A mouse who lives in Sherlock Holmes’ cellar solves rodent-based crimes in this 1986 Disney flick they should have called The Grate Detective.

Arriving just ahead of the ’90s Disney renaissance, The Great Mouse Detective may be overshadowed by its more colourful stablemates, but deserves recognition for its subterranean take on Baker Street. Based on the children’s book series Basil of Baker Street, the film cleverly integrates elements of Conan Doyle; mouse detective Basil (Barrie Ingham) rides around on Sherlock’s dog Toby and plays the violin, but it wisely stops short of showing him inject himself with melted cheese.

The wonderful animation captures the dusty glow of Victorian London in a style similar to the lived-in feel of The Aristocats, except here the cats are naturally villainous. The era is craftily realised through clockwork toys (and a mechanical Queen Victoria), giving some sequences a nightmarish proto-Toy Story vibe, with an exciting finale set inside the grinding cogs and gears of Big Ben.

That said, one can see why the mousy movie gets overlooked. The story is slightly mechanical and lacking a clear protagonist, bouncing between the young Olivia (Susanne Pollatschek) who seeks Basil’s help, Dr. Watson surrogate David Q. Dawson (Val Bettin), and Basil himself. There is also the stink of antisemitism in the depiction of the villain Professor Ratigan (Vincent Price), a rat character so laden with antisemitic tropes that they might as well have called him Shylock Holmes.

Despite its flaws, The Great Mouse Detective has a ratty charm, and as a poster child for the House of Mouse I’ll take Basil over Mickey any day of the squeak.