3. The Great Mouse Detective
Every now and then, Disney goes through periods where they try to make films that distance themselves away from their Princess heritage. The two periods that were most prominently made up of such films were the early 80's and the beginning of the 00's. A lot of these films didn't receive the audience that Disney was hoping for, but they were actually good enough to receive a little bit of a following. Tron, The Emperor's New Groove, Dinosaur, and even The Black Cauldron were storied "flops" that didn't manage to carry much cultural weight upon initial release, but still maintained a loyal following. The last three animated entries on this list are from those periods when Disney did its most out of the box thinking, and eventually returned empty handed. Still, these films are proof that it's better to try and fail than not try at all. Basil of Baker Street, later renamed The Great Mouse Detective, is another literary based film that Disney excelled at making, only to see it not as widely accepted as they'd have liked. Basil, the titular detective, is a mouse that lives under a certain "world's greatest detective" at 221B Baker Street; and like his human counterpart, he's a whiz at solving crimes (the only real difference is Basil doesn't need Cocaine to keep his edge, and he's not as much of a highly functioning sociopath as Holmes ever was. This IS a Disney film, after all). No sooner do Dr. David Q. Dawson and Basil meet does Oliva Flaversham walk into their lives with a mystery worthy of Holmes himself. Her father, a prominent toymaker, has been kidnapped by a rather wonky bat. The purpose is undoubtedly nefarious, and sure enough the newly formed team find themselves doing battle with the evil Professor Rattigan, as he schemes to take the crown of England by force. The film is full of high adventure, thrilling Henry Mancini music, and perhaps the biggest selling point of the whole film: a deliciously evil Vincent Price playing the campy, yet threatening Professor Rattigan. Timeless, fun, and something to watch while waiting for Sherlock to come back on the air, The Great Mouse Detective is a film that's made to please even the toughest of fans.