Scary Disney: The Great Mouse Detective: The Bat, The Cat and The Rat

The Great Mouse Detective, loosely based on Sherlock Holmes is another one of Disney's underrated films. It is based on the book series Basil of Baker Street by Eve Titus, the story circulates around a little mouse, Olivia Flaversham whose father is abducted by a bat who takes him to his boss, a rat named Professor Ratigan, Basils arch nemesis. Olivia finds Basil and his companion, Doctor David Dawson and they set out on a mission to bring Olivia’s father home. Towards the end of the movie Professor Ratigan comes face to face with Basil where he meets his end, a justice well deserved. On the way we meet a few characters that are set out to try and stop them from bringing him home. They certainly manage to play their role of the villains quite well. Enough to frighten a younger audience.

1. The Bat

2. The Cat

3. The Rat

1. The Bat

At the start of the movie Olivia is celebrating her birthday with her father in her home. Right up until a bat with one leg breaks into their home. Olivia’s father hides her in a cupboard just before he breaks in and is then beaten by the bat, Olivia watches the whole thing. A traumatising event for a little girl. Her father is then taken leaving her alone. The moment the bat enters the home, he bursts through the window and we see a close up of his face, not such a pretty sight for all ages. In another scene he pops out of a baby carriage again scaring little Olivia and its audiences. Fidget the Bat, not one character you want to mess with. The picture below says it all.

2. The Cat

As well as a bat Ratigan keeps a cat, called Felicia. He keeps her tame by feeding her his workers. When Felicia appears, everything goes silent and awkward setting the tone of what kind of character she is. Dark and evil. One little drunken mouse, Bartholomew, accidentally calls Ratigan a rat. Something which Ratigan despises. He rings a bell he keeps in his pocket which summons Felicia. She comes out of nowhere and eats little Bartholomew, her shadow can be seen picking him up and the audience hears her swallow him whole. Poor Bartholomew. Unfortunately for Felicia she comes across a dog who chases her away where the Royal Palace Guard dogs live, no one knows if she was either eaten alive by the dogs or if she just disappeared. If there’s one thing that Felicia has taught us it is that cats are evil and manipulative. This image tells us all what we need to know.

3. The Rat

Professor Ratigan, Basil’s arch enemy. Dressed in a suit, top hat, a cape and an evil smile he certainly looks the enemy. Everything he does is pure evil. Kidnapping a little girl's father and making him create a robot to help him gain power, using a pet bat to do his dirty work, having a cat work for him and trying to kill Basil at the end of the movie. Towards the end of the movie when Ratigan is found out, he turns into a monster, the rat he truly is. He becomes angry, he rips his clothes, becomes fuelled with hatred and tears after Basil attempting to kill him. He chases Basil to the top of Big Ben where the battle ends, Ratigan falls to his death and Basil finally gets closure on his case. Justice has been served.