Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times What's fun is the carefree way the animators swing through their story, using the freedom of the cartoon form to blend 19th century realism with images that seem borrowed from more recent special-effects pictures.
filmcritic.com [Christopher Null] A lesser-known entry in the world of Disney animation -- but an endearing one nonetheless -- The Great Mouse Detective is based on the children's book Basil of Baker Street, in turn a kid-ification of the Sherlock Holmes mysteries, with a hyperintelligent mouse investigating crime in London.
Doug Pratt's Laserdisc Review Reel.com DVD review [James Plath] Disney fans will want to add The Great Mouse Detective to their library if for no other reason than it was the first time the studio blended computer-generated images and hand-drawn animation. It was also a first for Vincent Price, who had never before lent his distinctively eerie voice to an animated character, and it was the first time Henry Mancini composed music for a full-length animated feature (The Pink Panther was a short film). And while it isn't one of Disney's four-star must-sees, it's still solid entertainment.
DVD Verdict Mostly, the movie is lean with a good sense of narrative pacing, moving briskly from one clever set piece to the next, each providing plenty of fun while also advancing the plot. I didn't find myself pressing the Time button on the remote to find out how much longer I had to wait until the end (my primary subjective criterion for determining the quality of a film's pacing). Only children will be caught up by the story's mystery, but even adults can enjoy the suspense of the perils faced by Basil and crew.
DVDTown [John J. Puccio]
The plot is pretty thin--this is a primarily a children's film, after all--and most of the movie's delight derives from its characters, especially their introduction. The villains, naturally, are the most interesting folk in the story, in this case Basil's archenemy, Professor Ratigan (wonderfully voiced by Vincent Price), and his peg-legged, right-hand bat, Fidget (Candy Candido). Ratigan's nefarious scheme is to kidnap the Mouse Queen of England, use the toymaker to replace her with a lifelike mechanical doll, and have the doll Queen declare him King of all Mousedom! A cunning plan.
The SF, Horror and Fantasy Film Review Disappointingly, The Great Mouse Detective was not a huge success. However co-directors John Musker and Ron Clements went solo on their next outing, The Little Mermaid (1989), which began the new Disney renaissance of the 1990s. In the 1990s Musker and Clements became one of Disney's most successful directing teams, making the likes of Aladdin (1992), Hercules (1997) and Treasure Planet (2002).
UltimateDisney.com - DVD Review with Pictures There are several things I adore about this film. The movie begins without credits, immediately plunging the audience into the mysterious atmosphere of turn-of-the-century London, when a frightening event instantly gets the attention of the viewer. The characters themselves all click together wonderfully, including the witty & likable hero and the deliciously-villainous Ratigan (wonderfully animated by Glen Keane). Henry Mancini delivers a fantastic score with a very catchy main theme I found myself humming for days after viewing the film. Plus, out of all the ‘mice films’ from Disney, I think this one utilizes the aspect of a miniature world the best – the highlight being a climax within the inner workings of Big Ben.
