It's elementary, dear Dawson.

The Great Mouse Detective is the Walt Disney version of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's famous Sherlock Holmes series... as well as one of the greatest examples of classic Disney animation.

It takes place in 1897 London, with Olivia Flaversham celebrating her birthday with her father. The festivities are cut short when Fidget, a peg-legged bat who works for the evil Rattigan, kidnaps Olivia's father, leaving her an orphan. She finds a friend in Dr. Dawson, who leads her to the world-famous detective and arch nemesis of Rattigan, Basil of Baker Street.

What begins as a simple kidnapping turns into a plot against the Crown as Basil, Dawson, Olivia, and Toby (Sherlock Holmes' eager dog) race against the clock to save Olivia's father, protect the Queen and her kingdom, and defeat Rattigan.

There's nothing distinctly "1980s" about The Great Mouse Detective, but it is an example of why I loved Disney so much as a kid. It was one of the first to use CGI (in a chase scene that takes place inside Big Ben), but the characters are still all hand-drawn. It's also got good, catchy songs (including "The World's Greatest Criminal Mind"), lovable characters, a thoroughly evil villain, and a fast-paced plot that adults can enjoy as much as children. So, Disney, can you stop making Toy Story sequels now and go back to the way you used to make animated films?