I haven’t read Basil of Baker Street, but I’d like to read it some time so I can see how the movie compares to the book. On it’s own though, the movie is really enjoyable.

The Great Mouse Detective features mice versions of the people in Sir Arthur Canon Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes mysteries. Basil of Baker Street fills in for Sherlock Holmes, with Dr. Dawson filling in for Watson. Basil lives below Sherlock Holmes, and we are treated to a brief scene showing Holmes and Watson talking about a case before walking out the door.

Basil has to find a lost little mouse girl’s father who was kidnapped by the nefarious Professor Rattigan, who fills in for Holmes’ Professor Moriarty. The voice of Rattigan was Vincent Price, who is perfect for the role of a Disney villian. The voice work of Disney villians is always over the top, and there is no other actor better than Vincent Price in providing believable exaggerated perfomances.

The two songs in the movie were good, but other than the “To Rattigan” refrain in the Rattigan song, they were not too memorable. I really loved the orchestral theme for the movie though, it worked so well during the balloon chase at the end of the movie.