How to Stream ‘The Great Mouse Detective’: Your Family Viewing Guide

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One of our favorite Disney movies growing up was the animated classic titled The Great Mouse Detective, and since Disney Plus launched just yesterday, we absolutely had to dive in and give it a watch. If you’re like us, you like to have a movie compendium sitting right next to you while you’re watching that gives you all of the information and tidbits about the movie that you can handle. Luckily, we here at Heavy.com have compiled a hefty family viewing guide for The Great Mouse Detective.

To start, here’s how to stream The Great Mouse Detective right now:

How to Stream ‘The Great Mouse Detective’ – Exclusively on Disney+

The Great Mouse Detective is one of the classic animated Disney movies that will be streaming exclusively on Disney’s new subscription streaming service, Disney+.

You can stream The Great Mouse Detective and hundreds of other movies and shows on your computer, phone, tablet, smart TV, or streaming device. If you extend past the free trial, the service costs $6.99/month. You may also opt for this discount bundle of Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ for $12.99/month.

1. 1. Sign up for Disney+ here
2. 2. Go to Disneyplus.com or download the Disney+ app on your device
3. 3. Log in using your information
4. 4. Search for “The Great Mouse Detective”
5. 5. Start streaming

Disney+ also boasts a vast library of Disney-owned movies and series — plus several new original series coming soon. The service includes unlimited downloads so you can watch offline whenever and wherever you want. The list of compatible devices and smart TVs includes Apple iOS devices, Apple TV, Amazon devices, Amazon Fire TV, Android, Chromecast, Roku, PS4, and Xbox One.

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‘The Great Mouse Detective’: Overview

Release Date: July 2, 1986
Creators: Producer Burny Mattinson; Writers Pete Young, Vance Gerry, Steve Hulett, Ron Clements, John Musker, Bruce Morris, Matthew O’Callaghan, Burny Mattinson, Dave Michener, and Melvin Shaw; based on stories by Eve Titus and illustrated by Paul Galdone
Director: Ron Clements, Burny Mattinson, Dave Michener, and John Musker
Starring: Vincent Price, Barrie Ingham, Val Bettin, Susanne Pollatschek, Eve Brenner
Rating: G
Synopsis: When Olivia Flaversham’s father is kidnapped on her birthday by the evil Professor Ratigan, she sets off to rescue him with the help of Basil of Baker Street, the Great Mouse Detective, and their new friend Dr. David Q. Dawson. But when Olivia is kidnapped, too, they must use their powers of deduction to save the Flavershams and their country.

Young Olivia Flaversham (Susanne Pollatschek) is celebrating her birthday when her father, the toymaker Hiram Flaversham (Alan Young), is kidnapped by Professor Ratigan (Vincent Price). Hiram is central to Ratigan’s plan to eliminate the Queen of the Mice and rule England himself. Olivia sets off to rescue her father, with the help of Basil of Baker Street, the Great Mouse Detective (Barrie Ingham), and their new friend Dr. David Q. Dawson (Val Bettin).

When Ratigan kidnaps Olivia, too, Basil and Dawson must find a way to save both Flavershams and stop Ratigan from executing his evil plot. Watch The Great Mouse Detective (1986) online to find out how Olivia, Basil, Dawson, and Hiram save each other and their country in this animated adventure and read on in this The Great Mouse Detective streaming guide to learn more about the actors, what the critics think and more.

How Long Is ‘The Great Mouse Detective’?

The Great Mouse Detective is a 74-minute animated family adventure.

‘The Great Mouse Detective’ Plot

It’s London in 1897, and the young mouse Olivia Flaversham is celebrating her birthday with her father, the toy maker Hiram Flaversham. A peg-leg bat with a crippled wing suddenly bursts through the window and takes off with Hiram. Olivia sets off to find the world-famous Great Mouse Detective, Basil of Baker Street, to help find her father. She gets lost but meets Dr. David Q. Dawson, who helps her reach Basil’s house.

The Great Mouse Detective is initially uninterested in the case, but when Olivia mentions the bat, he realizes Hiram was kidnapped by Dr. Ratigan, Basil’s archnemesis. He agrees to help and the trio takes Sherlock Holmes’ basset hound Toby and tracks him to a nearby toy store. There, the bat, Fidget, is gathering parts for Dr. Ratigan’s evil plan: In his quest to rule England, Dr. Ratigan wants Hiram to build him a clockwork robot resembling the Queen of the Mice.

When Hiram doesn’t want to help, Dr. Ratigan threatens Olivia. Fidget manages to trap Olivia in the toy store and, though Basil and Dawson give chase, he escapes with her and the supplies. In the toy store, Dawson finds Fidget’s checklist of supplies, and back at home Basil determines it came from the riverfront. The pair head for a tavern where the sewer connects to the Thames, and as they inquire after Ratigan, they see Fidget pass through the room.

They follow him to Ratigan’s headquarters, where Ratigan is waiting for them. He ties them to a mousetrap with a Rube Goldberg machine set to kill them when the record stops. As Ratigan and his henchmen defeat the Royal Guard at Buckingham Palace and kidnap the Queen of Mice, Basil manages to escape from the trap just in time.

Ratigan forces Hiram to man the toy Queen while his henchmen act as the Royal Guard and Fidget secrets the real Queen away. The toy Queen names Ratigan ruler of all mice. As he reveals his evil plans to his subjects, Basil, Dawson, and Olivia rescue the real Queen and Hiram and capture Fidget and the two henchmen. Basil takes control of the robot Queen, making it denounce Ratigan as he breaks it apart. The crowd turns on Ratigan, but he escapes in his dirigible with Fidget and Olivia. Basil, Dawson, and Hiram build their own aircraft and take off on a high-speed air pursuit. Basil jumps onto Ratigan’s craft, which ends up crashing into Big Ben.

The two continue to fight inside the clock, but Basil gets Ratigan caught up in the clock gears and delivers Olivia safely to her father, still floating outside the clock. Ratigan frees himself, falling onto Basil, and they both land on the clock’s hour hand, where they continue fighting until the clock strikes.

They both fall, but Basil catches himself on the motor of Ratigan’s dirigible just in time. The group returns to Baker Street, where Basil and Dawson share stories of their adventure before the Flavershams leave. As Dawson prepares to leave, the Great Mouse Detective persuades him to stay as his new partner.

‘The Great Mouse Detective’ Cast

The Great Mouse Detective featured some well-known voices and one cast member whose only credit is this film. Here are a few of the main players.

Vincent Price as Professor Ratigan

Professor Ratigan has a plan to eliminate the Queen of Mice and rule England himself, and he kidnaps toymaker Hiram Flaversham to help him do it. ACTOR.

Barrie Ingham as Basil of Baker Street, the Great Mouse Detective

Basil of Baker Street is the world-famous Great Mouse Detective and archnemesis to Professor Ratigan—so he’s happy to help when Hiram Flaversham’s daughter, Olivia, enlists him to help find her kidnapped father. Ingham made appearances in a range of television series and movies during his nearly 50-year acting career and in addition to The Great Mouse Detective is known for his roles in The Day of the Jackal (1973) and A Challenge for Robin Hood (1967).

Val Bettin as Dr. David Q. Dawson

Dr. David Q. Dawson just happens to help Olivia Flaversham find the Great Mouse Detective, but when he finds himself helping to solve the kidnapping case, he also finds a new calling. Bettin voiced the Bishop in Shrek (2001) and the Sultan in Aladdin and the Return of Jafar (1994), Aladdin and the King of Thieves (1996), and on the television series Aladdin (1994-1995).

Susanne Pollatschek as Olivia Flaversham

Olivia Flaversham is just trying to celebrate her birthday when her father, Hiram, is kidnapped as part of Professor Ratigan’s evil plot to take over England. Olivia sets out on a quest to rescue her father with the help of the Great Mouse Detective. Pollatschek was chosen from among hundreds of applicants when she was eight years old. Her only acting credit is her role as the voice of Olivia.

‘The Great Mouse Detective’ Songs and Soundtrack

The Great Mouse Detective soundtrack was released in 1992, six years after the movie’s premiere. The first feature score by award-winning composer Henry Mancini, who also scored the opening animation of The Pink Panther, and Blake Edwards, known for scoring The Pink Panther movies, television shows, and even video games since the 1960s. The film included three original songs: “The World’s Greatest Criminal Mind” and “Goodbye, So Soon,” both written by Mancini, Larry Grossman, and Ellen Fitzhugh and performed by Vincent Price, and “Let Me Be Good To You,” written and performed by ’80s musical star Melissa Manchester.

‘The Great Mouse Detective’ at the Box Office

The Great Mouse Detective premiered in 1,138 theaters nationwide on July 2, 1986, earning just under $5 million when it opened, according to The Numbers. It ranked 40th for movies at the U.S. box office that year with $23.6 million in total revenues.

‘The Great Mouse Detective’ Reviews – What the Critics Said

Critic Gene Siskel anticipated The Great Mouse Detective becoming a classic for generations, saying it was the first “truly memorable animated feature in 25 years,” since the 1961 release of 101 Dalmatians, “travels a wide emotional range, taking us from cuddly to scary, from recognition to wonder.” Critics appreciated the quality of the animation and script. The movie also received high scores from reviewers on Rotten Tomatoes.

Where ‘The Great Mouse Detective’ Fits in the Disney Movie Pantheon

The Great Mouse Detective is credited with launching the Disney Renaissance, a resurgence of great animated features that included classics like The Little Mermaid (1989),  Beauty and the Beast, and The Lion King and ended with Tarzan (1999). The Great Mouse Detective featured “great music, utter commitment to its concept, and a willingness to innovate technologically,” according to Oh My Disney, which became hallmarks of blockbuster Disney films throughout that decade.

‘The Great Mouse Detective’ Trailer

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‘The Great Mouse Detective’ Trivia: 5 Fast Facts

The Great Mouse Detective marked a turning point for Disney animated movies and became a classic for generations. Here’s what you need to know.

1. ‘The Great Mouse Detective’ Helped Usher in a Renaissance for Disney

Disney’s 1985 animated feature The Black Cauldron had been a financial flop for the company. So when The Great Mouse Detective became a financial success for the company,  leaders decided their animation department still presented an opportunity and paved the way for the Disney Renaissance in film making through 1999.

2. ‘The Great Mouse Detective’ Fulfilled a Lifelong Dream for Actor Vincent Price

Price, who by this time had nearly 200 acting credits dating back as far as the 1930s, had always wanted to voice a Disney character.

3. The Voice of Sherlock Holmes in ‘The Great Mouse Detective’ is Actually Basil Rathbone

Rathbone, known for playing the role of Sherlock Holmes in 15 movies between 1939 and 1946, also narrated the story of Mr. Toad in the 1949 animated film The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad. Rathbone’s voice cameo in The Great Mouse Detective was edited from a 1966 reading of the Sherlock Holmes tale “The Adventure of the Red-Headed League.”

4. Did You Notice How Dark the Movie Is?

Not only did one critic call it “film noir,” but The Great Mouse Detective actually takes place entirely at night.

5. ‘The Great Mouse Detective’ Was a Technological Trailblazer.

Though The Black Cauldron used some computer-generated imagery (CGI) the year before, The Great Mouse Detective was the first Disney animated feature to rely on CGI so heavily. The technique was critical for the scene inside Big Ben.

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