With Walt Disney's death in 1966, and many of Disney's best animators gone (the nine old men either retired or died, and Don Bluth left with several other animators to open a competing studio), the Disney animation studio was going through hard times. They had a few good post-Walt stuff prior to the Disney Renaissance (like "Robin Hood," "The Rescuers" and even "The Fox and the Hound,") but for the most part the magic seemed to be disappearing. It also didn't help that their "The Black Cauldron" (which didn't resemble a Disney animated film very much) was a major failure. So a smaller crew, featuring four directors (including Burny Mattinson of "Mickey's Christmas Carol," and Ron Clements and John Musker, both of whom later went on to direct some memorable Disney animated features afterward), put together "The Great Mouse Detective" on a much smaller budget. Development took quite a while, but with the advancements on digital technology, the actual production only took a year! Also, it did very well at the box office and gained several positive reviews, which convinced Disney that their animated films had a future, and if it weren't for this film's success, we may not have had a Disney Renaissance! Aside from that, this is definitely Disney's best movie from their pre-Renaissance slump. You've got likable characters, great voice acting, a perfect music score (complete with theme tunes for each main character!), well-done animation and effects, and even a few songs for Disney tradition's sake! Vincent Price tends to steal the show with his excellent performance as Professor Ratigan (no wonder he got top billing!) I also enjoy Basil's ingenious thinking and over-the-top acting for a detective that can fit in the palm of your hand (I can't help but notice he almost looks like an anime character at times, the way he is designed.) Dr. Dawson and Olivia are also great characters, and Fidget is good at raging from downright creepy (his two horror-style jump-scare scenes) to your typical comical sidekick (what's not to love about a big-eyed one-legged bat that's unable to fly?) I also liked hearing Alan Young using his Scrooge McDuck voice for Mr. Flaversham. The songs are for the most part your standard Disney musical fare, but like I said, they're a lot of fun. Especially fun is Miss Kitty's "Let Me Be Good to You" musical number (that had to be a scene by Ron Clements and John Musker; they're known for crazy stuff like that, as seen in "Aladdin" and "The Princess and the Frog!") The animation also has a very classic look and feel to it, which is rare for a Disney movie of this era. It also uses computer animation much better than "The Black Cauldron" did, and the climactic scene at Big Ben was quite thrilling and enough to keep you at the edge of your seat! I guess you could say that not only did Basil and company save London, they also saved Disney's feature animation division!
There's also a fun use of Basil Rathbone's vocal performance as Sherlock Holmes (from a record version of "The Red-Headed League") during a shadowed cameo of the REAL Sherlock Holmes. Fun stuff for the Holmes fans, too!
There's also a fun use of Basil Rathbone's vocal performance as Sherlock Holmes (from a record version of "The Red-Headed League") during a shadowed cameo of the REAL Sherlock Holmes. Fun stuff for the Holmes fans, too!