73
Metascore
13 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 88Chicago TribuneChicago TribuneWhat it all comes down to is the basic question: Is this just a movie for children? Not really. It's more a movie for the childlike--of any age. [02 July 1986, p.3C]
- 88Washington PostWashington PostDisney's signature touch is in the movie's perspective. It's all seen from a mouse-eye's view, low to the ground and looking up, just as small children see the world. [04 July 1986, p.N29]
- 80Time OutTime OutAs usual with film noir, however, it is the villain who steals the heart and one is rooting for in the breathtaking showdown high up in the cogs and ratchets of Big Ben.
- 80EmpireIan NathanEmpireIan NathanThe genuinely witty and endearing Disney animation that everyone forgets.
- In The Great Mouse Detective the Disney formula is used undiluted, and that is how it works best. The heroes are appealing, the villains have that special Disney flair - humorous blackguards who really enjoy being evil -and the script is witty and not overly sentimental.
- 75Chicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertChicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertWhat's fun is the carefree way the animators swing through their story, using the freedom of the cartoon form to blend 19th century realism with images that seem borrowed from more recent special-effects pictures.
- 75TV Guide MagazineTV Guide MagazineThe engaging characters play out the action against elegantly designed backgrounds. The story is genuinely exciting, a well-told tale that is entertaining to both children and adults without compromising the expectations of either group. The voices are perfectly cast, particulary Price as the evil Ratigan.
- 70Los Angeles TimesCharles SolomonLos Angeles TimesCharles SolomonThe Great Mouse Detective reflects the energy and enthusiasm of a talented group of young artists stretching their wings for the first time. That group has gone on to produce some truly extraordinary work, win awards and earn sums no one believed could be made from an animated film. And, as has often been the case at Disney, it all began with a mouse.
- 50Slant MagazineSlant MagazineMouse Detective, though, just tries to get by with nothing more than the novelty of having rodents play detective, and then pulls the rug out from under it by showing, however briefly, the human Holmes and Watson.
- 50Entertainment WeeklyEntertainment WeeklyThe Great Mouse Detective‘s few tunes are unmemorable and all the action (aside from the inventive chase sequences) is snooze-worthy. Only the incomparable Vincent Price (as Ratigan) is worth the price.