Dusting off the Disks: Two Disney films with mice but no Mickey

This last Sunday it was rainy and a perfect day to cuddle under blankets and watch some films. My wife loves animated films and I went and grabbed a few off the shelf we haven't seen in a while. Both films feature animated mice but not the high pitched overall wearing mouse named Mickey.

The Great Mouse Detective (IMDB)

Dawson, Olivia and Basil

1986, Disney released a film about a mouse named Basil (voiced by  
Barrie Ingham) as a rodent version of Sherlock Holmes. Dr. Dawson (voiced by Val Bettin), aka Dr. Watson, helps a young girl, Olivia, whose toy maker father has been kidnapped by the vile Professor Ratigan (voiced by Vincent Price). Using the toy makers named Flaversham skills, Ratigan blackmails him into building a robotic queen to replace the mouse queen and put Ratigan in power.


One of the reasons I enjoy this film is due to the lack of musical numbers. There are only three songs and one of them is integral to elaborate death trap Ratigan constructs for Basil. The overall plot of the film is a fun mystery as we follow Basil and Dawson through the underbelly of London circa 1897. It is a bit of a darker film and I could see some younger children scared by the bat Fidget or Ratigan. Death is also prominent throughout the film, especially with Felicia, Ratigan's cat. She eats a minion of Ratigan and almost digests Fidget the bat as well. The climax of the film takes place on Big Ben and ends very similar to Professor Moriarty and Holmes ending in "The Adventure of the Final Problem" by Sir Conan Doyle. As a huge Sherlock Holmes fan, I enjoy this lighter fare from Disney and this disk will stay in the collection.

Trailer

The Rescuers Down Under (IMDB)

Miss Bianca and Bernard

Sticking with the mouse theme, we jumped into our second feature from Disney in 1990. The Rescuers Down Under is the sequel to the Rescuers featuring Miss Bianca (voiced by Eva Gabor) and Bernard (voiced by Bob Newhart). This time they head to Australia to help a boy named Cody (Voiced by Adam Ryen). He has been captured by the poacher McLeach (voiced by George C. Scott) because he wants the location of the rare Golden Eagle female and her eggs. Wilbur (voiced by John Candy is the albatross that flies them this time and provides the comedy for the film.

This film has two rarities from other Disney films. 

• First, it is only one of three Walt Disney Animation Studio films to have a sequel, Winnie the Pooh and Fantasia are the others. 
• Second, it is the second Walt Disney Animation Studio film to have no musical numbers. The first film was the Black Cauldron.

I always enjoyed the original Rescuers and the sequel is just more of the same. The film is very adventurous and has some thrilling moments and a great cast of supporting characters. I always remember the opening sequence when Cody rides the great eagle from the theater because on the big screen I felt like I was riding with him. Disney's pallet of colors used in animating Australia is lush and vivid and I want to go there. The Rescuers Down Under will be staying on my shelf.