A Disney Villains Retrospective, Part 27: Ratigan (The Great Mouse Detective)

[@ColinLooksBack]

Just to make a quick note/correction - Elizabeth Watasin both wrote *and* drew the Olivia comic!

[@amojmarr]

Great job, with this retrospective! Since the Ursula retrospective is coming up soon after Brave Little Toaster and a few more films, mind if I show you a couple of pieces of Media I found, relating to her?!... Also, Great Mouse Detective is one of my favorite Disney Films as well!

[@robbiewalker2831]

11:10: Gotta give Ratigan some credit in breaking Basil's spirit; if Dawson didn't get Basil back in his mindset, Ratigan's trap would've worked perfectly. I don't blame Ratigan for not knowing it would happen, it's something that can't be avoided in storytelling. 21:02: Huh; with the exception of Olivia, that means we have two characters of the same actor being the one the most to call Ratigan a rat. 25:46: Okay, HUGE Sidenote: Maurice LaMarche (best known for voicing the Brain in "Animaniacs" and "Pinky and the Brain", as well as voicing fellow Disney Villain Mortimer Mouse) would later go on to do Vincent Price impersonations, which includes voicing Scooby-Doo look-alike character "Vincent Van Ghoul" (another character formerly played by Vincent Price). Maurice's notable voice work as Van Ghoul was in "Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated" and "The Curse of the 13th Ghost" (the latter being a botched continuation of "the 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo", which Vincent Van Ghoul originated from). Although I feel that Mystery Incorporated is over-glorified and overrated, and the logic within the show makes little sense (not to mention the sexual melodrama within the Scooby gang was very unwarranted in my honest opinion), I'd be lying if I didn't like at least one episode from the entire show; and not only was it the best written SDMI episode in my honest opinion, it just so happens to be a Van Ghoul episode. The episode in question is called "Nightfright". The episode started with Shaggy and Scooby watching a Vincent Van Ghoul movie, only to see Van Ghoul at the front door, as he was inviting them to his Mansion for Dinner. We later see that Van Ghoul had his home setup with a personal weather machine that's set to rain (to befit the mood), an organ operated security system, and a bunch of hidden cameras. The cameras were because Van Ghoul was hosting a recently new reality TV show (and one that's actually pretty interesting), one that involves inviting people over for Dinner, and give a frightful show where his movie characters come to life and scare their victims. Although Van Ghoul was enjoying himself, one character sabotaged the plan, a character named Nightfright. Van Ghoul was at first scared when he saw this character, until the Mystery gang showed up and found a rejected script in Van Ghoul's bedroom; it turns out that Nightfright was a character someone wanted to cast Van Ghoul in, but it was rejected, and the person who made the character was mocked. Finding this out, they encourage Van Ghoul to play cool, since Van Ghoul is good actor; and he did a good job holding back his fear when having to walk around the mansion and back to his bedroom, where they trap Nightfright. The episode ended with the gang (including Daphne who didn't get much to eat earlier) having Dinner in the Mansion, with Van Ghoul serving dessert in his monster costume. Honestly, I wish Mystery Incorporated did more of these types of episodes, ones that give more positive vibes than negative. I just don't like it when shows had to get characters in fights over something illogical or contradictory.

[@unripetheberrby6283]

The art's adorable 😆

[@forrestdupre87]

Hopefully The Great Mouse Detective won’t get a live action remake

[@srstriker6420]

Well I thought you were going to do Oliver and Company next as remember I said that Sykes was originally going to be voiced by Marlon Brando because of the Godfather and one of his dogs appeared outside of the movie, I figured that like Taron and the Horned king, Oliver and Sykes really don’t have a connection and that Sykes and Fagin isn’t a hero vs villain dynamic it’s a poor man and his abusive Loan Shark. Also where would Merlock from Ducktales movie take place?

[@ShadwSonic]

I believe the hangup over being called a "rat" is that they're also seen as incredibly dirty and vulgar, but Ratigan fashions himself as a "gentleman criminal". In his eyes, it would be like calling Moriarty a "two-bit thug". Of course, the way Ratigan acts after his plan is thwarted shows that, deep down, he truly lives down to that reputation of his kind.

[@hodarinundu]

I mean, not gonna lie, if I had gone to so much trouble to replace the Queen with a robot and came that close to succeeding in taking over the world's most powerful country at the time, only for the same person who's been ruining my plans for years to take that victory away at the very last moment, I'd go feral on them too XD

[@BarnabusBarbarossa]

I always felt the movie was doing some kind of class analogy with Ratigan's insistance that he's not a rat. Clearly, mice are the dominant species in this society. The queen is a mouse, and her empire is referred to as "Mousedom". Meanwhile, Basil insults Ratigan's nature as a rat by calling him a "slimy, contemptible sewer rat" and "a foul rodentus" (quite frankly, making Basil come off as a tad racist/elitist). I kind of get the vibe that, in being a rat trying to pass himself as a mouse, the Ratigan is being portrayed as someone of a lower-class background trying to pass himself off as being from more reputable stock. Which may also be why he's so insistent on proving his intellectual prowess. Adding to that, Ratigan of course has an Irish name. Could his nature as a rat in a society of mice be a commentary on him being a looked-down-upon Irishman in the elitist society of Victorian Britain? Certainly it could add a layer of meaning to his desire to topple the British Empire.

[@IsabellaMathew]

That is very cool theory.

[@Firebender554]

You might be onto something with that Ratigan = Victorian Era Irishman. In addition to racial discrimination, The Great Famine Ireland was dealing with at the time was largely blamed on Queen Victoria. I can see an Irishman wanting to kill the Queen, and as a matter of fact, multiple Irishmen attempted to do just that when The Great Famine was at its peak. It wouldn't surprise me to think that was the analogy the book and/or movie had in mind.

[@hodarinundu]

I had never even thought about Ratigan sounding Irish XD It definitely is a bit strange that mice would dominate rodent society what with rats being much bigger, stronger, smarter and more aggressive- but hey, its a Disney movie, I guess Micky Mouse would never approve of mice being the lesser species :B

[@eriksieurin334]

Weeeelll, doesn't the book Ratigan (who IS a mouse, remember...) have an Irish first name? Padraic sounds Irish to me!

[@gota7738]

It's an odd aspect of enjoying a lot of these villains. Aside from the general fun they're having, a lot of them are of lower status and their evil goal is upward mobility. Of course they have no intention of bringing up anyone with them but the movies don't tend to end with the heroes giving up the monarchy either. Yet being the underdog is part of what makes the villains appealing, so while I'm probably iffy on the social politics of it, I can't help but enjoy the outcome. Maybe there's a sort of catharsis in watching an underdog upend the social norms of even the story itself, even if they are punished at the end. Mind you Gaston and Frollo are also well loved villains but they occupy the status of top dog, so it doesn't have to be essential.

[@speedracer2008]

Man, that final comment from Vincent Price feels harsher in hindsight, considering how little Ratigan has appeared in since then. Rest in Peace, Vincent Price. You nailed that character and no one can replace you.

[@TwilightLink77]

Unless you count Corey Burton

[@disneyboy3030]

​@@TwilightLink77and Maurice LaMarsh.

[@robbiewalker2831]

@@disneyboy3030 LaMarche is a more notable contender; he can do a better Vincent Price than he does Orson Welles.

[@MmeCShadow]

Ratigan's fury at being called a rat puts me to mind of the Penguin-- a two-bit thug who was envious of those of higher social standing and worked to claw his way to the top. Intelligent, cunning, and putting on the airs of high society, but not at all afraid of violence and getting his own hands dirty. This kind of dovetails into why he demands to be known as the greatest criminal mind, and why his ultimate goal is to become king-- it's not just money and power that he wants, but respect and recognition. He demands to be seen as the sophisticated noble he styles himself as when in reality, he's still a brutish, monstrous sewer rat. While I appreciate the original idea for the clocktower fight I think that cutting out Basil trying to 'outwit' Ratigan at this point is for the best, because the movie had been showing all these glimpses of Ratigan's mask cracking and it finally comes to a head during the climax. If he was still answering trivia questions it would cut into the sheer terror that his final form provokes. Not just because it would be silly if he was playing Jeopardy at the height of the climax, but because it would also cut into Basil's own terror. We've seen how clever he is, how cool he is under pressure, how quickly he can think, but all his cleverness is consumed by raw, animal fear when Ratigan finally snaps. Just brilliant. I love Great Mouse Detective, and the clocktower fight is to this day one of my absolute favorite final battles in any movie.

[@BuckarooBanzai84]

Here-here! =)

[@e-mananimates2274]

I love your defense for the final version of the climax! As much a I love to have Basil's brain used more then, it may dampen the impact on how Ratigan is truly a monster.

[@sarafontanini7051]

it also plays into how far gone ratigan is now. THere's NO semblance of his personality left, jsut a monstrous, murderous rat driven by rage to mruder a far weaker man.That's why his hair's a mess, his clothes are torn and even his face looks more monstrous, because somehow he's completely fallen and is now even less than what he tried to be.

[@gota7738]

I think Ratigan perfectly highlights how a 'I'm Evil and Lovin It' villain can have layers, even without diminishing their villainy. Ratigan embraces and enjoys his reputation but he clearly is also driven by insecurities and a desire to prove his greatness. I think a lot of the great Disney Villains have that, and it doesn't have to make them overly sympathetic. Let'a face it, a lot of the worlds worst crimes comes from people's insecurities and fear of vulnerability, and a need to prove their strength or superiority at the cost of others.

[@MeliesCinemagician]

An interesting note - Professor Moriarty (and hence Ratigan as well) was actually based in part on a real person. Adam Worth (circa 1844 - 1902), a German-born crime boss who often masqueraded as a respectable society man, was known as the "Napoleon of Crime," a common nickname for Moriarty. He was best-known for orchestrating the theft of the painting Portrait of Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, which he managed to hold onto for 25 years.

[@IsabellaMathew]

That is cool to know

[@chazzthehedgehog5495]

Now that I think about it! There's actually a disney afternoon villain named after Professor Moriarty, namely that mole villain from Darkwing Duck called: Professor Moliarty.

[@robbiewalker2831]

@@chazzthehedgehog5495 Don’t you mean “Mole-iarty”?

[@chazzthehedgehog5495]

@@robbiewalker2831 yeah, that's what i meant!

[@speedracer2008]

Ratigan's design change from a scrawny to muscular rat was also done in response to the casting of Vincent Price, as Glen Keane felt he needed to have a character that fit with Vincent Price's previous larger-than-life performances.

[@Tadicuslegion78]

As I said with Peter Ustinov as Prince John, I wish we had footage of Vincent Price in the recording booth just to see his performance because you know he had to have been throwing it all into it

[@pompe221]

Definitely! You can just tell Vincent Price was having a blast.

[@Rachel-lo6if]

I like the theory that Ratigan is a methaphor for an Irish person who as internalized the racism in Victorian England and the theory that Ratigan lives/works with mice became he's unimpressive to average when around other rats. Also, Ratigan and Basil have big "exes who had a nasty breakup" vibes, which is hilarious

[@sirhenrymorgan1187]

I also subscribe to this headcanon. Both Moriarty and Ratigan are implied to be Irish/of Irish descent (Moriarty is an Irish name, and Ratigan's first name (Padraic) is also Irish).

[@beastmaster0934]

Dude, if Ratigan is “unimpressive” compared to other rats. I would NOT want to see what those rats look like.

[@sustelsuk]

I miss these villian who love being evil and not because they have a tragic past

[@NewSonyWonderHappyMadisonFan]

I like "evil for evil's sake" type villains but the people complaining for more (you and the people who liked your comment) are just as annoying as there not being much "evil for evil's sake" villains anymore.

[@nicholassims9837]

@@NewSonyWonderHappyMadisonFan Sometimes a villain with a backstory can make them not be flat as look at Plankton and Mr Crocker

[@NewSonyWonderHappyMadisonFan]

@@nicholassims9837 yep

[@PeterBayley-s1w]

Villans like that still exist (ex: Big jack Horner from puss in booklets the last wish). Writing trends change, but that doesn't make them automatically good/bad.

[@mightyfilm]

A villain such as that needs to be written properly. Bad for the sake of bad either needs to have some depth behind it, or one powerful personality and a hell of a lot of riz to carry the character. I like an agent of chaos as much as the next guy, but they have to be chaotic themselves to pull it off. That said, there's nothing wrong with backstory. There's nothing wrong with corrupted and/or vengeful once good guys. I love Dr. Wily once being a promising scientist and friend of Dr. Light, only to get increasingly jealous, bitter, and vindictive. I love Omniman being a hero and then succumbing to an extreme form of nihilism that kills everyone he finds weaker and mortal. We need all kinds for fiction to work. Tropes are tropes for a reason.

[@Ozzygirl17]

Fidget’s two jumpscares got to me as a kid, which certainly made me avoid horror movies like a plague. Even when you expect them, they can still get to people. That’s impressive.

[@itscs1175]

Fidget was the reason I avoided this movie like the 'rona 😂 😭

[@BuckarooBanzai84]

I KNOW! I STILL have trauma from that! XD (true though)

[@Cabrono]

Fidget's jumpscares scared me so much as a kid. Hence I watched the movie over and over in order to conquer my fear.

[@kirkberryjr8724]

Your not wrong

[@kirkberryjr8724]

Believe me😢

[@jamesa.romano8500]

Vincent Price was made for the medium of animation in the same way that Robin Williams was, only for animated villainy. Even if it was Richard Williams who was probably the first to see that potential by casting him as Zig Zag in Thief and the Cobbler, I think Ratigan made the best use of his ability to convey menace mixed with this maniacal glee that comes off as a little hammy in live action but can be pulled off effectively in an animated character. Actually my favorite animated villain of his is Irontail in Peter Cottontail but that's another story LOL

[@Regenmacher175]

I guess Ratigan hates being called a rat because it reminds him that, while he would be considered large and above-average intelligent for a mouse, he would not be considered very big or seen as a genius when compared to other rats. It's important to note that the film does not provide us with other characters who are rats to which we could compare him.

[@Alejandroigarabide]

The deleted alternative defeat of Ratigan, with Basil asking him questions and Ratigan answering out of pure sense of pride, leading to his doom, reminds me of Joe's defeat from "Help, I'm a fish". Now that I mention it, Joe is basically a fish version of Ratigan, only missing the anger issues and an arch nemesis.

[@nicholassims9837]

Unless you count Joe

[@Alejandroigarabide]

@@nicholassims9837 What?

[@nicholassims9837]

@@Alejandroigarabide I ment the kid who tricks Joe

[@Alejandroigarabide]

@@nicholassims9837 You met Fly's voice actor? The original voice or the english dub?

[@nicholassims9837]

@@Alejandroigarabide no

[@ZombieChicken1310]

*Fun fact:* Fidget actually did survive. In some comics after the movie, it was shown that he survived the fall, and since then he curiously became best friend with Olivia (being like an older brother to her, even calling her "Livy") and he even got back the ability to fly.

[@sarafontanini7051]

I think the ending shows why Ratigan tries to play hmself as a mouse: in this version of relaity, mice are smart, civilised and kept together. But if Ratigan's transformation is to go by, perhaps in this story rats are supposedly violent, potntial feral beasts, or perhaps that's just how ratigan sees them, and his desire is to be something greater than that. Perhaps his transformation is meant to reflect him throwing off all pretences and revealinghis true self: a murderous, monstrous rat with no brains and only a desire to murder the mouse he hates most. also suppossedly the final battle is inspiried by the climactic final battle between lupin and The Count in Castle of Cagliostro (My favourite movie of all time)

[@fattuscattus2200]

Bill the Lizard’s role in this movie is so weird. Usually when a Disney movie has a character from another movie cameo, they show up for like one shot and never again, a blink and you’ll miss it thing.But Bill shows up throughout the movie and appears fairly often, it would be harder NOT to notice him.

[@nifralo2752]

I guess someone really liked him

[@matthewbankey5547]

Something I want to point out that Colin overlooked when it came to Fidget; during their escape with Olivia, Fidget gets tired pedaling Ratigan’s flying machine and eventually stops to suggest they “lighten the load”. Ratigan is clearly upset when Fidget stops pedaling, but when he goes “Oh, you want to lighten the load” in a seemingly calm voice, Fidget looks at Olivia and evilly chuckles, assuming Ratigan is going to throw her overboard… before Ratigan instead throws HIM overboard, and because of Fidget’s crippled wing, he can’t fly and thus plunges into the Thames (at least I think it’s the Thames). It’s kind of funny how Fidget thought they’d get rid of their hostage like that, and didn’t think for a second that someone as temperamental as Ratigan would turn on him. I also hope he survived in the end.

[@nifralo2752]

Ratigan is a) angry at Fidget for not being his slave and b) Olivia is a hostage a weapon to use against Basil

[@WaywardAce420]

I love how Basil and Ratigan are two sides of the same coin, both are arrogant geniuses whose main goal in life is to end the other. I’ve never known that Candido said Fidget was one of his favorite roles, but that’s fun to know. I’ve heard it said that Ratigan was Vincent Price’s favorite role, and while I’ve not come across a recoding of the man himself saying that, I can definitely believe it to be true, you can hear the glee in his voice throughout the film. I love his evil chuckle just before he starts singing World’s Greatest Criminal Mind. Much as Corey Burton and Maurice LaMarche are fabulous voice actors, truth be told, Vincent Price could not be touched, and Ratigan was and is the best version of Moriarty we ever got.

[@aidanhever3369]

Since this is the directorial debut of John Musker and Ron Clements, I can see that they used Professor Ratigan as inspiration for other characters in their movies like Ursula from The Little Mermaid, The Genie from Aladdin, and Hades from Hercules.

[@sarafontanini7051]

its overlooked how despite its lighthearted tone and character designs, this is a fairly dark movie, which i feel helps it stand out. Not only are the kidnappings portrayed as legitimaitely scary andnot comical or harmless, but we see Ratigan outright murder a man in a rather chilling scene that shows he's not a joke, and of cours not only do we get the figetjumpscares but we get further horror with the creepy robot queen (particularly when it breas apart due to basil's meddiling) and there's of course ratigan's famous villainious breakdown as he becomes a literal monster at the end.

[@valerianmandrake]

Not to mention the creepy clowns and dolls in the toy shop scene, and the Queen's uncanny doppelganger. Reflects the anxiety of Victorian society being overpowered by automatons (a timeless theme - like today's society worried about being replaced by AI), and the fall of the British Empire and monarchy.

[@CasterShellz]

The key ingredient to what makes Ratigan a good “evil-for-evil’s sake” villain is that he’s actually a criminal. Crime is a way of life that has made him rich and powerful but he wants more. He wants subjugation. Basil creates a simple but powerful storytelling dynamic by simply trying to stop Ratigan from committing crimes and achieving his goal of complete subjugation of the entire country.

[@danielsvetlichny5721]

I feel I need to point that the Phantom Blot is essentially Ratigan before Ratigan came about in Disney. Also, the Elizabeth Tower sequence is seen as a tribute to Hayao Miyazaki, particularly his directorial debut The Castle of Cagliostro in the Lupin III series.

[@cherryvids9226]

A hug from the ratigan walk around costume could fix me instantly

[@lightdarksoul2097]

I love the idea of someone that grew close to a hero taking up that hero's occupation. Like Olivia becoming a detective would be cute as she saw in Basil there was so much good that could be done plus she has the softness Basil was missing in the beginning

[@sarafontanini7051]

imagine her own nemesis being a girl inspired by ratigan's crimes and taking up his mantle

[@lightdarksoul2097]

I could see rats actually looking up to Ratigan, like if Rats were usually looked down on and seen as stupid but one rat was able to be so much more even if it was bad. I could see a rat girl wanting to be like him only to come against a basil of her own in Olivia. @@sarafontanini7051

[@lightdarksoul2097]

​@@sarafontanini7051the Queen of Crime

[@tayloredwards4968]

He's a very underrated Disney villain.❤ He is so much fun

[@Magicghost23]

I like to think that the disney’s version of basil the great mouse detective takes place in the same universe as the the rescuers

[@さくら-l8t]

The whole thing with rats being seen/portrayed as nasty and villainous creatures while mice are the cute and nice ones is so funny considering rats are actually very social animals who can’t live without being around other rats. Meanwhile mice are way more aggressive and will try to attack other mice they see, especially the males.

[@TerranItUp]

I wonder if the animators for Fidget were influenced by Gremlins. He looks a lot like a Gremlin with wings, especially in his "scary" moments. Gremlins came out 2 years before, so I'm sure it was on their minds.

[@pompe221]

Possibly. Fidget is purely a Disney creation. He was never in any of the Basil books.

[@taiasoncole8148]

I love how even you had to note the "chemistry" between Ratigan and Basil 😂 It is hard not to talk about it when discussing this movie. But honestly this is one of my favorite Disney movies ever and I wish it got more attention.

[@lhadzyan7300]

it kinda make more sense a lot after well, Ratigan at once time was expected to be actually openly gay, and his male-partner is actually the mouse who gets killed by his pet cat (and also had the same voice actor as Basil then too), and so then keeping in mind that detail, his whatever passt-relationship with Basil which ended awry goes beyond of being on both legal sides but on moral as well - or well the morals of their time, when maybe Ratigan was just going rouge and very open-pridefull unashamed of himself whereas Basil wanted to keep all legal and moral (being so self-reclusive about his true self), thus at the core-bottom there are two broken-hearts, though only one of them learns to move on and the other couldn´t and only goes to choose between self-destruction and/or to destroy what broke him in the first place. (After all at the end seems that Basil finds a fancy for Dawson but keeping that only by himself alone in his mind, always caring that he never realizes it, because might ruin all... still that´s a very sad issue yet very realistic on how a lot of those issues happened on that time) The movie uses a lot of noir -style movies of the 50s so that´s where the Hayes code got implemented and a lot of queer coding established for villains specially elegant ones as Ratigan, so all makes perfect sense then!

[@さくら-l8t]

I like to headcanon Rattigon as being bisexual, since his VA (Vincent Price) was bi himself.

[@joshuagoforth1658]

My dad loved this movie and as a kid it wasn’t one I really liked but having rewatched it multiple times as an adult after he passed when I was 16 I found I loved it a lot more especially having become a massive horror and Vincent Price fan and on a side note ratigan’s song mentioned he drowned widows and orphans I mean that goes beyond just evil he’s actually a legit monster

[@disneyboy3030]

There's even a deleted line where he says that he shot the ones who tried to swim to safety.

[@joshuagoforth1658]

@@disneyboy3030Jesus Christ 😂 I mean he’s actually just pure uncut evil

[@austinreed7343]

@@disneyboy3030And given there's no indication murine-scaled firearms exist, the shots probably blew the poor things to unrecognizable gibs.

[@Not_Fish]

The great mouse detective is my favorite Disney movie and Ratgin CARRIES! Vincent Price did such a fantastic job voicing him, I still prefer Basil but WOW is the movie underrated! Thanks for showing it more love!

[@Karmy.]

Same!

[@mrorphaneater2]

I love ratgin

[@ladyreddeath13]

Ratigan is my favorite Disney villain, because Vincent voiced him. When I really got into his movies in middle school, I was losing my mind that one of my favorite actors had done work for Disney. I watched this movie on repeat for a while. Listening to him roll his R's helped me learn how to roll mine. Of course my choir teacher explaining how it was done, helped too. And then I found out about Phantom Manor, a few years later!

[@Derpymuffins333]

Ratigan is such an underrated villain, I really wish he would show up more in Disney villain things. Although I guess since he was voiced by Vincent Price that’s hard to top for any future appearances

[@jeremiahakerman7333]

As a kid I always found it a bit odd that Ratigan didn't have any other rats for subordinates within his gang and only mice adding Fidget the bat and a lizard. Then later on as I watched TGMD when I was older it became evident that Ratigan seemed to enjoy displaying his size, strength and intimidation toward all the henchmen. If he had other rats amongst them, he most likely wouldn't have been able to pull that off or they may have even tried to overthrow him. Vincent Price did one awesome job bringing the villain to life.

[@KTChamberlain]

As much as I love both An American Tail and The Great Mouse Detective, I still prefer the latter more then as now, partly because Ratigan is just a far better villain than Warren Tee, a sleazy cat who impersonates a rat to try and con mice out of their money, even if you didn't factor in Vincent Price's awesome performance as Ratigan when comparing the two villains. Ratigan's plot is not only ballsy, but also superior when compared to Warren's paltry scheme. As much as I hate to reference An American Tail: Fieval Goes West, John Cleese's character had a quote that sums this up: "Do you go for the crouton or do you go for the whole salad?" Warren's plan is half a crouton at best, whereas Ratigan's plot is a big-ass salad bar.

[@Dimensioneer88]

"Is The Brave Little Toaster a Disney movie?" Well, Disney has put its two sequels on Disney+, but not the first one weirdly enough. Fittingly enough, the movie was the starting point for a lot of Pixar alumni like John Lasseter, Pete Doctor, and the late Joe Ranft. So, I consider the movie a prototype Pixar film.

[@Thenumber1yoshi]

I mean it does have inanimate objects coming to life that Pixar got to be known for in their films.

[@Angninjin22]

Nop, if I remember correctly they didn't make it, same case with The wild ( a horrible movie that has similar plot to Madagascar but for some reason is in Disney+), Disney didn't make the Brave Little Toaster, also there are sequels?! I didn't know until I saw your comment :0

[@AztecCroc]

@@Angninjin22 Disney did in fact make The Wild, it wasn't animated in-house, but they did produce it.

[@austinreed7343]

@@AztecCroc Man, the mid-2000s were a dark time for Disney indeed; similar to what’s happening now actually. I feel like recent descisions on Iger’s part, especially from 2022-onward, are attempts to devalue the Disney brand so they can be applauded for phasing it out without consequences, shifting TWDC into literally just another media company.

[@jdpragmatic8644]

One of my top 5 favorite Disney Villains. So evil his portrait actually changes faces (9:45) when Basil declares his name

[@dandrelamay8273]

Ratigan is truly one of the most understated Disney villains. His death trap and relationship with Basil alone should put him high on the tier list. Also, we're almost approaching the Renaissance Era Villains. I'm especially looking forward to Frollo and Gaston.

[@nicholassims9837]

Both Ratigan and Hamsterviel both hate being mistaken for a different animal Rat and Gerbil

[@thescorchingpteranodon7986]

But Ratigan is a rat.

[@nicholassims9837]

@@thescorchingpteranodon7986 He hates bring called a Rat.

[@ArendAlphaEagle]

And let's be honest, Hamsterviel looks more like a rabbit anyway

[@nicholassims9837]

@@ArendAlphaEagle Surprised he was never compared to one

[@guyrocketram9698]

its a pretty common trope lol. think there's a TV tropes page for it.

[@lukea2101]

The jump scares with Fidget and Felicity eating Bartholomew were some of the scariest Disney moments for me.

[@EntityofDarkness696]

The Brave Little Toaster... the one movie that you would never expect to be as dark as it was.

[@RyanofAndor]

Right? Themes of body horror, depression, suicide, and the inevitability of death. They didn't hold back.

[@Idazmi7]

"watch yourself, don't fall off of the shelf ..."

[@LightsolP]

I always thought the reason Ratigan gets so angry about being called a rat is because what he is is in conflict with what he wants people to view him as. It's shown repeatedly that Ratigan wants to be viewed as a suave, sophisticated gentlemen, but sewer rats are nasty and aggressive. Calling him a rat is thus the equivalent of calling him an unsophisticated bour. It creates an internal conflict between what he is and what he wants to be, which sets up the final sequence beautifully; Ratigan becomes so determined to kill Basil that he throws away that illusion of being a gentleman and finally embraces what he really is.

[@disneyboy3030]

I have one more piece of information on Rattagin. Frank Angones who made the Ducktales reboot of had an idea for a Rescue Rangers reboot that would also have had The Rescuers and The Great Mouse Detective be represented as well. One episode idea was for Fat Cat to carry Rattagin's buggest idea for whipping out humanity that the villain had in the past. What do you think about it.

[@JeannieInABottle1965]

A neat little thing I noticed at 24:54 = Fidget's theme's melody sort of sounds like it's actually saying the word "Fidget". Like, note 1 is the "Fid-" sound and note 2 is the "git" sound. Try singing Fidget over the melody and you'll see what I mean.

[@mr.x6313]

This is the one we’ve all been waiting for. One of the all-time best villains Disney has ever done, and we have Mr. Price to thank for that. He absolutely knocked it out of the park with this role.

[@vanessahanson9491]

I bet in the recording studio, Vincent price was like 'nailed it!yeah!'

[@TylerRakstis]

To be fair, Corey Burton and Maurice LaMarche do almost spot on impressions of Vincent Price. Though with Maurice, we hear more of those impressions in Rick and Morty , Scooby Doo, and The Simpsons. Next, we'll look into the stories of Thomas M. Disch for the next part. And you'll actually have input from the film's director himself.

[@JurassicReptile]

Vincent Price is one of the greatest actors of all time. Truly a legend.

[@ManforSomeMarkets]

9:48 A minor thing, but I love that they make Ratigan’s portrait grin when Basil is dramatically announcing him

[@valerianmandrake]

Me too, it reminds me of Oscar Wilde's novel "The Picture of Dorian Gray"

[@SnakeRoadComicsOfficial3677]

That God damn bat scared the absolute shit out of me as a kid. Still does to this day!

[@gigivollenweider7607]

I’m a huge Vincent Price fan and I’ve been waiting ages for this episode! Ratigan is such a great villain and I can’t wait to see the deep dive on this character.

[@tiberiusfemur374]

I really love how the further you go with this, you can get more input from crew who are still alive. Furthermore, I understood the Sherlock connection, but never thought it was based of a different book series, just thought Disney didn't have the rights to the character or something.

[@thesleepyfable3902]

I've noticed Jeffery really has a problem with media being 'too British' for American audiences despite taking on projects from British origin. You don't need to be British to know what Baker Street instantly means. Wallace and Gromit also comes to mind. Does he think children are idiots?

[@Thenumber1yoshi]

I mean did you see how his partnership with Aardman went over at Dreamworks?

[@reginlief1]

I believe Ratigan’s desire to be seen as a mouse is because he values his criminal mind over his animalistic brutality. He’s always self-aggrandising his devious schemes and embellishing his intelligence. He clearly wants to go down as the most intelligent villain of all time, a smart man being recognised for his smarts, something I think is very true to real life. So I feel the film is implying that mice are civilised and rats are not, a potential truth that Basil uses to needle Ratigan’s ego and goade him. Ratigan going feral is that moment where he finally gives in to his rat nature, and flips Basil’s taunts around on him, in that beautifully tense fight scene. The whole thing just works perfectly for the film.

[@buddyzilla4557]

11:19 -I never realized before but when Ratigan hears Basil is on the case and appears to have a near heart attack..he clutches his right chest..it could be an animation error or a number of other things but it makes me wonder if it was also just a part of his character. Was he just performing? Going extra dramatic for both himself to play the bit and for Fidget? I do feel when he does some of the stuff he does, he is purposely hamming up the role because he enjoys being the epitomous villain. It's the kind of mistake he might make too since he doesn't really have to care about being anatomically correct for a dumb cockney criminal bat either..as long as he's convincing to the audience, that's all that matters.

[@valerianmandrake]

Good observation..Pretty sure he was just hamming it up because he is a histrionic narcissist who loves drama and chaos, and above all, being the centre of attention 😝

[@pokeplayerHQ]

The Great Mouse Detective is one of my favorite Disney Movies from the 80s. Ratigan was a big part of that. I mean, he murders someone just for calling him a "rat", and it was while the victim was drunk no less. That alone said a lot. Ratigan definitely made this an enjoyable movie in the end.

[@kate2create738]

Truly this film is so underrated, a real gem. And while Ratigan has the typical “I’m evil because I am” persona, he is far from being a flat character and he is just a marvelous villain. You’ve got the presentation, his scheming has to prove he is the best, while there is this dynamic rivalry with the protagonist through the whole film is perfection. I honestly can’t think of such a dynamic of the hero and the villain having this back and forth of trying to one up each other. For most cases it would make the story seem juvenile, yet when it comes to a master criminal outwitting a famous detective, it just makes sense whether it’s about mice (and a rat) or not. On top of that Glen Keane does a fantastic job animating Ratigan as this foe who has a superiority presence about him. And of course can never forget Vincent Price’s role to give Ratigan that charm that so many villains lack but is so underestimated when there is a flare with someone just so evil. I could go on lol.

[@andrewnewell1142]

Worth pointing out the parallels in the Big Ben fight here and the clocktower fight in the Castle of Caligostro (1979). Learning that the story was written around that fight happening and the amount of effort put into animating it (even using an early form of CG animation) says to me that the Disney animators wanted a chance to do their own version of the impressive Miyazaki scene.

[@BenNelson-zl6lj]

18:46-19:02 At that point it would humorously seem like instead of a man simply raising a household cat that likes to hunt mice, Ratigan would be akin to a madman raising a ferocious, hulking, man-eating dragon in a huge dungeon.

[@Scorpionspear77]

I’ve read Basil in Mexico- good book. I should probably track down a new copy though- the one I have is missing its covers and I’m pretty sure the rest doesn’t have long before the spine gives out

[@RosieSievers]

This was the retrospective I was looking forward to the most ^^ The Great Mouse Detective was my first ever Disney film I saw growing up and Ratigan was the first animated villain I saw and introduced me to animated villains in general ^^ Ratigan is one of the main reasons I love this film and introduced me to Vincent Price as well, being one of the legends of the horror genre, his shining examples include House Of Wax and The Invisible Man Returns ^^ I also loved his role in The 13 Ghosts Of Scooby Doo as Vincent Van Ghoul in 1985 the year before this classic ^^ I can definitely tell he has the time of his life with his role because he himself stated its one of his all time favourite roles ^^ Great video as always ^^

[@valerianmandrake]

How nice that this movie got you into Vincent Price and horror movies. Pretty sure I love the genre because I watched this as a kid and loved it to bits! There are several horror and gothic elements in "The Great Mouse Detective", of course toned down so it still appeals to a young audience. But as an adult watching it, I have to say there are so many layers to this movie as well as psychological complexity to its main characters, that I enjoy it even more now.

[@bigtimeronnie]

I was not expecting to hear genuine basigan speculation in this retrospective but I was pleasantly surprised. Great video!! It's by far one of my favorite films, and I love seeing it get the appreciation it deserves :)

[@BigBWolf90]

Fun fact: Vincent Price said that this was his most enjoyable & favorite role he ever had

[@NicoAnimation]

This is on my list of top 5 favorite Disney movies! I remember seeing it in theaters so this actually might be one of the very first movies I ever saw. Ratigan is one of my favorite villains. I even own a Ratigan cel, of him picking up the little dancing ballerina toy before crushing it. Great job, as always, on this retrospective!

[@CaptainCretaceous91]

My favorite thing about Ratigan's gang is that they're all seen smoking and drinking. I wish we got to see more villains and henchmen doing that.

[@Tree_e888]

Vincent Price went from a blue magical sorcerer who steals balls to a rat

[@maurycyoseka1057]

Isn't this the other way around?

[@Tree_e888]

​@@maurycyoseka1057 technically you're right if you want to count the release dates, but Vincent Price had recorded his dialogue decades before the film was actually released, yeah the production history for the thief and the cobbler was rather disasterous as you probably already know.

[@edithandes6039]

Well this was good, but Colin you missed out on explaining how did the the great mouse detective got green lit, especially with the situation at Disney. As you mentioned in previous videos how Disney was tempering things and making them less effective. I wondered how that applied with the great mouse decetive given that it came out a year after the black cauldron. You also failed to mention how Jeffery katzburg, micheal Eisner, and frank wells came into their studio and the early years of their involvement at the studio. Given your writing work I’m ashamed you left out such details. Also you forgot to mention the influence of studio ghibi in the creation of the clock tower scene as it was a scene from an undued version of hayeo mizazaki’s 1979 film castle of cagilsotro, where lupin 3, who is the grandson of Arian lupin from the series by Maurice leblanc (totally not copyright) scales the castle in a anime way to save Clarisse, who is the captive bride of the count of cagilostro. It’s a shame since you didn’t include it as in the same year as the great mouse dective, studio ghibi would release it’s first official fillm castle in the sky, and Disney would later dub their films. Hope this was some news for you. Sorry if this sounds rude, but I just wanted to inform you what you missed in this episode other than that this is a really good episode. Can’t wait for who framed Rodger rabbit, and judge doom. Sincerely edith.

[@nicholassims9837]

The idea of the villain having something that pushes there buttons and makes them uncontrollably angry and there minions cower in fear was done later with Scar hearing Mufasa's name as well as Alameda Slim when his Yodeling is compared to singing

[@MmntechCa]

This was one of my favourite movies as a kid, and having watched it as an adult a few years back, it's still great. Much of Disney Animation's pre-renaissance output is criminally underrated. It has a sort of edge to it that later stuff lacked. Mouse Detective is pretty dark for a kid's movie. Maybe not as dark as Secret of NIMH, but man, it's a shame we don't get stuff like that anymore. And Vincent Price was great in pretty much everything he was in.

[@angelicaroman8355]

Ratigan is one of my favorite Disney villains, next to The Queen of Hearts, Ursula, the Tremaine sisters, Oogie Boogie, and King Candy. I really do miss the old school style of Disney villains. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love Encanto and it’s one of my top favorite movies and even wrote an essay on it, but ever since Wreck it Ralph, King Candy was the last evil villain Disney had that was really good. King Magnífico in Wish was not one of Disney’s best villains and hope they can do better next time. I also wonder if you are gonna cover some modern disney channel villains, like Bill Cipher for Gravity Falls, Toffee from Star vs the Forces of Evil, and Emperor Belos from The Owl House cause those three are some of the best modern villains Disney had.

[@disneyboy3030]

Funny enough he was made with the idea of returning to the Classic Disney Villain style in mind.

[@gota7738]

I remember watching this movie as a kid and being so upset Fidget seemingly drowned (I like bats) and being really happy to find that story where he's alive and friends with Olivia, even if it had 0 explenation! Makes me question how old is he supposed to be though! I know bringing villains back from the grave (even if just implied) is controversial, but for a bad guy like Ratigan I have no problem with an explanation like he landed on the tarp of a passing cart. I'd love to have a TV series of ongoing adventures where we see Basil and Ratigan clash again. The movie has such a simple formula driven by strong personalities that I think it would hold well.

[@koopa159]

An underrated villain to be sure, Vincent Price really makes the roll an iconic and unmatched roll.

[@ciarangrainger2465]

The true crime is that Ratigan isn’t regarded as one of the prime villains in the Disney Villains franchise. Seriously he deserves to be amongst the likes of Jafar, Cruella, Scar, Hades, Maleficent and yet isn’t. Shameful. Also yes, the movie is so much more enjoyable if seen as a huge lovers spat between Basil and Ratigan.

[@krealyesitisbeta5642]

HE’S BACK BOIS- MY DAY IS IMMEDIATELY GREAT

[@annabunovsky5628]

I’ve been so excited for this one, and it was well worth the wait! The Great Mouse Detective is one of my favorite Disney films, and you just nailed what makes Ratigan such an entertaining villain! I was pleasantly surprised when you brought up the reading of Basil & Ratigan having genuine romantic tension that’s very popular among fans. It’s hard not to read into it when the film goes out of its way to illustrate that these two are obsessed with each other far more than the typical hero & villain.

[@vanessahanson9491]

I don't see why people ship them when they literally hate each other. Ratigan clearly wants basil dead!

[@reinweissritter]

​@@vanessahanson9491Shippers will find any excuse, no matter how nonsensical it is, to make a pairing out of their asses. And I've seen some loathe pairings that actually make sense too, canon and not canon, which is baffling to me, I'll never understand their logic.

[@vanessahanson9491]

@@reinweissritter glad to know I'm not the only one who thinks that. I also don't love it because I ship myself with Ratigan

[@yuzugrove]

Ratigan is probably my favorite Disney villain, so I agree, I wish the movie received more love from Disney these days! I will say, the (new-ish) Disney trading card game Lorcana has a wealth of Great Mouse Detective cards (including plenty of Ratigan) because it's apparently Lorcana-creator Ryan Miller's favorite Disney movie. So that's kinda fun!

[@quantumimmortality551]

best scene imo Basil: "you're a rat!" Ratigan : "AAAGGRRUUHAHHHHHHHHH"

[@stormstrider1990]

Ratigan is as funny as he is intimidating. Vincent Price was perfectly cast for the role. Also love his songs.

[@harveysengersmusic247]

I truely think he Ratigan is the most evil bad guy so far in the Disney universe. His deeds are highly underrated

[@sammyt7981]

4:22 Ratigan 13:46 Fidget 18:31 Felicia 19:34 Other Thugs

[@BuckarooBanzai84]

I totally agree; this AND 'Black Cauldron' need more love! And personally, I have it in my head-canon that Basil, The Rescuers, (possibly Cinderella) and 'Secret of NIMH' all exist in the same universe. Specifically, I think Basil was a founding member of the Rescue Aid Society, AND that the OG -Rescue Rangers were a fringe-group! ; )

[@gota7738]

12:20 Not exactly the same but they used a 'Protagonist uses trivia quiz to bait the genius villain to distract them to their doom' climax in the Help! I'm a Fish movie. The villain even ends up looking a bit like Ratigan. It's a Danish/Irish cro-production but I wonder if there was any crossover staff.

[@samweaver9109]

"Can a human breathe underwater?"

[@kermitTHEdinosaur93]

Your Disney Villains Retrospective videos never fail to impress me. Wonder what villain retrospective will you do next after your Disney Villain one is done?

[@lightdarksoul2097]

If he could get to the end of the villains I'm guessing pixar or dreamworks

[@sarasamaletdin4574]

@lightdarksoul2097 I supper he will. However I rather would like him to go back to these films and talk of heroes!

[@lightdarksoul2097]

@@sarasamaletdin4574 maybe that's always possible though I just mean if he wants to keep the name villain retrospect. I wouldn't mind heroes though since one like Aladdin would go through his whole life

[@austinreed7343]

@@lightdarksoul2097Pixar will be included with Disney. I personally think a Nintendo villain retrospective could be fun.

[@Thenumber1yoshi]

@@austinreed7343Count me there when he gets to the King K. Rool video!

[@freakcircus6109]

I've always loved Ratigan. A perfect mix of ego, temper, and just plain deliciously evil. Also, if you read Ratigan as Basil's ex then he comes off as hilariously bitter. lol

[@Tbone680]

So Basil and Ratigan basically have a relationship similar to Batman and Joker’s. Good to know

[@MagiTailWelkin]

I like to think Alice's size was so powerful it sent Bill flying out of Wonderland and into London where Ratigan was the only employer he could find.

[@kiwikenobi]

Been waiting for this for years! So glad to see people heaping this movie with the praise it deserves! Ratigan is an amazing villain.

[@lhadzyan7300]

OMG the scene with both the lead guys, Ratigan and Basil, dancing at the 2004 Epcot rehearsal makes so sense about the forbidden ship at the original movie!!!

[@disneyboy3030]

Do you have a link to that.

[@lhadzyan7300]

@@disneyboy3030 no, I recall have seen it somewhere but I don´t know when and where

[@valerianmandrake]

Disney released a pin with Ratigan and Basil together, with the caption "Let me be good to you". Interpret that as you wish 😂

[@lhadzyan7300]

@@valerianmandrake I know about that, it´s official! Uses the main line and title of the song which sings Miss Kitty Mouse on the bar. (The cabaret singer and exotic dancer there!)

[@ΕυάγγελοςΦώσκολος]

Ratigan is one of my favourite Disney villains. I have a theory of why he doesn't like being called a rat. Rats are traditionally considered filthy and disgusting. Ratigan may be a criminal, but by the way he dresses and acts shows that he wants to be considered sophisticated. Of course, by the end of the movie he reveals his true self.

[@maciekur]

Yes! I wish there was more love to "THE GREAT MOUSE DETECTIVE". Even Once Upon Studio glance over him

[@catsareevil101]

Ratigan is not the most profound villain, but you will never find one more entertaining.

[@Randomalistic]

This is such a WONDERFUL in-depth video!! THANK YOU!! I LOVED your use of concept art, books, comics and storyboards too!! This is so thoughtfully made and I learned a lot :) ❤ (And thank you for mentioning Basil and Ratigan’s romantic tension because it’s incredibly blatant .) YOU EVEN WENT INTO THE SOUNDTRACK GODDAMN THIS IS EXTENSIVE I’m subscribing right now oh my goodness . 26:41 OH THEY KNOW WHATS UP ❤

[@KaizokuGaeru]

The Brave Little Toaster retrospective will be interesting. Everyone remembers the Magnet and Elmo Peters, but things will run thin when looking at all the sequels.

[@nicholassims9837]

To the Rescue :Evil College Roommate Blast off to Mars : Evil Fridge

[@e-mananimates2274]

I watched the film relatively recently and it's arguably a flawless masterpiece! What it offers is amongst the best Disney heroes and villains due to how the two are basically two sides of the same coin! If you look at Basil and Ratigan, they are both highly intelligent, rather resourceful, greatly charismatic, overly dramatic, and vastly egotistical. Had Basil chosen a life of crime, he'd make as much of a great Disney villain as Ratigan. Instead, he uses his talents for the sake of his fellow mouse and thwarting evil schemes. Ratigan, by contrast, embraces his wicked nature. He was even able to use Basil's own ego to temporarily place him out of commission by luring him into a trap. Basil values his brain and considers himself a genius. As even the smallest miscalculation would throw Basil into a state of depression, Ratigan took advantage of this critical character flaw. The line about being "fifteen minutes late" further threw salt in the wounds. The best part of Ratigan is his monstrous nature. While he fashions himself as a gentleman, he appears more as a freakish combination of a human and a rat. It does not stop there as bits and pieces of a violent, psychopathic ooze from his character in his words, tone, and actions. While he shows a set of sharp teeth at all times, the points where the mask slip are when his eyes turn more menacing and deranged. Prior to the Elizabeth Tower fight, this is seen the most clearly when he grows rather angry during his speech with the mechanical queen. Basil's eyes also went a bit haywire themselves, but only when his mind was in overdrive trying to help him escape the trap. Meanwhile, Ratigan's moment was when his false authority was challenged. At the final battle, the facade makes way for Ratigan's brutal nature. It is then we see why Basil could not confront Ratigan directly. It didn't matter if Basil was not restricted in his moment nor if Ratigan was alone. Ratigan was indeed a monster in his own strength and could easily overpower Basil. He was then left to think on his feet and outdo Ratigan regardless if there was a slim chance or not. Now, Fidget is a wonderful sidekick to Ratigan. Much like his boss, he has his own duality. At times he seems like an absolute nightmare and eager to tear into you flesh. Other times, however, it's clear the poor animal is constantly timid and a bit pathetic in a way. If he was far less malicious, it would be easy to feel sorry for him. Also, I will agree he is adorable to an extent!

[@elxiyrl9747]

Criminally underrated. Ratigan is amazing

[@valerianmandrake]

Totally. Isn't this a crime??

[@Ryou_Sensei]

I must say, I think The Great Mouse Detective would've made a great saturday morning cartoon series

[@cpink339]

I’ve been waiting years for this, my favorite Disney villain. I love how you actually went along with his ship with Basil lol

[@vanessahanson9491]

Personally I don't see why people ship them. They literally hate each other!

[@arandomclown2.039]

@@vanessahanson9491nah they aren't in a relationship because they are ex boyfriends

[@vanessahanson9491]

@@arandomclown2.039 that's good enough for me

[@maxordman4100]

Truly amazing. Such deep lore and depth for the Ratigan retrospective. I’m very excited to see how you will tackle brave little Toaster soon. Your videos are so amazing. I’m glad you’re still continuing this project and it continues to delight and amaze all of us. Great Mouse detective truly is an underrated Disney masterpiece and I’m always happy when people give it more credit.

[@lancebaylis3169]

The Great Mouse Detective is a seriously under-rated Disney movie.