain Professor Ratigan is a creepy rat-like character. He comes across as a bit silly sometimes but he makes up with it by his actions. He definitely doesn't shy away from blackmail and is very quick to punish people with a bell that summons Felicia, a cat he uses to swallow up anyone who crosses him. He is also ridiculously dramatic and loves to talk, which may contribute to his downfall. He also has a minion called Fidget who is a pretty creepy character too. He tends to pop up throughout the movie which is good for quite a few jump scares. He's probably a big reason I remember being scared of this movie when I was a kid. He can also fall into the silly side on occasion but he is definitely not stupid. Most of the time he fails really isn't his fault but just that Basil manages to foil him.

This movie does a really great job with not introducing too many side characters. Olivia is shown to be a very brave girl and isn't afraid to help out Basil despite her young age. She's also very curious, which gets her into a bit of trouble. Her father, Hiram, clearly cares deeply about her. He is a brilliant toymaker that was taken by Ratigan to build something for his evil plan. He clearly opposes Ratigan and tries his best to stand up against him but Ratigan blackmails him by threatening that he'll never see Olivia again. Lastly, there's Toby the dog that helps Basil. He was just a fun little character that popped up and helped break up the tension. He has some funny scenes, which are welcome given how likeable the characters are and how fast the story moves. He definitely doesn't overstay his welcome.

Continuing from The Black Cauldron, the animation is still really great. There's a bit less CGI this time, but the final showdown scene really uses it well. The music is also pretty good and there are only two musical sequences. I really liked the first one where we get to know Ratigan a bit more and how dramatic he is. The second one was a bit strange, taking place in a seedy cabaret that just felt a bit awkward. The tone of the movie is much better than The Black Cauldron. They manage to balance the dark and light tones much better with some genuinely funny scenes and genuinely scary ones. It never feels bi-polar or confused, though. The action is also great with some of it being pretty funny, but always keeping the excitement up too. The last showdown is particularly good. It takes place in the Big Ben Clocktower and really has some great moments. Finally, there are these great little glimpses of the real Sherlock and Watson that were fun to spot.

I really liked this one. The pacing was really good and I never felt bored. It was interesting remembering that I had seen this one as a child. I remember the scenes that really scared me as a child so I must have been pretty young. I hope tomorrow's movie, also based on a book, is just as good.

26 down. 27 to go.