The Great Mouse Detective - Nostalgia Critic

[@ChannelAwesome]

Who remembers this classic??? Watch last weeks NC - kzbin.info/www/bejne/q4GZgKCjh9Kdi9E Support this month's charity - www.cvt.org/ Follow us on Twitch - www.twitch.tv/channelawesome

[@bryanheilman4376]

I do, loved it!

[@danielsantiagourtado3430]

Present!❤❤❤❤❤

[@stormshadowproductions1660]

Please do top 11 best and worst direct to DVD Disney sequels, the Lego Batman movie, national treasurer 2 Book of secrets, Jack Black's Goosebumps movie instead of another movie that has nothing to do with Halloween like rubber aliens vs predators 2 or Venom

[@jerricablackcat4303]

Can you please review The Crow, Crow City of Angles (that poor movie suffered the same fate as Cool World) , Sky High, Edward Scissorhands, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the GI Joe movies, Power Rangers 2017, Mortal Kombat 2021, and for Nostalgiaween Thriller and Ghosts (Stephen King worked on it)?

[@chasehedges6775]

This is a Disney classic.

[@geardog24]

It's a crime that Ratigan doesn't get more recognition as a top-tier Disney villain.

[@angelcat2865]

Agreed

[@alexiaNBC]

Vincent Price was a national treasure

[@kylemorello4787]

Heh. Crime.

[@neilyoungboy]

He’s ranked 6th in my books

[@georgeeastwood6930]

Vincent Price himself had such an awesome voice! 😊

[@GreyWolfLeaderTW]

Vincent Price said near the end of his life that Professor Ratigan was one of his favorite roles, and it isn't hard to see why with how much gleeful charm he infused into the character.

[@XSAGA87]

That's so wonderful and heartwarming to hear. Thank you for that

[@andrewchung2940]

And it appears near the end of his life, Disney did yet another favor for Price by having him voice The Phantom in The Phantom Manor, basically Disneyland Paris' retool of the Haunted Mansion!

[@jessicalinbarnett]

just amazing ❤

[@Bluesit32]

He enjoyed the chance to break the type casting.

[@senint]

Aye! I agree. Even in Finnish dub it sounded like the VA had a lot of fun in voice acting Ratigan.

[@GuukanKitsune]

One of the best fun facts about Ratigan is that they _filmed Vincent Price as he did his lines_ because he was still physically acting, not just providing lines, but movements and expressions, and then used that footage of Vincent Price _as reference to animate Ratigan's movements and expressions as he spoke._ This is largely why Ratigan and Price are so totally inseparable. Because Ratigan wasn't just voiced by Price, he was _portrayed_ by Price in entire. Ratigan is Price in a costume made of ink, being as over the top dramatic and theatrical as only he could get away with!

[@AndreNitroX]

Vincent price was such a treasure, his career is just full of gems

[@bubba200874426]

This was unlikely to be simply recording him as he performed his lines. You would have to use entirely different equipment to get useable sound. This was in the days before motion capture, so this was almost certainly the process that would evolve to become motion capture in the future. That, I think is very interesting.

[@loonflam8910]

What's even better is that Ratigan was Price's favorite role

[@GuukanKitsune]

@bubba200874426 Disney used to do this all the time. The actual footage of Ed Wynne, Jerry Colana, Kathryn Beaumont, and James Mcdonald at the recording studio having an ACTUAL MAD TEA PARTY complete with tea set as they recorded the lines for the scene in Alice in Wonderland is actually quite easy to find on KZbin. They would have the actors actually act the scene out in live action, and then take the resulting film and show it to the animators as reference to MAKE the animation, and then go back and have the actors redub their lines. It was Disney's standard practices and the reason why for a long time Disney was able to make their animated characters physically emote and move so well and so realistically and so perfectly timed to the voices during a time when the process of animation was a LOT cruder.

[@Zodia195]

@@loonflam8910 It's sad it's his last role, but yeah I heard that too.

[@Midgard_pictures]

I think the reason Vincent price, James Woods and Robin Williams are so good in their respective roles is because they themselves are animated

[@frillydress]

And also George C. Scott!!!

[@ernovincze2900]

"Animated", i.e. they give an exaggerated performance with a lot of energy?

[@AlecDraven]

@@ernovincze2900 No.... I suspect he meant "Animated" as in "Cartoon characters bought to life." Watching Robin Williams live onstage.... I could buy that.

[@eowynsisterdaughter]

The note about Basil sounding like he's gargling blood in the final climactic fight is so on point. The scene was so hard for me to watch as kid because he sounded like he was in such guttural pain. The 80s, man.

[@AndreNitroX]

I also appreciate that fact. The sound design in this movie is so unique to me. But that final battle always stood out because of basils voice acting

[@beauwalker9820]

Even though no blood is shown, (we briefly see blood in G-rated movies like Mulan, Aladdin, Finding Nemo, and Sleeping Beauty) it was surprisingly one of the most violent moments in a Disney animated movie, and very rare do we see a villain just go merciless on a hero like that.

[@valerianmandrake]

​​​​@@beauwalker9820especially considering he's much larger and physically threatening than Basil simply because of his size. If Basil hadn't been 1) lucky and 2) smart, Ratigan would have totally finished him and had him for dessert. Ratigan is a good example of how some people abuse their power. That's why he's my favorite villain: a narcissistic, faux charming, sadistic, cult leader-like psychopath! There are lots of human Ratigans out there! I loved this movie as a kid and it was one of the things that made me try to understand the dynamics of abusive relationships!

[@moonstruck8245]

Seriously, how did they even GET those noises out of him? Very few VAs I know could get that kind of guttural agony out of their voice, and they're mad talented and skilled!

[@valerianmandrake]

​@@moonstruck8245he was probably asked to do a dozen takes until the directors liked it enough O.o

[@TheVeyZ]

I love it when Ratigan's calm, gentleman demeanor finally breaks, and his real feral side comes out. Running on all fours, growling, slashing with his claws. Love it.

[@PikaLink91]

Same, it's a great contrast and makes his "true form" that much more scary, like Sheer Kahn in Junglebook who is also calm and collected until the showdown with Mowgli.

[@TheVeyZ]

@PikaLink91 love those kind of characters

[@bethanywallace8575]

It definitely shows who he really is. When he is outsmarted, he turns to physical brutality, intelligence be damned.

[@SomeYouTubeTraveler]

It's a great contrast. When Basil gets outsmarted, he turns to despair. When Ratigan gets outsmarted, he turns to rage. The difference is, Basil now has people in his life who care enough to pull him out of it, and he returns the support. Ratigan rules his "supporters" through fear and violence, and none of them can save him when the time comes. It's a good life lesson.

[@brianboru2762]

Someone else had been doing a review on this movie and actually made a pretty good point that in the mouse world rats wouldn't be considered the small, Snively, and conniving type but as big hulking brutes. Ratigan actually tried to hide his rat features like his bald tail with a cloak and the claws on his hand in gloves, and you can tell there was always a lot of primal rage hidden underneath that suave intelligent demeanor. He wanted to prove he wasn't a dumb rat and used his wits to win. But when Basil showed him up again, and again, and again, he finally snapped and went on a rampage, shedding all the clothing that hid his rat features and reduced to the primal beast that was always in there and that he'd tried his whole life to keep hidden.

[@PixarShark]

They set up the perfect climax for this movie. Basil is rail-thin and small, but his brain has always been his strength. It still is during this climax, but when Ratigan loses the cool you’ve seen him keep all movie and goes full beast-mode, you suddenly realize how PHYSICALLY outmatched Basil is. You know full well that his life is in danger and his smarts might not be enough this time. It’s SO GOOD.

[@PikaLink91]

Exactly!

[@C0rran05]

On that note, while it's always been a battle of the minds between them, Rattigan in the end didn't care any more. it was just a win or lose to him and brains didn't matter anymore. He physically killed Basil without using his mind, so who cares? And it turns out he didn't win. The battle wasn't over yet, and the one who survived was the one who KEPT using his brain. Never considered that before, but it really was an extra message right there and very nice irony.

[@PikaLink91]

@@C0rran05 Funny thing is I watched the movie with a date a couple years back, a date who hadn’t seen it before, and she was baffled when Basil emerged from the clouds on the propeller because she didn’t catch the detail that he fell with it in his hand.

[@Omar-wq9dz]

A very underrated Disney movie with likable main characters and a great villain

[@jorgetravis86]

Amazing villain

[@nataliehughes1020]

Vincent Price was awesome when he voiced Ratigan.

[@chasehedges6775]

@@nataliehughes1020💯💯. Incredibly villainous performance.

[@nataliehughes1020]

@@chasehedges6775 Totally. He must be a friend of Elvira, Peter Lorre, Boris Karloff, and Bela Lugosi. :)

[@alexiaNBC]

I agree. It's one of my favorite underrated Disney films

[@MediaDukart]

The Big Ben scene is STILL one of my favorite animated scenes ever. The animation, the music, the sound effects, Ratigan going feral, it’s all AMAZING, and I would (and have) watch it over and over again.

[@vergilsparda8431]

Fun fact about that scene! It was heavily inspired by a very similar climax from the film Lupin III and the castle of cagliostro which was a Animated by none other than a pre-studio Ghibli Hayao Miyazaki

[@adelemarieappleby7063]

Mine 2

[@mikef.795]

More fun facts: despite being cgi, the gears were still hand-painted cels for each frame; the printed computer wireframes basically just skipped the penciling step. Also: as a small yet creative cost-cutting measure, they figured out the most common shade of "gear gray" for each shot and skipped painting the segments of that color, instead opting to just put a solid background behind the cels during the camera shooting. (The clock scene cels that occasionally come up at art auctions look drastically different than the watchable end-product since the gears have lots of "blank" portions)

[@CadDriftarus]

I know it's very heavily inspired by the clocktower scene in Castle of Cagliostro, but it's still so well done that it can stand on its own and has influenced other artists on its own the world over.

[@valerianmandrake]

Me too it feels like a roller coaster and that cathartic feeling afterwards.. guess I'm an adrenaline junkie

[@ZEKESPILLEDINKMUSIC]

This was truly an underrated film. Disney even included "To Ratigan" as part of their Sing-Along VHS tapes.

[@nathancruz9172]

I remember when I was a kid.

[@TBustah]

I had that one. I didn’t pick it out (I kind of hated singing as a child), I think some relative got it for me thinking it might shut me up for twenty minutes. 😂

[@dangurney1042]

The funny thing is most Pre-renaissance Disney movies were introduced to me through those Sing Along videos including this one. My babysitter had this on video and when the part with the song came on I was like “So this is where that song was originally from!”

[@aaendi6661]

@ethanschmid4104 It was on "Be Our Guest".

[@dangurney1042]

@@aaendi6661 I had that one, The Bare Necessities, Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah, and Disneyland Fun. My grandma had Under The Sea and The Circle of Life and my preschool teacher had Friend Like Me.

[@Teddyngham]

Fun fact: The drunk mouse, who calls Ratigan a rat, and gets fed to the cat, is also voice by Basil's voice actor. So Ratigan doesn't just hate him for calling him a rat, but also because he has his nemesis's voice.

[@ichiyacharendini-stewart136]

That's....an oddly interesting yet funny theory to think about. It could even make one wonder "Wait -- could that arrangement have been intentional on the artists' parts?" It's like the bad guy is reminded of some technicalities about the good guy and wants to see them die - in more ways than one. 😮 Now, those ARE some details.

[@supercloudreed]

the drunk mouse was not lying about Ratigan being a rat. he is one but he make it clear to every one that, if they say his true being, they get the CAT.

[@nathancruz9172]

I didn’t know that.

[@DanGamingFan2406]

Vincent Price absolutely nails it as Ratigan. You can tell he's having the time of his life in the recording booth. He's one of the most underrated villains in Disney history and goes so hard in that clock tower battle it's insane.

[@millerkarageanes1562]

He even said that ratigan was his favorite voice role

[@jonathanbaileyartanimation2992]

I love Vincent Price. This is the film that I know him a lot more. Then I realized he was The Master of Horror. I would’ve love to see him play Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol

[@KenzieRetro]

The mannerisms of ratigan definitely feel shakespearean

[@cmhsgrad02]

Gen X's know Vincent Price for 3 things and 3 things only 1. Being in a Scooby Doo series (13 ghosts) 2. The voice of closing of Thriller 3. This

[@jonathanbaileyartanimation2992]

@@cmhsgrad02 He also voiced Zig Zag the Grand Vizer in The Thief and the Cobbler

[@_The_Archive_]

Fun Fact: Ratigan was originally designed to look thin and weak, but when Vincent Price was chosen to play the role, his appearance was changed accordingly.

[@anakinskywalker5795]

Why Vincent price isn't a body builder so why does ratagin need to look like a monster? (Apart to make him look like one during the big Ben chase.)

[@orangeslash1667]

@@anakinskywalker5795 Because Ratagins' flaw Is that he has a temper problem, if he was weaker the anger would be less intimidating.

[@anakinskywalker5795]

@@orangeslash1667 makes sense.

[@orangeslash1667]

@@anakinskywalker5795 Disney said the hardest part of making the film was find a voice for Basil. They found Vincent Price, while sreaching for the Basil. They knew that Price wouldn't fit Basil, but they still wanted to use him.

[@WhiteRose2002]

@@anakinskywalker5795Also I think it does add a kind of a visual distinction between Basil and Ratigan. Basil is small and agile Ratigan is big and strong, Basil has a dog so Ratigan has a cat

[@MeliesCinemagician]

Basil and Ratigan's relationship reminds me of what you said about Jack Sparrow and Barbossa's relationship in the Pirates of the Caribbean reviews - You instantly get the sense that they've been around each other for so long that they know by heart which buttons on each other to press, and they love every moment of it.

[@AndreNitroX]

You don’t see that kind of hero and villain relationship anymore, no more Batman and jokers

[@moai17]

It was based on Sherlock Holmes and his arc nemesis prof. Moriarty. Sherlock was meant to die by fighting him and falling down the cliff. But because fans were furious that author killed Scherlock he came up with fantastic way to bring Shelock back. And fight between Basil and Ratigan is very reminiscent of it.

[@RedLeif1]

I've always like how in characters with a Holmes/Moriarty relationship, whatever's going on the main focus isn't "this really bad thing is happening, how is it Holmes going to stop it?" It's "how is Holmes going to outsmart Moriarty? " It's an interesting relationship and story and I can only imagine how difficult it is to write something like that.

[@AJR-zg2py]

This is why Sir Arthur Conan Doyle had planned Holmes and Moriarty to fall to their respective deaths from Reichenbach Falls in the novel (which is paralleled here with Basil and Ratigan falling from Big Ben)... because it was becoming so difficult to top the Holmes/Moriarty dynamic. It backfired on him because the readers LOVED it and the publishers wanted more lol.

[@americaroleplayer]

Basil, to this day, is probably the most accurate story-to-screen version of Holmes. He's both good and terrible with other people, Extremely caring, but extremely selfish, and so damn clever. The idea that the first thing little kids get introduced to would be THIS accurate to Holmes's character, is honestly fucking amazing. Edit: Can we PLEASE talk about Olivia's accent?!! It's neither British nor Irish, but somewhere in between. Precisely how a child raised in London by an Irishman WOULD talk. It's severely underrated and very difficult to do.

[@brandondias5622]

Is THAT what it is? I watched it a lot growing up, but it took me a while to pick up on Olivia and Hiram's accents not being more standard British. I had settled on them sounding Scottish.

[@brittanyr613]

Thanks for pointing that out! Now that I’m paying attention to to it, I definitely appreciate how hard the voice actress for Olivia must’ve worked. My American is showing because I totally thought Olivia had a Scottish accent.

[@MichaelAarons1701]

Olivia’s voice actress is from Scotland while her father is played by Alan Young who was born in Northern England but around 10 his father moved the family north into Scotland which probably explains why he could do Scrooge so well. The general consensus is the Flaversham’s are Scotsmice.

[@MichaelAarons1701]

Her actress is from Scotland.

[@MichaelAarons1701]

Her actress is from Scotland so it likely is.

[@katethemikufan9109]

Ratigan has easily the best animation ever done. You can thank Glen Keane for that. He also animated Beast, Aladdin, Pocahontas and Ariel.

[@NameGKal]

And he also animated Sykes (Oliver and Company) and John Silver (Treasure Planet).

[@LaukkuPaukku]

Personally I'd rate the Fairy Godmother from Cinderella (animated by Milt Kahl) as the single most believable animated performance, even though I otherwise agree Keane generally has an edge over Kahl acting-wise.

[@Octopugilist]

He also was head animator on Tangled and it's animated series

[@lainiwakura1776]

He created Ariel. But he could be considered in the ranks of the Nine Old Men. And his first name is spelled Glen.

[@katethemikufan9109]

​@@lainiwakura1776Sorry for the misspelling. I just corrected it. I don't know if he used his wife as reference for Ariel.

[@pianoguy222]

The "Smile everyone!" scene has lived rent-free in my head for decades.

[@Zodia195]

Funniest moment in the movie for me too, especially when it was Ratigan who asked them to smile for the camera lol.

[@Hufflepuffozian]

Same even though I didn’t see this movie until years later

[@ImInLoveWithBulla]

It’s a shame that Ratigan never lived to see that photo. Because without a doubt, that would have killed him on the spot. A cute moment in the movie, but when you actually think about it, pure savagery by Basil.

[@dangurney1042]

To me what’s so great about it is now knowing the future of their entire kingdom is at stake, Basil still takes a small moment to have fun.

[@walterlowe7252]

When I’m thinking I mumble the random shit he says when “doing the math” for the escape… I thought they were like magic words that helped you come up with great ideas… they are never actually applicable obviously

[@kaylabartley2271]

Probably my favorite Disney film. I absolutely love Basil and Ratigan. This was my introduction to Sherlock Holmes and is why I'm a fan today.

[@thisisme9898]

The same for me too! 💖

[@SheriffOutlaw]

This is one of my favorite Disney Movies that get offen overlooked. It's a shame because this was a brilliantly written and animated film. This film deserves more praise

[@jessicalinbarnett]

Yes 😊it’s a great film

[@Steve_Chronicles]

The fact that he used jinx from arcane as a good example of good voice act matching the animation is amazing to me because I always thought the same thing I thought that her energetic tone vs her sad and traumatic tone we’re both equally amazing because the voices worked so well together considering the mood she’s in at any time she’s on screen mostly because of how terrible her life was as a little kid

[@manuelacosta9463]

A childhood gem. Ratigan voiced by Vincent Price is a spectacularly over the top and dangerously menacing villain.

[@annienunyabiz6627]

Man, I miss old Disney films with unapologetic villains. These older films are just more memorable in no small part because of their iconic villains.

[@matityaloran9157]

Agreed

[@saltyk9869]

There's a place for a sympathetic villain. But sometimes the pure adulterated evil villains are just fun. Especially with a good actor in the role. There's a reason Freiza, Disney Hades and others are so fondly remembered.

[@alexconn7473]

​@@saltyk9869that is true sometimes villains should be unapologetically evil I mean big jack Horner from puss in boots the last wish is a pretty good example of this he knows he's evil and is not even sorry for it and couldn't give a flying fuck about who died for him to get what he wants even those who worked for him and he didn't care when they died it's like okay that happened moving on

[@gunnasintern]

facts man, i’d love to see genuine villains like him again. the closest we got in recent years is Jack Horner

[@matityaloran9157]

@@gunnasintern And he was from DreamWorks

[@90stalgiaTV]

This has always been my all-time favorite animated film, and in my view THE most criminally underrated Disney film ever made. The success of this film on home video played a huge role in saving Disney animation when they were in legitimate trouble at the time. It deserves so much more acknowledgment. Thanks for giving this one its due Critic!

[@AndreNitroX]

Yes while I’m sure the extra mice competition at the time buried this movie. I consider this movie better than American tail and the rescuers

[@Zodia195]

@@AndreNitroX 100% agree, I actually didn't like American Tail as a whole (although the ending always gets me and I love Tiger and that one German mouse). And yeah I did see these movies as a kid, granted I never got to see The Great Mouse detective until it came out on VHS for the first time. Call me crazy but I enjoyed the sequel to American Tale more because it was funnier.

[@AndreNitroX]

@@Zodia195 personally i like all the sequels to american tail more than the actual first movie, they are alot more fun

[@RavenRants]

I remember being a child and seeing that climax for the first time. He became one of my childhoods most iconic villains. Seeing him go from his usual scene chewing self to THAT monster was shocking and I loved every moment of it. I didnt even remember the sexy dancers, but I will never forget that villain

[@marquesbowden0130]

Arguably one of the most underrated animated movies of all time. It's kinda strange, yet comforting, that Disney didn't try to make a direct to vhs/dvd/stream of a remake or sequel.

[@misdrievousdemise3815]

Honestly, I'm kinda glad they didn't. Knowing their sequel streak reputation at the time, it would've most likely been hot garbage.

[@snowangelnc]

@@misdrievousdemise3815 Agreed. But yes, odd that they didn't try it considering how the Sherlock Holmes stories were written as four novels and a series of short stories of one stand-alone case after another. Not only could they have gotten a second story, this is the movie that felt like it was practically tailor-made to be turned into a tv series, like Disney's done with some of their other movies.

[@LordSvzklx]

…yet

[@tarahobson1525]

Don't Jinx it!!!!

[@jessefriesen9121]

This is hands down the most underrated Disney classic out there. Sherlock Holmes but with mice? Vincent Price? Henry Mancini doing the score? And one of the darkest and more intense of any of the 2D Disney adventure climaxes. This was on a short list for me of Disney movies I adored that nobody else cared about. Similar to Rescuers Down Under or, to a lesser extent, Robin Hood.

[@furiouskaiser9914]

I absolutely loved Rescuers Down Under as a kid. Even more then the original Rescuers movie. Still on my to-do list to get a monitor lizard and name it Joanna. (Already have a bearded dragon, just don't have the room/capability in my current living situation to have another pet lizard right now.)

[@Zodia195]

@@furiouskaiser9914 I remember seeing The Rescuers Down Under for a field trip at my daycare and they played the Mickey Mouse classical short- The Prince and the Pauper right before it. Its sad people forget about it. I loved that movie too; I liked it more than The Little Mermaid actually (and I was the target demographic for The Little Mermaid). I think because it wasn't a musical (had an amazing score though), its why people forget it's a part of the Disney Renaissance.

[@chance_ondriezek99]

One of the most underrated Disney films out there. Deserves a lot more love than it gets

[@TheMaskedDonut]

As an admirer of villains and their evil schemes, more credit must be given to Ratigan's death trap. Not only is it needlessly elaborate with all of the various ways it will destroy Basil, he even went ahead and recorded a song to taunt him as he's dying. THAT's dedication...

[@adilrahman6881]

I want to add, if Basil wasn't later than Ratigan planned, he would have stayed for it. He even says as much! Which is amazing, cause I can imagine him lip singing or dancing along to the diss track he made! Why can't modern Disney do this now?

[@Shojogurlp]

I love the small detail that all of the mice characters have four fingers while Ratigan has five fingers. In reality, mice only have four fingers and yet while rats have four fingers BUT also have an opposable thumb so technically, rats have five fingers.

[@BabeeGravy]

Ayyo wtf that’s cool as hell

[@RetroTaylor94]

I'm glad someone else noticed. I keep pet mice and rats and I also noticed he actually has proper rat hands. He also has the scaly tail, where all the mice have fur covering theirs!

[@GrizbyK72]

Hands are very important when it comes to character designs. Can tell you a lot about them. Particularly in comparison to other characters in their universe.

[@ladycavalier]

That is FREAKY I love it

[@francisfatta]

You really forget sometimes how interesting and creative these pre-renaissance Disney movies really are sometimes. This was probably one of my favorite Disney movies when I was little

[@Thebrotherhoodofgaming]

Many of us GMD fans really do consider this movie part of the Renaissance because. We wouldn't have those movies if this one didn't save the studio from shutting down after Black Cauldron nearly killed it.

[@jadedheartsz]

Yeah Oliver and Company especially.

[@Evilriku13]

excluding the Black Cauldron. I still remember being so very bored and hard to like this movie's characters everytime I tried to watch it.

[@LucyLioness100]

When we watched this in my girls therapy group, everyone’s jaws dropped at how ‘80s G it is. My friend Sam and I nearly fell on the floor howling with laughter that tears were streaming down our faces. The “Let Me Be Good to You” song sequence was their breaking point And you can’t tell me Vincent Price wasn’t born to play a Sherlock inspired villain. You can just hear how much fun he had in the recording booth. Plus Henry Mancini’s score is so jaunty and creepy at the right moments

[@koneheadcokehead4981]

Honestly Whoever picked Vincent Price to be the villain deserve a big pay raise

[@HurricaneDDragon]

I don’t know what I love more, the fact that Ratigan practically makes Scar look STRAIGHT by comparison, or the fact that Basil has a loving portrait of his nemesis.

[@frillydress]

Basil and Ratigan are so fruity

[@ImInLoveWithBulla]

I’m glad that someone mentioned that. I was never a huge Scar fan because I just thought he was diet Shere Khan, but gay. But that same weirdness just totally vibes with Ratigan.

[@GrahamChapman]

Yyyeah, Disney has a long history of queer coding their villains... Aaand it's NOT been a good thing, unfortunately...

[@jessicalinbarnett]

I didn’t even notice that 😢

[@myasmith1820]

It’s fun you say this considering Ratigan’s voice actor was a proud bi man.

[@warllockmasterasd9142]

This movie was the stuff of Nightmares for me as a child. that final scene with Ratigan going nuts scared me beyond anything else in my entire life.

[@SailorV1234]

Rattigan has one of the best villain songs. Kills a henchman DURING it. Then makes everyone else kick it back up to a 10.

[@actually_paid]

With no hesitation, this is in my all-time top five Disney films. My mom used to buy any Disney film on VHS back in the 80s and 90s, thinking they'd one day be collector's items for me and my sister, but I warped the tape on this one I watched it so much.

[@jonathanbaileyartanimation2992]

The scene where fidget went through the window still scares me even as an adult! And the scene where he kidnaps Olivia in the toy shop scared me too! I think fidget is probably THE SCARIEST sidekick character in cinema in my opinion

[@Tomycase]

And ironically he is also one of the funniest character in the movie, the scene with the lost list is hilarious

[@jonathanbaileyartanimation2992]

@@Tomycase yeah he can also be funny. His voice is funny too. But at times he’s friggin creepy!

[@Leomyd]

Same here, I can't watch the intro scene even to this day (I'm 32)

[@jonathanbaileyartanimation2992]

@@Leomyd I know how you feel. I’m gonna be 30 in a couple of weeks and I’m still scared of this intro!

[@jonathanbaileyartanimation2992]

@@Luna99-ss4id yes he can be funny but when he was first introduced he scared the crap outta me! Same went for the scene when he kidnapped Olivia. When he lunged to the camera in both those scenes, they made me jump

[@EmilyTheManx]

This is one of the top tier Disney movies in terms of writing and animation. The Disney Renaissance wouldn't have happened most likely if this wasn't as successful. It's still one of my top favorite Disney movies. ❤❤❤

[@bethanywallace8575]

The part when basil gets out of that crazy trap and says "smile everyone" for the picture at the end just get me every time and I get kind of pumped up lol

[@gradygal81]

Love that Doug is reviewing more underrated Disney movies like this and Atlantis!

[@jessehcreative]

I hope he eventually does the emperors new groove

[@welcometothemetaverse2523]

​@@jessehcreative​ Yeah, he admitted he didn't like The Emperor's New Groove in his Disneycember review but I feel like he really didn't give it a fair shake, which I get happens when you have to review a ton of movies in one month. While he praised the comedic villains, he kept emphasizing how doesn't like David Spade in the lead role. I feel that if he separates his bias on the actor, he'll notice how his voice really suits Kuzco's zany personality and recognize the rest of the movie's charm.

[@garrtoons4303]

This was indeed the very film that saved Disney right after the Black Cauldron came out, and this was BEFORE The Little Mermaid came out. This film deserves more credit.

[@KatriceMetaluna]

Yup yup, this movie straddles the border between Disney's dark age and its renaissance. It clearly retains some of the trappings of the old Disney animation style while giving a glimpse of what was just around the corner.

[@garrtoons4303]

@KatriceMetaluna Since this is the first Disney film to tackle CG, it pretty much is. This would eventually lead to a whole onslaught of inventive animation techniques at the time. I just wish Disney could tackle something new nowadays since they are currently bombing hard.

[@Blokewood3]

@@garrtoons4303 The Black Cauldron actually used CG first, though not as extensively as the Great Mouse Detective.

[@jadedheartsz]

Oliver and Company as well.

[@TheMightyBattleSquid]

This and black cauldron were repeat viewings in our household growing up lol

[@TheCommenterDragon]

The Great Mouse Detective is one of my all time favorite animated Disney films, It's such an underrated classic!

[@Thebrotherhoodofgaming]

great taste dude

[@TheCommenterDragon]

@@Thebrotherhoodofgaming If you say so.

[@samantha__jayne__]

One time when I went to Disney the person scanning tickets was asking everyone in like their favorite Disney movie and when I said “the great mouse detective” they looks at me a bit shocked and said “obscure, nice!” Glad to see this film is getting some love

[@thisisme9898]

Same for me as well! The Great Mouse Detective will always be my favorite Disney movie forever and I am not afraid to say if someone asks me, even at a Disney park. I would usually always wear Great Mouse Detective t shirts and custom hats, etc.

[@liv.H5174]

This is honestly my favorite Disney film. One of the reasons being that it has one of my favorite versions of Sherlock homes. Some movies and shows have him either being the boring bubble pipe smoking guy who just automatically figures everything out, or just a cold jerk who makes you wonder why he’s a good guy. Not to say that the original was especially kind, or even that every Sherlock should be exactly like the original. However, Basil carries a nice balance of these elements. He’s smart but they show you how with his experiments, he’s full of himself but has a good heart, and like the nostalgia critic said, he’s full of an energy that drags you along with him. Not because you always like or agree with him, but simply because his talent and adoration for his own work is so infectious.

[@ryanmorejon5813]

One of the most underrated Disney movies I've ever known and it deserves to get more attention

[@Poever]

Great Mouse Detective’s greatest strength is how timeless it feels. It could have easily come out in the 1950s or 60s and fit right into the classic Disney canon of the time. It feels like a feature length Silly Symphony in spirit

[@koneheadcokehead4981]

Honestly this might be one of the most underrated Disney films ever

[@Thebrotherhoodofgaming]

it really is.

[@jessehcreative]

This and The Emperor’s New Groove (at least, according to Disney)

[@PikaLink91]

@@jessehcreative This and Treasure Planet more like.

[@joaovitorfarinabraga690]

Man I swear the finale at 17:20 has to have inspired the beauty and the beast finale, when I see Ratigan as a monster fighting in the rain it reminds me so much of the Beast fighting Gaston

[@aspie-anarchist9854]

Also I love how equally matched they are for most of the movie. They are mostly intellectual competitors. So i love that when ratigan finally shows his violent tendencies and how physically imposing he is, basil is for the first time actually nervous and even fearful. It's like he knows he doesn't have a side of himself that is comparable to that. He isn't a violent brute and it's the only time he doesn't actually have a plan. He lucked out that he fell. Cause he clearly would have been killed if not for it. And Like you said he is mostly the same character he is very confident, full of himself, and quick thinking. So that moment shows his emotional depth. He also feels fear especially when he has no idea what his next move is.

[@KaseyKay92]

The battle on Big Ben has always stayed with me. It was both epic and frightening to watch

[@koneheadcokehead4981]

Fun Fact: During the recording of Vincent Price's lines, animators sketched his exaggerated Shakespearean gestures and worked them into the animated poses for Ratigan.

[@LucyLioness100]

That’s pretty similar to what they did with Scar later on in Lion King; animator Andreas Deja used the facial features of Jeremy Irons to shape Scar’s face and expressions. It’s absolutely brilliant as they both work so well with the energy the actors gave to the performance

[@xLoLRaven]

I love how Ratigan's balloon ship is basically the prototype for the Rescue Rangers' iconic blimp. Also, I totally agree with you about the quality of this movie. I can still fondly remember watching this on my family's old VCR.

[@racionador]

My headcanon, this movie and rescue rangers take place in the same universe.

[@talonschultz5277]

To this day this is one of my favorite Disney films, and I think it’s INCREDIBLY underrated

[@Nargon46]

My grandparents had this on VHS at their house, every time we visited they always let me watch it, it was my all time favorite movie as a little kid. Sure, it scared the crap out of me, but I loved every second of the great animation, voice acting, and music. To this day I can't say the name Toby without going into a high pitched Scottish accent. Thanks for doing this one, Doug, it's a gem!

[@brittanyr613]

Such an underrated movie. I loved this movie as a kid and I still love it as an adult! I love the setting, the protagonist, the supporting cast and of course, the villain. Vincent Price’s Ratigan is one of THE best celebrity voice overs I’ve ever heard. Btw, Doug, your joke at 8:15 to 8:21 cracked me up!! 😂😂😂

[@scorch33]

I'm glad that you gave this movie so much positivity. When I saw the thumbnail in my feed I was legit concerned that you'd trash it, but when I read the comments below I saw that you gave it a lot of praise, and I enjoyed your reactions and comments to one of my favorite all time movies.

[@Hexalys13]

I watched this movie often as a kid. It was also one of my dad’s favorites. At one point, the vhs got shoved into a box and left untouched until I was in my late teens. We pulled it out for nostalgia’s sake and I can still remember the moment when the “downed orphans and widows” line actually registered to me. My dad laughed at my shock and said that line right there was why he loved this movie. 80s Disney is the best!

[@bboof2624]

i was born in 2008 and one of my earliest obsessions was this movie. my mum had bought a stack of disney animated movie books, and little 2 year-old me instantly fell in love with The Great Mouse Detective book. my mum finally found a DVD of it and my little head nearly exploded seeing the movie for the first time. it really goes to show that a truly good movie will continue to find it's lovers long after it's time on the big screen.

[@alphaw0lfenvt]

Vincent is terrifying and is no one to mess with! Also how is it that I see Vincent inside this character I know he is voicing him but if he was an animal this reflects him perfectly!

[@darthcinema4262]

Such an underrated and under appreciated film. The animation, characters, music, the cast, and the dark tone are fantastic.

[@robpagenkopf5829]

THE most underrated Disney animated film. I love The Rescuers Down Under, and The Emperor's New Groove is great, but no Disney animated film is more underrated than this absolute gem.

[@MrSupersonic2012]

Honestly I think the only other underrated animated Disney gem that ties with this one imo is Treasure Planet. That movie is so good, but it's just completely glossed over , as is this one.

[@s.g2344]

Robin hood ? I still say is very underrated. It's strange I actually usually prefere the underrated Disney films over the massive hits

[@Misfit_Kitten]

@@s.g2344 Robin Hood *does* get its due, though. People certainly remember it fondly. Few people seem to remember Great Mouse Detective - which is odd, because the two movies have a lot of similarities.

[@MrSupersonic2012]

@@orangeslash1667 Did not know that, but hell yeah! That's awesome.

[@jessehcreative]

@@orangeslash1667 they had to work on this and a couple other films to finally get treasure planet made

[@PhoenixGamerxx96]

This movie is a underrated masterpiece for having the best underrated Disney villian voiced by Vincent Price "Ratigan".

[@amarikristopher8409]

Apparently in Ratigan’s song, it had more lines but they had to take them out cause they were too dark. It was related to the line of making “Londoners sob” due to tossing people off a bridge, and whenever they’d try to swim up for air, he’d shoot them o_o.

[@Trayxxxx]

Man, it's been a real long time since I saw this gem of a movie. I'm glad it's been brought into attention.

[@thisisme9898]

Hell YES! It deserves soooooo much more! I Love it so much!

[@twist58]

Professor Ratigan is quite the ruthless and astute villain for a Disney animated film. I see why Vincent Price cited this as his most favorite role in his acting career.

[@johnnysparkle]

Back in the early 2000s, there were originally plans for a Stealth Sequel to the film titled, The Search for Mickey Mouse, which would've had Basil team up with Minnie, Donald, and Goofy and go on a globe-trotting quest to search for the titular mouse after he was "mouse-napped", all while encountering a wide array of Disney characters along the way. Unfortunately, the film would get canceled after the animators decided that incorporating the insanely large number of Disney characters into a feasible 90-minute script was deemed too difficult.

[@Trainboy452]

Though nowadays, a time where crossovers are all over the place, this concept would feel quite at home.

[@orangeslash1667]

@@Trainboy452 Dark Fact: The Black Caldron was such a failure for Disney, that Micheal Eisner was considering shutting down the animation division for good. However the Great Mouse Detective was just successful enough to convince Disney that the animation division was worth keeping.

[@arielruh7773]

That would've been awesome why can't we have great Mickey Mouse movies like that

[@DJTagz09]

By far one of my all-time favorite Disney films growing up. Glad that it's only a one off, but imagine if this was a show like Rescue Rangers or DuckTales, would've watched that in a heartbeat!

[@VicHD]

Fun Fact, the clock tower scene was inspired by Miyazaki's "Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro." I'm surprised you didn't mention that.

[@GBlastMan]

About the Basil statue on Darkwing Duck, i always like to think 2 things whenever i see it in the show: One that Drake really likes Basil and was some of the things that inspired his alter ego and the way he does things, somehow he thought himself as a "spiritual succesor" of Basil. And two, that the people creating the show really liked some of the aspects of The Great Mouse Detective so much that they made the statue as a way of referencing their inspiration in the show and how Darkwing Duck is somehow like The Great Mouse Detective but with a more mid 90's modern mindset.

[@HeisenbergFam]

6:57 your voice acting is gold, the movie is really underrated, great quality

[@mr.whatsittoya533]

This is one of my all time favorite Disney films ever. One of the few genuinely good movies to come out of Disney’s “Dark era”. So glad you reviewed it and that more seem to be discovering/rediscovering it.

[@azureryuga3931]

Seeing Doug cover Disney movies that aren't exactly big names (Great Mouse Detective, Atlantis: The Lost Empire, etc) gives me hope that we'll eventually get an episode about Treasure Planet.

[@mikigirl18]

The clocktower scene, from the moment they crashed into Big Ben always amazed me. The music was perfect, and it was just intense.

[@GrizbyK72]

The crash of the glass is almost like us breaking into another world. The same characters are there but the rules have changed.

[@HORRIOR1]

This is one of the few Disney animated movies I wish there was a sequel of. I know it wouldn't be as well animated but I just want more of these characters and new cases for them to solve.

[@AndreNitroX]

That ending definitely makes you long for more adventures, that’s the sign of a great movie

[@IsiahJJack2]

Same

[@ShadyGirl-ng6hg]

@HORRIOR1 I know I'm late for this, but I kinda noticed that the Bronze Age of Disney films didn't get any sequels or TV shows, maybe except The Jungle Book, but the others didn't get any. Yeah such a shame The Great Mouse didn't get any TV shows or a sequel, wasted potential.

[@HORRIOR1]

@@ShadyGirl-ng6hg at least they got a few stories in the Donald duck comics. Also rescuers Also got a sequel.

[@CordyBrush]

One thing this can sadly never get back is how the color scheme on VHS was MUCH darker during the "Rat Transformation" scene in Big Ben.. and it scared the everliving crap out of me as a 4 year old!

[@laurenhoffman2654]

This and Robin Hood were the two most watched Disney movies of my childhood. Still one of my favorites.

[@dangurney1042]

I know a lot of ‘90s kids like myself grew up with the Disney Sing Along Songs videos and I was actually introduced to this movie on one of those videos as I was for a lot of pre-Renaissance Disney movies. The song World’s Greatest Criminal Mind was featured on the video Be Our Guest. Then my babysitter had this movie on VHS and when that song came on I was like “So this is where it was originally from!”

[@steelsith2579]

I loved this film as a kid. I was born in 89 but I can remember being 3 and 4 years old and being fascinated, terrified, emotionally invested in this. Vincent Price’s Ratigan is probably in my top 10 villains of all time for his unhinged optimism.

[@samkresil6011]

I used to feel it every time when Ratigan kept swiping at Basil on the Big Ben clock tower. It instantly reminded me of the bear fight scene from The Fox and the Hound and right when the bear was about to swipe Todd on the log.

[@mechazoic]

The thing I loved about Basil was, although he was egotistical and superior, he actually was intelligent and competent enough to back it up. It was a trait he shared with the character he was based on, Sherlock Holmes. I think this trait was carried over to Darkwing Duck as well (hence why he has Basil’s statue), he’s also full of himself but, when he goes into “Let’s get dangerous” mode and puts the ego aside, he’s actually very competent as a crime fighter.

[@valerianmandrake]

He doesn't care about social niceties and can be egocentric and a bit rude or prickly, but fundamentally he's a good guy with morals....unlike Ratigan who is just depraved . They're both megalomaniacs though. :D

[@wattsink2009]

14:25 Why am I imagining Egghead doing this exact thing with the Adam West Batman? 🤔

[@roberthuffer6591]

14:00. Interesting point here. As a kid, I thought this bar fight was hilarious. As an adult, I realize that this fight has to go down as one one of the most brutal bar brawls in cinema history. Because of the amount individuals, and variety of weapons. We have wood planks, chairs, chair legs, tables and table parts, clubs, knives, daggers, wine bottles, other glass bottles, chandeliers and lanterns, beer mugs, and guns. Also, that one crazy s.o.b. that had an axe! Who brings an axe to a bar?!

[@enzotakusurace-san1153]

I think it's one of the first Disney movies I ever saw in my life, I loved it as a child and I love it now. I regret that it "lost" at the box office to An American Story of Don Blunt, but I think it deserves a rediscovery of this classic that may not have started the Disney Renaissance, but it certainly set the stage for it to begin

[@saylosrelyks8645]

I remember this film as a kid and it leaving a strange impact on me because there were some dark and strange scenes but the doll shop freaked me out the most, on a positive note however the way they meshed the Reichenbach Falls showdown between Sherlock and Moriarty to Basil and Ratigan on the tower was awesome.

[@valerianmandrake]

For being a kids' movie, it sure does have plenty of horror elements. Which I love(d)

[@Markimark151]

I remember when I saw this movie in class in elementary school, I was one of the few kids that liked the movie, the other kids wanted to watch a different movie because they were scared of it! Great Mouse Detective is underrated, and love Professor Rattigan, he’s like the precursor to Jafar and Hades. I heard Vincent Price almost voiced Jafar in Aladdin, but retired from doing movies before his death before Aladdin was made.

[@Ardomew]

I loved this movie as a kid, and it's always a treat to hear others discuss how great Basil and Ratigan are, as well as how mature this kid's film can get in certain moments.

[@PikaLink91]

As a kid I always appreciated cartoons that didn't shy away from mature/dark themes.

[@ramirezthesilvite]

This is probably one of my top ten Disney films. It's such a fun movie, and Basil's a great character, and you just CANNOT hate Vincent Price.

[@thewinterprince1731]

This was one of my favorite movies as a kid, and it still holds a special place in my heart. I am STOKED that you finally reviewed it.

[@freaknr1]

This was one of my favourite films as a kid, and my favourite Disney-film along with The Rescuers Down Under. It's just so good, and just hearing the clanking from the gears of the clock tower in this video gave me chills. Fabtastic film!

[@atkelar]

Oh, I love Basil 😃 It's one of the movies where you can clearly see how much fun the creative team had with it. And... well... it's old day London... there WAS no sun. Perfeclty captured 😆

[@joesfootlocker3083]

This is hands down my favorite Disney film. Followed by Robin Hood and Aladdin. The “Stop in the name of the law!” when he jumps on that tiny horse still cracks me up.

[@librahoshino6752]

Barrie Ingham, the voice of Basil, went on to work alongside Ian Holme on a British live-action TV film adaptation of Beatrix Potter's The Taylor of Gloucester. Coincidentally, another child's story about mice saving the day.

[@MythicSuns]

3:30 Doug, it's the UK, we're basically diet Chicago when it gets to bad weather.

[@Hapasan808]

This movie embodies nostalgia for me. Every moment, every sound. It's my childhood.

[@LowellLucasJr.]

13:40 Growing up with this, Teela, April O'Neil, Elvira, Janeen, Adora, Cheetara, Scarlet, Arcee and eventually Gadget....showed me girls werent 'icky' as a kid!😂

[@Som2106]

Always liked that the German voice of Ratigan was also voicing Baloo in the JungleBook and O‘Malley in the Aristocats. And for all three characters it fit perfectly. Rest in peace, Edgar Ott 🫶

[@Theokal3]

This has legit been my favourite Disney movie since I was a kid - and still is. I am sad it doesn't get more recognition. Ratigan inspired me my love for the brutish yet sophisticated villain archetype.

[@johnschwalb]

I literally just sat down and watched this for the first time. I like picking old movies none of us have seen so we can experience them all for the first time together. My wifes first question is almost always, "is this kid appropriate" All i had was "its 80s Disney, we will see what we get." That opening seen happened and i turned to look at my 4 year old son to see how he was doing and he was scared but enthralled. He sat and watched the whole movie.