Sherlock Scribbles: The Great Mouse Detective

The 'Sherlock Scribbles' series continues with Disney's take on the Great Detective. So, of course, everyone is now an anthropomorphised animal...

Starring: Barrie Ingham (Basil of Baker Street), Val Bettin (Dr Dawson) and Vincent Price (Professor Ratigan) with Basil Rathbone (Sherlock Holmes, voice clips)

Synopsis: In a world of mice within Victorian London, Basil of Baker Street, the Great Mouse Detective, teams up with retired solider Dr Dawson to investigate the disappearance of a toymaker - which leads him to the latest colossal scheme of his arch-nemesis; the despicable Professor Ratigan...

Doyled or Spoiled?: About an adventurous animated mouse who lives in Baker Street, Basil should be closer to DangerMouse than it is to Holmes but it is actually as faithful as it is charming. Basil and Dawson are perfect stand-ins for Holmes and Watson - Holmes' quirks and antisocial edges are not shaved off for Basil and Dawson is even said to have served in Afghanistan. There is the odd nod to the canon too - Basil allies himself with a loyal dog named Toby, the same dog that aids Holmes in Doyle's 'The Sign of Four.' Basil Rathbone cameos in the film - through lines taken from a radio recording of 'The Red-Headed League' - when we glimpse Holmes' shadow at one point. And, naturally, Basil and Ratigan's final confrontation involves a tussle at a great height...

Highlight:  While everything comes together here to make such an endearing film, the fantastic animation is responsible for the standout sequences, for instance the eerie scene in a derelict toyshop, filled with broken dolls. What takes the crown, though, is certainly the hugely impressive final showdown inside Big Ben. It is practically entirely silent, save for the atmospheric grinding of the cogs and wheels and Ratigan's cries, as he devolves from sophisticated cad to savage sewer rat. It's probably one of the finest realisations of the Holmes vs Moriarty fight on screen (only Sherlock beats it, in my eyes).

Verdict: I believe this was my first brush with the world of Sherlock Holmes so I am endlessly fond of Basil The Great Mouse Detective - but any Sherlockian coming to it cold as an adult will find much to enjoy. Indeed, there is a lot of space on Tumblr dedicated to mash-ups of Basil and Sherlock. From a Disney point of view, the film also sows the seeds of their so-called Renaissance that was a few years away, combining a clever script with top class animation and voice talent. Because how can you not love a film that has Vincent Price as a rodent version of Moriarty?

Final thought: is Vincent Price's Professor Ratigan a reference to the Giant Rat of Sumatra?