Originally Posted By Doobie This topic is for discussion of the August 5th Toon Talk review of The Great Mouse Detective and the release in general at <a href="News-ID114570.asp" target="_blank">http://LaughingPlace.com/News-ID114570.asp</a>.
Originally Posted By smctopia Am I reading this correctly that the DVD wasn't even released in widescreen? What a disappointment. I will not be buying it now. Thanks for all the "heads up" you give in your reviews, Kirby. And I agree that the cover artwork is terrible! Visit Walt Dated World <a href="http://members.tripod.com/mouseketeer_alison/" target="_blank">http://members.tripod.com/mous eketeer_alison/</a>
Originally Posted By JeffG The disc is 1.66:1 anamorphic widescreen. I'm not sure why the review said otherwise... -Jeff
Originally Posted By DisneyDude81 yeah i like thatt hey released it in Widescreen i hate how they said they filled the disc up with this bonuses and all of the sudden they suck and is better to just have sold it empty with just the movie! not even a trailer!
Originally Posted By arstogas >>>Albeit more akin to Ian Fleming (or Dr. Evil) then Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, this set-up and its resolution marks the turning point for the character of Basil, where he finally warms up to the other characters, and thus the audience<<< Well, actually, he warms up to Dawson first, remorseful after lashing into the guy for losing Olivia... Otherwise, yes, it isn't til the big Rube Goldberg killing machine thing that he does seem to warm up to the girl. But I think he starts being more sympathetic to the audience when he makes nice to Dawson and then congratulates the guy on finding a major clue. >>>In its DVD debut, The Great Mouse Detective is granted a spiffy digital restoration (but in full-screen only)<<< Don't know why you'd write this at all... maybe your "Zoom" button was pushed on the DVD player? Check it. I liked the supplementary features, even if they were short, and it was interesting to see the preview for the Dalmatians sequel. Even though it looks kind of cheap, I'm glad that stylistically, they stayed with the Ken Anderson-designed look of the original. At least there'll be consistency THERE. I HATE the general menu where Basil's eyes rove back and forth like some cheap flea market clock, though. You wondered why they bothered.
Originally Posted By ToonKirby Sorry for the misinformation. When I watched it (and just double-checked it), it fills my screen, thus my assumption that it was "full screen". "Widescreen" to me means letterboxed, which it didn't appear to be. Jeff is far more tech-savy then I am, so I graciously concede to his knowledge.
Originally Posted By ToonKirby Oh ... and those creepy Basil eyes on the menu bugged me too, Aristogas. As for Basil warming up the audience, I would say that's a personal call. For me, he comes off as arrogant up until he is showed up by Ratigan. The moment when he snaps out of it is a sort of epiphany for him, where he realizes that that arrogance has put others in harm's way. Again, that's just my interpretation of it. Others may see it diferently. Thanks for the feedback. - kch
Originally Posted By JeffG Do you have a widescreen TV, Kirby? If not, the letterboxing should definitely be noticible on this disc, even if it is fairly slight compared to other titles. If you really are seeing the image appearing to be full-screen, you should check to see if your DVD player got accidentally set to think you have a widescreen monitor. You should be able to check that by turning on the player with no disc in and pressing the aspect ratio button on the remote control. That should bring up a menu of icons showing different monitor shapes. If it is set correctly, the selected icon would be the one shaped like a TV screen with a letterboxed image inside it. If your DVD player is set correctly, then it could be that your TV is severely overscanning. If your set has a vertical size control, then you could try starting "Great Mouse Detective" and adjusting it until you can see the letterboxing bars. Ideally, you should then look into using a reference disc to adjust the set. Most THX certified DVDs have what they call the "THX Optimode" screens that help you adjust your TV properly. I think most of the recent Disney 2-disc sets have included it. Just go into the "settings" menu and click on the THX logo. If you don't have a verticle size control on your TV (many newer ones don't), then you would likely need to have the TV adjusted by a professional. Any TV repairman should be able to do the adjustments. -Jeff
Originally Posted By Jim I always thought that the title BASIL OF BAKER STREET was about as interesting and creative as dirt. What is Basil? Why do I care about him? What is the significance of Baker Street? This is more comparable to "Snow White of the Cottage," "Bianca of New York," or "Pongo." THE GREAT MOUSE DETECTIVE tells so much more. At least we know it's about a detective.
Originally Posted By nic_wd i thought the oliver & company DVD was great. at least we have a GMD DVD. some people are never happy. did you really expect them to make a 2-disc of it now? its a much more thought of DVD than tarzan & jane!
Originally Posted By arstogas >>>I always thought that the title BASIL OF BAKER STREET was about as interesting and creative as dirt. What is Basil? Why do I care about him? What is the significance of Baker Street? This is more comparable to "Snow White of the Cottage," "Bianca of New York," or "Pongo." THE GREAT MOUSE DETECTIVE tells so much more. At least we know it's about a detective.<<< Yes... I just loved TROUBLED ORPHAN GIRL AND THE PATHOLOGICAL BLUE ALIEN. Why would I ever care about "Lilo"....
Originally Posted By Dabob I always LIKED the fact that Basil was arrogant. It was one of the things that made him much more interesting, I thought, than most of the Disney heroes of the era (70's and 80's) who were mostly dull as dishwater. GMD was the first Disney animated feature in a while where I thought the hero was as interesting as the villain. I actually like this one more than Kirby seems to (the film, not the DVD package); in fact, I think it's one of the most overlooked titles in the Disney catalog, and it was this film rather than Little Mermaid that really marked the beginning of the renaissance of Disney feature animation.
Originally Posted By ToonKirby Thanks for the info, Jeff. I don't have a widescreen tv, just a 27". I'm saving what you wrote and will check it out as soon as I get a chance.
Originally Posted By ToonKirby While a 2-disc set was out of the question (unnecessary?) for "Oliver & Co" and "Great Mouse Detective", the special editions of "Dumbo", "Hunchback" and even "Peter Pan" offered a lot more on one 1 disc then these last 2 releases. While the present editions may be adequate, it would have been nice to see a more thorough package.
Originally Posted By basil fan I also find Basil's endearingly flawed, though I can see how others may consider him hard to take. My one gripe with the review is the comment that there isn't much of a mystery to the plot. True, the story is not a whodunnit in the Agatha Christie vein, but it wasn't meant to be. Many great mystery/detective stories don't contain anything for the audience to "solve". It's still a legitimate take on the mystery genre. I thought the name "Baker Street" was universally associated with Sherlock Holmes & would therefore instantly evoke thoughts of a Victorian London detective. Apparently, it is not all that universal. Great Mouse Detective <a href="http://www15.brinkster.com/wtstsgalor/basil/bakerst.html" target="_blank">http://www15.brinkster.com/wts tsgalor/basil/bakerst.html</a>
Originally Posted By basil fan I bought the DVD, even though I had to rent a player to watch it. Maybe the features are paltry compared to the big ticket features, but when your favorite character is as little used as Basil is, you're happy with whatever bone is thrown to you. I loved the Making of... section. It was on the Disney Channel years ago, & I taped it, but you know how they look when you try to watch them. I loved the picture gallery. Pre-production artwork for GMD is almost non-existent, & it always thrills me. And the closed caption feature enabled me to catch that one line of dialogue I could never understand. So, a thousand thanks for this DVD. I think it was made just for me. Mouse History 101 <a href="http://www15.brinkster.com/wtstsgalor/timeline.html" target="_blank">http://www15.brinkster.com/wts tsgalor/timeline.html</a>
