“The Great Mouse Detective” Mystery in the Mist Edition, 2 Disc Blu-ray & DVD Review

Out earlier this week, "The Great Mouse Detective” Mystery in the Mist Edition is a favorite from my own childhood.  I remember seeing it in the theaters, and it was great fun to share it with my daughter.  The premise of a world not unlike ours but populated by intelligent mice always fascinated me.  Add to that a healthy dose of admiration for the likes of the great detective mind who resided on Baker Street, and well, the “The Great Mouse Detective” was always fated to be a classic to me.

The main character Basil of Baker Street does in fact give a generous nod to his human counterpart and even has his own sidekick in the form of Dawson.  The two are hot on the trail of arch villain Professor Ratigan.  He's responsible for mouse napping the toymaker Hiram; forcing him to make a clockwork Queen.  Hiram is reluctant so Ratigan sends his henchman, Fidget the Bat, to snag Hiram's daughter Olivia in the hopes that threatening to feed her to his pet cat will convince him to work harder.  If this sounds a little convoluted, then you won't be surprised by Ratigan's motivation.  Like any good movie scoundrel with grandiose plans, he wants to take over the world...or as in this case, the mouse world of Victorian era Britan. 

Basil and Dawson become involved in the caper when Olivia convinces them to help her and Basil sees a chance to catch his nemesis Ratigan.  Thus sending the trio out into the streets of London and famous sites such as the Thames River, Big Ben, and even into Buckingham Palace itself as they attempt to foil his attempt to assassinate the Queen of the Mice and take over.

While the film clocks in at a scant 74 minutes, its great fun the whole time with clever detective work, action, seemingly impossible escapes, and fun with a happy ending.  How Ratigan ever thought his robot version would fool anyone is amusing, she wobbles way too much.  I also especially liked the legendary Vincent Price as Professor Ratigan.  The climatic end in which he meets his doom might be a little intense for the very young because it's dark, rainy, and thunderous with lightening.  Our hero and Ratigan are fighting it out, and our villain truly does look monstrous and scary.  Basil makes a miraculous return after falling great depths.

The picture quality is excellent, sure beats the old much beloved Disney VHS tapes of yesteryear that were watched over and over growing up. This classic will be a welcome edition to your Disney home movies.  The only thing I don't like about The Great Mouse Detective is that there weren't further adventures.  The ending leaves the door open for sequels and I for one am still hoping for more.

Currently available “The Great Mouse Detective” Mystery in the Mist Edition 2-Disc Blu-ray & DVD Combo Pack has a suggested retail price of $29.99 US and is rated G. Special features include:

• You Think You Can Sleuth: Viewers get an introduction to private investigating to kick off the “Great Mouse Detective” film
• The World’s Greatest Criminal Mind: Sing-A-Long Song: Young fans can sing along with Vincent Price to the song’s villainous vocals.
• The Making of the Great Mouse Detective: In this bonus feature, fans get a behind the scenes look at this classic film.

Disclosure: A complimentary review copy was provided.  The experiences and opinions related within are both personal and unbiased.