#18 – The Great Mouse Detective (1986)
Best Character: Basil
Worst Character: Fidget
The Great Mouse Detective was one of the few films I hadn’t seen before I went through and watched all the films within the canon. Although it’s not as evident as a couple of the other films remaining, The Great Mouse Detective actually does showcase another Disney character, albeit very briefly. Dumbo can be seen as a wind-up toy in the toy store just before Olivia is abducted.
This film is difficult for me to rank for a number of reasons. For starters, I’ve only seen it once and can’t remember exactly what actually occurred during the film as well as I can some of the others. Thinking back I remember the characters, the atmosphere, and the plot, but I’m sure entire scenes have since been forgotten in my memory. Secondly I’m not very familiar with Sherlock Holmes. The film is obviously based on the series, and even I can identify that Basil represents Sherlock Holmes, Dawson represents Watson, and Ratigan represents Moriarty. I can’t really understand the intricacies in their characters however, nor how similar they are to their respective counterparts. I like each of the aforementioned three though, so let’s start there.
I actually wish Basil were a more popular Disney character. It seems as though he’s often forgotten as a character, as is The Great Mouse Detective itself as a film. He’s funny, witty, and develops fantastic relationships with the rest of the main characters. His relationship with Dawson in particular is excellent, as we are actually able to follow its development from two individuals operating under a common goal to becoming really close friends. With Ratigan it’s obviously a different kind of relationship, but it’s also a good one. It’s made clear from the start that Basil has a lot of contempt for Ratigan. He completely blows off Olivia until she mentions Ratigan, and then all of a sudden he’s wildly interested. To Basil it’s not about helping out a little girl, it’s about besting his rival. In that sense Basil is very different from many of the heroes we see in the Disney films who act so selflessly. Basil places himself first, and it’s a nice change in character from the typical Disney archetype. Due to his uniqueness we get one of the greatest rivalries between a hero and a villain within the entire canon. It’s obvious despite their contempt for one another that there is a great amount of respect for each other as well. So much pride is at stake with this rivalry, I love it.
I also love Basil’s relationship with Olivia. I touched on it earlier, but I think it’s great how Basil is so distant towards Olivia at first. He views her as a child, which she is, and simply doesn’t want her along on the journey. He even tells her so himself. Of course Olivia, who is a decent character in her own right, has the spirit to oppose him and the courage to carry on her search for her father despite Basil’s hesitation. Basil is constantly brought down to her level when they argue. It never seems as though an adult is arguing with a child, but rather two kids bickering at each other. Their relationship is a lot of fun throughout the film, complete with an arc and a touching end product. In essence Basil is the glue of the film. He holds all of the characters together and brings them together in a way that makes this film great. I suppose Dawson and Olivia develop some kind of relationship throughout the course of the film on their own, but their respective relationships with Basil is what really makes the film great.