The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast and then, of course, Aladdin and The Lion King are the four films most generally credited with kick-starting the animation revolution of the end of the 20th century, and opening audiences’ minds to the possibilities of animated films being more than just lip-service “family entertainment,” but instead robust, breathtaking and fully sketched tales full of vim and verve that capture and charm adults just as easily as children.

I’ll always have a soft spot for some of the even earlier animated films, though, chief amongst them The Great Mouse Detective, a winning adventure that grafts the rapscallion spirit of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s most famous creation
into a richly animated, Sherlock Holmsian tale set in Victorian-era
London’s underground mouse kingdom. In an age before DVDs, my parents either bought the over-priced VHS tape or ripped it off HBO during one of those free preview months we occasionally took advantage of, ostensibly for the enjoyment of my younger sibling. I’m man enough to now admit it, however — I believe I fired it up a time or two on a sick day home from school, or “submitted” to it with my sister.

And why not? Inspired by the adventures of Doyle’s brilliant detective Sherlock Holmes, and based on Eve Titus’ engaging book Basil of Baker Street, The Great Mouse Detective is a smartly sketched blend of comedy, action, adolescent drama and mystery which marks the directing debut of now legendary filmmakers Ron Clements and
John Musker, important creative forces behind such Disney animated blockbusters as The
Princess and the Frog, as well as the aforementioned The
Little Mermaid and Aladdin.

The plot provides youngsters with both a sympathetic surrogate and a hiss-worthy villain, not to mention some properly modulated intrigue. When talented toymaker Hiram Flaversham is mousenapped, his winsome daughter Olivia turns to the most famous mouse detective of them all, Basil of Baker Street (above right). Buoyed by imaginative gadgets and disguises, and accompanied by his assistant and confidante, Dr. David Q. Dawson, Basil uncovers a villainous plot spearheaded by a slimy, contemptible sewer rat, Dr. Ratigan, to replace Moustoria, Queen of the Mice, with a look-alike robot that will leave him free to take control of the entire rodent population of London. As Basil sniffs out one clue after another with unmatched ingenuity, he leads little Olivia closer and closer to a reunion with her beloved father.

The animation, naturally, doesn’t provide the same depth-of-field wow factor to which we are now accustomed, but what drew me in and always impressed me with the movie as a kid was its characters, and they hold up remarkably. There’s warmth and vibrancy to the vocal performances, and though there’s a trio of musical numbers, they don’t overwhelm the production, which is a sometimes under-addressed minority report complaint of later Disney animated films, which got locked into a rigidity of formula that didn’t always best serve the story. Overall, there’s plenty to delight kids and adults alike in this charmingly
downsized slice of Victorian adventure and suspense. One may think it tough, to wind back the technological clock so after kids have experienced Toy Story and Shrek and Monsters Vs. Aliens. But if you have youngsters, give it a try — I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

Housed in a regular plastic Amaray case in turn stored in a cardboard slipcover, this “Mystery in the Mist” special edition DVD release of The Great Mouse Detective tweaks its original 1.66:1 aspect ratio; instead, both full screen and 1.78:1 widescreen versions are available here, along with a Dolby digital 5.1 surround sound audio tracks in English, French and Spanish, as well as optional English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles. Viewers can test their own powers of deduction and go behind the scenes
of the movie with a nice variety of bonus features that include a solid making-of featurette that also roots the material in the real-life history of Scotland Yard, a sing-along version “The World’s Greatest
Criminal Mind,” and an animated look at the history of detective work,
complete with a crime-solving puzzle for the entire family. So if you’re interested in the history of where the word sleuth comes from, you’ll have your answer. There’s also a clutch of promotional trailers for programming featuring the Sprouse twins, as well as other Disney titles. To purchase the DVD via Amazon, click here. A- (Movie) B+ (Disc)