The Great Mouse Detective

Post by **skyechan** » July 2nd, 2005, 8:05 am

The Great Mouse Detective turns 19 years old today! :3

Post by **Ben** » July 2nd, 2005, 2:56 pm

Um...okay...

Wouldn't it be better to wait and have a bigger celebration on its 20th Anniversary??

Welcome to the boards!

Post by **skyechan** » July 2nd, 2005, 5:15 pm

True and thank you. ^^; I celebrate it every year anyway. :3

Post by **Ben** » July 3rd, 2005, 9:25 am

Mouse Tec is actually one of my favorite Disney films, because it is simply so much fun and has fun with the concept, despite some flaws.

In fact - and this is not endorsing bootlegging in anyway - Mouse Tec was one of the first Disney titles I ever was handed through "suspicious means" and for about a year it never stopped playing in my VCR. Then Disney started releasing the classics for real and I never saw Basil again until the theatrical re-issue in 1993, and then the VHS, remastered LaserDisc and DVD editions.

The Big Ben air chase never fails to get me excited every time, and Price is (excuse the pun) priceless in his big Disney villain role!

"You're not coming through..."

Post by **Macaluso** » July 3rd, 2005, 9:50 am

Ratigan was just SO over the top in terms of being a villian. I loved it.

And I loved the big climax at the end where Ratigan finally gets so pissed that he REALLY acts like a rat.

Post by **PatrickvD** » July 3rd, 2005, 4:43 pm

I love it too. I know it was technically The Little Mermaid that revived the whole thing. But GMD is the one that did that for me. Such a huge step forward compared to Black Cauldron. You could tell people were having fun again. The #1 ingredient when making an animated film.

Post by **Ben** » July 3rd, 2005, 8:16 pm

Although Disney always push Mermaid, they are very aware that it was Mouse Tec that really spured on the coming of the new artists.

In most of their modern retrospective promotions, especially when pushing the involvement of CGI in their animated films, they start with Mouse Tec.

In a wonderful trade ad for Dinosaur, there's a great collage of "great Disney moments" that they promote as getting them to that stage. First among the "new" films is...Mouse Tec.

Mermaid may have developed the hero/heroine-in-trouble musical template, but Mouse Tec laid the foundations for the technology.

Post by **PatrickvD** » July 4th, 2005, 4:07 pm

that's very true. I forgot how Disney always promotes the Big Ben sequence. It's still an amazing sequence anyway. Even when compared to scenes in The Incredibles and all the big budget CG flicks.

Post by **skyechan** » July 4th, 2005, 4:14 pm

The Big Ben chase gives me chills every time I see it. :3

Post by **Ben** » July 5th, 2005, 8:51 am

Mancini's change in score tone (from bright and stringy to dark, sparse piano and cello) goes a long way toward that feeling too.

Post by **LotsoA113** » March 20th, 2010, 12:43 pm

Don't know if there's a forum about this already or not. Thought I'd start one.

I love this movie. Like Oliver & Company and The Hunchback of Notre Dame, this film is an underrated gem. I may even buy the new DVD coming out in a few weeks.

Post by **athena** » March 20th, 2010, 12:46 pm

This is actually one movie I'm surprised they never tried a DTV sequel of since it would actually be somewhat logical. Not that I've ever been a fan of DTV sequels but at least here you could jump into Basil's next case and all the things you could do with that premise.

Post by **LotsoA113** » March 20th, 2010, 12:49 pm

Agreed. More logical then Bambi II and The Fox and the Hound 2

I wonder what kind of bonus features are on the new DVD? Wish it could be on Blu-Ray...

Post by **droosan** » March 20th, 2010, 3:40 pm

athena wrote:This is actually one movie I'm surprised they never tried a DTV sequel of since it would actually be somewhat logical. Not that I've ever been a fan of DTV sequels but at least here you could jump into Basil's next case and all the things you could do with that premise.

Especially since the movie was originally released as The Adventures of the Great Mouse Detective. I guess Disney shortened it because we only got to see one adventure.

IMO, Robin Hood would also have logically lent itself well to the DTV-sequel treatment .. but didn't get it.

Post by **Sunday** » March 21st, 2010, 7:04 pm

Oh my, Mouse Detective is one of my favorites and had there been a home video continuation or TV series I know it would've been a fixture of my childhood, regardless of the quality. Such a charming film, haha -- it's the way Ratigan practically drapes himself over every scene he's in, or the quirky mutterings and eye twitches of Basil, the great musical score, the soggy London streets, a phenomenal climax... ah, how sweet it is!