The Great Mouse Detective (1986)

Written by Pete Young, et al.
Directed by Ron Clements, et al.

The Great Mouse Detective isn’t quite the start of the “Disney Renaissance“, but it does start to show the signs that it’s on its way. I do think the film is a great place to talk about animation, and it’s changes, as computer animation begins to set in.

Computer-generated gears

Just like live-action films, animated films, and how they’re made, are influenced by the technology surrounding them: as more technology is introduced, the more one can do on screen. In animation, the possibilities become nearly endless, as the filmmakers aren’t bound by the limitations of a physical camera in a physical place. It was inevitable for computers to begin entering the animation world, just as it was inevitable that they’d replace hand-drawn animation almost entirely.

The heroes, Basil & Dr. David Q. Dawson

I’m not using this as an argument for or against hand-drawn animation or computer animation; I think that, on the surface, there’s pros and cons to both, but I also think those same arguments could be used for either medium. In short, while lots of people have a preference, one over the other, I don’t. I think they are both great techniques to tell stories.

The villain, Professor Ratigan

I liked Great Mouse Detective more than I thought I would. I had seen it once before, and it’s been a while, but I do love a good whodonit story (although, we are told whodonit very very early in the film). The film had a good pace, and, like The Rescuers, takes place in a semi-alternate universe (in fact, I’d like to think the universes of The Rescuers and Great Mouse Detective are the same). The songs were the weakest part, for me; luckily there weren’t many to begin with.

As I go through and upload this review onto the blog (nearly a year later), I’m struck by how little I said about this film, especially considering that I gave it a slightly higher-than-average score. The truth is, while I liked the film, there weren’t really any moments that jumped out as noteworthy. Sometimes, films just…exist. They can be good films, even if they don’t offer anything new to the conversation.

Overall, this is an oft-forgotten entry into the Animated Classics canon, which is a bit sad, because it’s a fun adventure story with lots of little nuggets of smile-worthy moments.

FINAL GRADE: B-