The Great Mouse Detective

Eeek!  I am so sorry that this post is so late.  Unfortunately life (and Disneyland!) intervened, but nevertheless I am back on track.  This week's Disney movie takes us to London.  It's The Great Mouse Detective.

The film premiered in 1986 and is our 26th movie stop on this year through Disney films.  The film centers on Basil of Baker Street (aka the Great Mouse Detective) and a mystery that leads him to the opportunity to take down his nemesis - Ratigan (a rat (in EVERY sense of the word) who wants to take over the mice-dom throne).  Olivia Flaversham's father, a toymaker, has been kidnapped.  Seeking help, the young Olivia sets out to find Basil and on her way meets Dr. Dawson.  The trio soon find themselves on an adventure to find Olivia's father, stop the evil Ratigan, and save the Queen (of the mice).  Has anyone else noticed how many Disney movies have mice in them?  I've rather lost count...  Moving on.

This film is much more enjoyable (and a greater success!) than it's unfortunate predecessor.  The Great Mouse Detective is fun, lively, and cleverly comedic, with a sufficient pinch of heartwarming content as well.  While not as rich as some Disney films musically, there are still a few tow-tapping numbers.  (Watch out for the Ratigan song though!  That one gets stuck in your head!)

Basil, of The Great Mouse Detective, is fashioned after the famed, fictional Sherlock Holmes detective.  Basil was actually named after Basil Rathbone, an actor known for his role as (you guessed it!) Sherlock Holmes.  One of the greatest points in the movie has got to be the cameo of "Sherlock Holmes" that briefly appears while the mice hurry to solve their own mystery.  The voice of Sherlock Holmes in the film is taken from a 1966 reading by none other than Basil Rathbone.  Disney details!  They're the best!

Perhaps my favorite part of this movie was Toby, Sherlock Holmes' dog and Basil's somewhat obedient transport and tracker.  His scenes always add a touch of humor.  :)

This was definitely a fun Disney trip and a wonderful introduction to the character and personality of the "Sherlock Holmes" detective.

This week it seems appropriate to leave you with a Sherlock Holmes quote:

It has long been an axiom of mine that the little things are infinitely the most important.

Now ain't that the truth?

Coming Up Next Week: Oliver & Company

The Black Cauldron

Well.  We've arrived at another movie that I have never seen before.  It's Disney's 1985, dark fantasy: The Black Cauldron.

The film is the story of Taran (an assistant pig keeper) and his eventual quest against the Horned King who plans to use the magical black cauldron to create an evil (dead) army to take over/mostly destroy the world.  What would a quest be without a few (interesting) friends?  Taran is joined on his journey by Hen, the clairvoyant pig (That's not a typo. Clairvoyant. Pig. True story.); Princess Eilonwy (I still have no idea how to pronounce her name); Fflewddur Fflam (Good luck spelling that without Wikipedia), an eccentric minstrel; and Gurgi, a furry creature with a poor grasp of grammatical English.  The film has affiliations with Welsh mythology, and was loosely based on two books from The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander.

 

This is the first Disney animated feature film to receive a PG (Parental Guidance suggested) rating and I heartily agree.  The violence, dark villain, skeletal imagery, and a bit of inappropriate humor are all red flags warning parents to proceed with caution.  (I must also confess that this is the first movie to make me jump in fright... I don't do well when evil things pop-up suddenly on-screen...)  I would definitely not recommend this film for young children.  Though I'm not really sure I would recommend it to anyone at all...

It seems there is a reason that I've never seen The Black Cauldron before- it's not a Disney masterpiece.  I actually borrowed this movie from the library a few years ago but didn't make it past the first 15 minutes because I got bored...  I made it through the whole film this time, but I must confess that I would still describe the overall trajectory of the film as boring.  It's missing the Disney magic- the spark of humor, the dash of romance (they tried to put that in, but it just didn't work...), the unforgettable characters.  This film just did not deliver on all that one normally expects from the House of Mouse.

Perhaps the most glaring missing piece of a Disney masterpiece in this film for me would be the music.  There are no musical numbers!  (This is probably another reason why the film dragged...)  Disney music makes up a significant part of the soundtrack of my life.  Listen to my iPod on shuffle and there would be no doubting my love of Disney music, and this film had none! 

Interestingly enough, the final released version of the film had been ultimately severely edited by the producer of the film.  The producer tried to make the film more family-friendly, however his efforts were unsuccessful and The Black Cauldron was ultimately a box office flop.  One of the best things about Disney though is that failures don't stop them.  They keep pressing forward.  And in just a few short years we will have arrived at the "Disney Renaissance"- a decade of award-winning, beloved Disney masterpieces. 

This week I'll leave you with a quote from the Walt man himself:

Money doesn't excite me- my ideas excite me!

Coming Up Next Week: The Great Mouse Detective

The Fox and the Hound

Sorry for the late post!  You can blame Disneyland.  ;)

Well it's happened.  We've arrived at the first Disney movie to make me cry.  The Fox and the Hound.

The film premiered in 1981 and tells the tale of two unlikely friends and the trials that test their relationship.  Todd, an orphaned fox, is adopted by the Widow Tweed after the untimely death of his mother.  (Arguably sadder than Bambi at this point.)  Her neighbor Amos, has just acquired a hound dog puppy (Copper) he plans to train to track and hunt.  Todd and Copper, who seem destined to be enemies, instead become the best of friends.  Of course, childhood is short-lived and so is their happy season of friendship, but the beauty of the movie is watching their bond stand the test of time.

While the main story of the film is about Todd and Copper, there is a wonderful supporting cast.  Most notably would be Big Mama, the owl.  She sees Todd through the many transitions he experiences through the movie.  She also sings the famous "Best of Friends" song.  If you haven't heard it, you must listen to it.  Though prepare to have tissues with you, especially if you've just watched this movie.  Excuse me, while I go in search of my own box...

This film apparently hit me in the heartstrings (kind of like a comedy hits your funny bone.)  Speaking of funny, Boomer and Dinky (a woodpecker and a finch respectively) and their antics trying to catch an elusive caterpillar provide a nice dash of comic relief throughout the film.

The Fox and the Hound also claims some very famous voice actors for the two main characters.  Mickey Rooney supplies the voice of the adult Copper and Kurt Russell supplies the voice of the adult Todd.

This film is a beautiful story of friendship and sacrifice.  I don't want to give too much away to those who haven't seen it.  I'll leave you with this cryptic reference: "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:3)

The Fox and the Hound is one of the films I remember watching as a child, however it definitely hit me at a much deeper level as an adult.  I highly recommend the film. (Just be sure to have tissues when you sit down to watch it.)  Please also note that the film does not leave you feeling discouraged.  The overall moral of the tale just really hit me in the heartstrings. 

This week I'll leave you with the beautiful words of Big Mama's song:

 

When you're the best of friends
Having so much fun together
You're not even aware, you're such a funny pair
You're the best of friends

Life's a happy game
You could clown around forever
Neither one of you sees, your natural boundaries
Life's one happy game

If only the world wouldn't get in the way
If only people would just let you play
They say you're both being fools
You're breaking all the rules
They can't understand, the magic of your wonderland

When you're the best of friends
Sharing all that you discover
When that moment has past, will that friendship last?
Who can say? There's a way!
Oh I hope... I hope it never ends
'Cause you're the best of friends

Coming Up Next Week:  The Black Cauldron

The Rescuers

This week's movie was another new one for me.  I'm fairly certain that I had read the children's book growing up, but this was my first time watching The Rescuers.

The movie premiered in 1977 (just like Winnie the Pooh), though the story is much different.  I definitely enjoyed this film.  It was cute, funny and most of all- heartwarming.  Penny, an orphan girl, becomes mixed up with the unscrupulous Madame Medusa and sends a message in a bottle asking for help.  Her message is received by the mice of the Rescue Aid Society- and with little to do, Bianca and Bernard (the janitor) are off on their rescue mission to Devil's Bayou!

 

Penny definitely tugs at my heartstrings.  It pains me so much that children grow up as orphans without families to love them.  When I have a family (all in God's timing), I would love to be able to adopt and make a place in our family for someone who doesn't have one.  And now I should move on before I burst into tears...

The Rescuers is truly a wonderful story.  Bianca is a lovely, adventurous heroine, and Bernard is her slightly-bumbly, ever-lovable, steadfast partner.  The film also has a fabulous villainess in Madame Medusa.  She is an eccentric mix of the laughable and cruel.  Her driving also reminds me of someone... with a penchant for fur coats...  Oh.  And she has pet alligators.  She's memorable to say the least.

As with other great Disney films, The Rescuers has a lovable, dynamic cast of supporting characters.  There is dear Rufus the cat, Penny's friend at the orphanage.  Then there is Bianca and Bernard's pilot/airplane, Orville the albatross (not to be confused with Scuttle the seagull, though there seems to be a bit of a family resemblance).  Once Bernard and Bianca arrive in the bayou, they are assisted in their rescue efforts by an eclectic group of swamp critters- complete with fiery moonshine and a southern twang.  They create fireworks, literally!

This was a lovely, feel-good film.  Definitely a fun stop on our Disney journey together!  Interestingly, this film will be the only film with a sequel in our line-up.  Several other Disney films have sequels, however the vast majority do not meet the feature length release requirements of the Walt Disney Studios, thus they are not part of our journey this year.  In a few weeks, we'll get to spend some more time with Bianca and Bernard in The Rescuers Down Under.

This week's quote is from Rufus (the cat):

Faith is a bluebird, we see from far.  It's for real and as sure as the first evening star.  You can't touch it, or buy it, or wrap it up tight, but it's there just the same, making things turn out right.

Coming Up Next Week: The Fox and the Hound