My First Movie

As I recall, this is the first movie I ever saw in the theater. This was a great experience for me, and I probably would have been impressed no matter what the movie was. But this particular film happened to be Disney's The Great Mouse Detective, a fine member of the Disney full-length animated features collection which is too often overlooked.

The story takes place in Great Britain and begins with Olivia, the daughter of a brilliant toymaker. When her father is kidnapped by Ratigan, a vicious rat with plans to take over the royal throne, young Olivia seeks the services of the famous detective Basil of Baker Street. She is led to his residence by Dawson, a portly doctor who is well acquainted with the "Great Mouse Detective". Basil and Dawson are very similar in appearance and personality to Sherlock Holmes and Watson.

Basil, who is a bit haughty and sometimes rather daft, is balanced out by the kindly and practical Dawson. With Olivia in tow, they embark on a mission to save her father. Upon their arrival, they discover that the toymaker's task is to create a robotic queen who will fool the masses and through whom Ratigan will rule. This, of course, means that the current queen will have to be taken care of as well, so it's a race against time for the sleuthing pair to keep the queen from falling to Ratigan's lethal aspirations.

This is a great Disney movie full of adventure and suspense, leading up to a fabulous climax at Big Ben. London is a popular setting for Disney movies, and it is once more used most effectively here. My favorite character is the gentle Dawson, but there are many well-defined characters here to enjoy. Even the dog, who provides their transportation. Ratigan is despicable, and he's got one of the liveliest songs a Disney villain has ever been given. I'm not sure why this film has been overlooked so often, but don't let that deter you from introducing your children to the wonderful world of The Great Mouse Detective.