THE GREAT MOUSE DETECTIVE

When Olivia Flaversham's beloved father is abducted by a creepy, peg-legged, gravelly-voiced bat, she does what any clever mouse would do - she turns to The Great Mouse Detective, Basil of Baker Street.  Though Basil hesitates to get involved, his ears perk at the description of the mousenapper.  A bat like that could only be the henchman of the evil Dr. Ratigan, Basil's archenemy. 

 

As Basil, his assistant Dr. David Q. Dawson, and Olivia work to track down her father, they begin uncovering some rather unsettling details.  It seems that Mr. Flaversham was mousenapped for his remarkable skills as a toymaker and Ratigan plans to have him build a robot replacement for Moustoria, Queen of Mice.  This mechanical version of the queen will be controlled by Ratigan, giving him reign over all the mice in London.  Needless to say, this evil plot must be stopped, and it's up to Basil and friends to do it.

 

Though some children may find the villains in this Disney classic a bit too scary for their liking, Olivia is an adorable and likable heroine, and her interaction with Basil and Dawson is as endearing as it is entertaining.  Her reunion with her father truly pulls on the heartstrings, and I found myself tearing up as she leaped into his arms.  The animation is beautifully done, and there are plenty of song and dance numbers to liven things up along the way.  The plot can be a bit convoluted at times, but this is essentially Sherlock Holmes for kids - we're expected to pay attention.  The Great Mouse Detective may not be the best the Disney vault has to offer, but it's a charming movie in its own right.

 

 

Extra features on The Great Mouse Detective: Mystery in the Mist Edition include an animated look back at the history of detective work (including a crime-solving puzzle for the fam), a making-of featurette, and "The World's Greatest Criminal Mind" sing-along song.