The story opens to the fight between Sherlock Holmes and Professor James Moriarty, his arch-enemy, above the Reichenbach Falls, when both appear to plunge to their deaths. Back in London, the awful news of Sherlock Holmes death is shouted by the newspaper sellers. Holmes disguised as a porter saves Dr. Watson from a rifle bullet and returns with him to 221b Baker Street, whereupon Mrs. Hudson faints from the shock of seeing Holmes alive. Overcome with emotion, Mrs. Hudson, Watson, and the Irregulars sing an ode to Holmes, calling him without a doubt the greatest man alive. (Opening)
We find that Holmes is, to Watson's disbelief, missing Moriarty. (Without Him There Can Be No Me) Holmes is quickly assured that there is plenty of work left for him in London (Anything You Want To Know), and he is temporarily reassured. Holmes is asked by Sir Jevons Jarndyce to retrieve the House of Commons mace, but he pretends not to be interested. With the help of the Baker Street Irregulars the mace is returned much to Inspector Lestrades' amazement. (Look Around You) The Duchess of Monmouth tries to get Holmes to find her King Charles spaniel and it dawns on Holmes that the two cases can only point to Moriarty.
(London Is London) A beautiful young artist, Bella Spellgrove, summons Holmes to the Royal Academy where a piece of her painting "Portraits of a Stranger" was jaggedly cut out. The missing portrait was that of a strangely solitary man. But after meeting with Bella, Watson, though married, is immediately taken with her beauty. (Her Face) Though Holmes is not as immediately smitten, he is drawn into a battle of wits of sort when Bella accuses him of hiding behind Watson's 'loveable moose' so that he can feel better about himself (Men Like You), which she claims as a great annoyance to women of her intelligence. Miss Bella Spellgrove is confident that Holmes can help return her painting of a stranger and he invites her into his home much to Mrs Hudson's disapproval. We then see Mrs. Hudson lamenting the hardships in her own life, as a widow forced to rent rooms to lodgers to make ends meet. (A Lousy Life)
Act Two opens with a desperate search for Bella, as Holmes is afraid that by losing her he loses the last link to Moriarty, a connection he still misses terribly. (I Shall Find Her) But, unbeknownst to Holmes, Bella is the daughter of Professor Moriarty, bent on avenging her father's death. Bella and her mother, Mrs. Carlotta Moriarty (who was a trained Italian opera singer before her marriage) are plotting to bring 'death and disgrace' to Holmes as revenge for killing Professor Moriarty. (Vendetta)
At her painting studio, she entraps Holmes in a locked attic room and appears to drug him, but even when goaded by Mrs Moriarty she cannot plunge a dagger into him. The body of Maria Moriarty, Bella's younger sister who has died from illness, is left by the side of Holmes after Mrs. Moriarty has made it appear that Holmes has killed her. Pompous Inspector Lestrade is delighted to find Holmes hovering over the body of a young girl with a blood stained sword-stick in his hand. Although Holmes protests that the victim's cause of death was diphtheria, not the multiple stab wounds, he manages to slip off the hand-cuffs, and soon finds himself on the run from Inspector Lestrade.
While the entire city is abuzz with the "daring escape of Holmes," (Sherlock Holmes, reprise), Holmes searches for Bella and her mother and salvage his reputation. Furious with himself for falling into the trap, Holmes curses women and their effect on the workings of the mind. Despite this, he cannot stop himself from thinking about Bella. (No Reason) While Watson reminisces about his old days in the military, (Halcyon Days) Mrs. Moriarty finds her daughter wavering in her quest for revenge. At some point, Bella ponders what might become of a union with the Great Detective. Bella realizes that she may need Sherlock Holmes more than she cares to admit (Without Him There Can Be No Me, reprise) Holmes, meanwhile, has disguised himself and hidden amongst the poor of London. (Apples 'n' Pears) The people of London, however, are distracted from the 'problem' of Sherlock Holmes when rumors begin to leak out that Moriarty is back (We Shall Find Her). Revitalized by the news and the prospect of a true mental battle, Holmes prepares himself for a sparring with Moriarty. (My Incomparable Best) Bella imagines that she sees her father, and tells him not to appear to her unless he can stay. (A Million Years Ago)
It takes a few clever disguises by both Holmes and Bella for them to finally meet in a deserted waterfront warehouse for a showdown. She and Holmes are reunited, and they both admit their attraction and that, as a pair, they would never be bored, as they bring out the best in each other. (The Best of You, The Best of Me) Mrs. Moriarty aims a loaded pistol at Holmes' head, but Bella stops her and the two women plunge over the side of a bridge, similar to Moriarty's demise. Holmes is able to prove that he was not, in fact the killer. Later at Baker Street, Holmes receives by messenger a small posy of bright red-purple flowers that conjectures that Bella is still alive. He vows to find his new adversary, and once he succeeds, to never let her go. (Finale)
GMD 2 Trivia
The entire storyline is based on The Revenge of Sherlock Holmes the Musical.
The opening to Basil's nightmare with his fight with Ratigan on top Big Ben is similar to Holmes' nightmares of his fighting with Moriarty at Reichenbach Falls, from The Devil's Foot and The Noble Bachelor.
Like in the first movie, Dawson narrates both the prologue and the epilogue.
The cases Dawson mentions are from the Basil books and Disney comics. The haunting of the Hathaway Hotel is from Basil in the Wild West. The Missing Emerald Ring was from the end of the first movie. The Mystery of the Inca Treasure is from a Disney comic. The Missing Twins are from Basil of Baker Street. The Missing Mousa Lisa is from Basil in Mexico. The Flaversham Case is from the first movie. The Pygmy Cats is from Basil and the Pygmy Cats. The Lost Colony is from Basil and the Lost Colony. The kidnapped Maharajah is from Basil and the Pygmy Cats. The Counterfeit Cheese is from Basil in Mexico.
The Bohemian Scandal case is based on the Scandal in Bohemia. And the character Relda is from the Basil books, and based on Irene Adler. She also serves as love interest to Basil, as Adler was to Holmes.
The backstory of how Basil and Ratigan became enemies is based on the Young Sherlock Holmes movie on how Holmes and Moriarty became enemies.
Cyril the stoolpigeon is from the books. He serves as Basil's eyes and ears throughout London. In the story, he serves as a delivery pigeon, and his personality has changed to make him a comic relief.
Superintendent Bigelow and Constable Clewes are from the Basil of Baker Street books.
Inspector Lawless is from the Disney comics, who plays the role of Inspector Lestrade.
Captain Doran is from the books and he is based on Colonel Moran, who serves as Moriarty's second in command, as Doran is to Ratigan in the books. He also serves as Mrs. Ratigan's second in command.
The names of the escaped criminals are from the books. The Terrible Three are from Basil of Baker Street. Big Tuppy and Russmer are from Basil and the Lost Colony. Clarence the Crook made a cameo in Basil of Baker Street on a Wanted poster. The Flashy Farrell Brothers Lefty Lichian and Wrongo Wright are from Basil in Mexico. Johnny Saul and Pete Blau are from Basil in the Wild West.
Rosa, Ratigan's daughter, is based on Bella, Moriarty's daughter. But their personalities are different. Think of her as Kovu, who was brainwashed by his mother Zira into killing Simba, only to fall in love with Kiara and have a change of heart. Rosa was tricked by her mother into believing that Basil was the reason her father died and how everyone hated them, until Rosa learns the truth later on.
Higgins, leader of the Baker Street Irregulars, is based on Wiggins. The names of the Irregulars were Spanish in the Basil in Mexico book. The names were changed to English and from the Sherlock Holmes Musical.
When Basil and Dawson discuss women, it's similar to Holmes and Watson's discussion about women.
The name Rosa made up for her father to cover her real background was James, from Professor Moriarty.
The reason Toby didn't like Rosa at first was because she had the smell of sewage on her since she lives with her mom in her dad's secret lair. But he finally came to love her when helping Basil and friends look for her.
When Rosa falls into Basil's arms and they both look at each other briefly, it's similar to Ariel and Eric, Aladdin and Jasmine, and Basil and Olivia.
Fidget didn't drown in the first movie, as he was rescued by Doran and convinced to work for Mrs. Ratigan in the Anti-Basil League.
Clifford, Basil's older brother, is based on Mycroft Holmes. They both go to a club and work for the government. Clifford is from the Disney comics.
Sir Evens is based on Sir Jevons. The Duchess of Mousemouth is based on the Duchess of Monmouth. Toffy is based on Boffy, a friend of Watson.
The line Basil said when speaking to Sir Evens and the Duchess was from Holmes in The Red Circle. And the same response from the Duchess was used from Mrs. Warren.
The song Relda sings is the same song Adler sung from the Granada TV series of Sherlock Holmes.
Relda was supposedly killed off, similar to Adler in Sherlock Holmes; A Game of Shadows, only to reveal later that she is alive.
Basil's gypsy disguise is from Basil and the Lost Colony.
When Basil and Rosa and Dawson are stuck in a small space in the East End, Basil and Rosa's faces come too close to each other, similar to Kiara and Kovu.
When the Irregulars come into Baker Street and Basil tells them not to have the house invaded this way is from Holmes saying the same thing to Wiggins and the Irregulars in the Sign of Four.
When Basil and Dawson rescue Rosa and Olivia out in the Thames, it came from the Basil and the Lost Colony book when Basil and Dawson rescue the Faversham sisters out in the ocean.
Since the first movie, Basil still can't pronounce Olivia's last name right.
The line Basil says to Rosa when they come close to kissing is what Holmes said to Aggie in The Master Blackmailer.
When Mrs. Ratigan orders Fidget to find her daughter, it's similar to Ratigan ordering Fidget to go out and get the uniforms, gears, tools, and Olivia.
Mrs. Ratigan is based on Mrs. Moriarty from the musical, whom both resemble Morticia Addams and Lady Tremaine, Cinderella's stepmother.
The idea of an Anti-Basil League was for future use in the Basil books, which never happened. It was mentioned in Basil in the Wild West.
The song Vendetta, sung by Mrs. Ratigan, is a dark one and some words are mature. But it also serves along with many other Disney villain songs like Ursula's Poor Unfortunate Souls, Dr. Facilier's Friends on the Other Side, Ratigan's World's Greatest Criminal Mind, Scar's Be Prepared, Zira's My Lullaby, Gaston's song, Forte's Don't Fall In Love, and Frollo's Hellfire.
The idea of separating Basil and Dawson to lure Basil into the trap was used in the Final Problem when Moriarty had planned to separate Holmes and Watson so he could face off Holmes alone.
Mrs. Ratigan is somehow like Zira. They both wanna take over the Pridelands or Mousedom, they want to avenge the main villain from the first movie, and they brainwash their children into believing the heroes are the bad guys. And Mrs. Ratigan is somewhat like Queen Chrysalis. She disguises herself as an English Noble woman and gains everyone's trust but in reality fools them all. One could describe her as a wolf in sheep's clothing. She's also manipulative and tricky as, like Chrysalis, turns everyone against the hero, later captures the hero and enjoys seeing him or her suffer, and also enjoys making fun of them, but in the climax the hero's friend exposes the villain's true identity to the public, such as the real Cadence and Rosa, as they're both the living prove that the hero was innocent and the so called 'heroine' everyone looks up to is a monster.
Slyder the snake is based on the snake from the Speckled Band. Like Felicia, he serves as Mrs. Ratigan's executioner when someone fails her or makes her mad. She even treats her snake like a baby, the same way Ratigan does with Felicia. Ratigan calls Felicia with a bell, Mrs. Ratigan calls Slyder with a whistle, like the one Dr. Roylott uses.
Basil's disguise as a chimney sweeper came from the idea of Mary Poppins.
Basil walking into another trap is similar to the first movie when he walked into Ratigan's trap. But unlike in the first movie, Basil doesn't fall into a depression, he was angry for falling into another trap and angry with Rosa for lying to him.
The scene where Mrs. Ratigan sings a reprise of Vendetta is similar to Vanessa/Ursula singing in front of the mirror.
The part where Fidget is about to throw the Queen into Felicia's mouth, only to be rescued by Basil, is used for Fidget about to feed the Queen to Slyder, only to be rescued by Basil again. And when Toby chases away Felicia, Toby attacks Slyder, with some help from Cyril.
The scene where Rosa denounces her mom as an imposter is similar to Basil denouncing Ratigan as an imposter in front of the crowd.
The same fire at the church scene is similar to Hunchback of Notre Dame when the church was set on fire to keep the guards away.
Like Professor Ratigan, Mrs. Ratigan loses her sanity and transforms into a monster and attacks Basil, only to be thwarted by Rosa. Mrs. Ratigan's demise is similar to her husband's when the bells chime and the vibrations cause her to lose her balance and fall off the building to her death.
There might be an OliviaxHiggins pairing, hinted at the end. Not to mention that when Basil ends his relationship with Relda is similar to Pocahontas ending hers with John Smith.
Like Basil, Rosa survives the fall and later reveals herself to Basil, Dawson, and Mrs. Judson. Their reactions are the same to Watson when Holmes shows he's alive, Watson faints.
At the end, Basil and Dawson repeat their lines when Basil invites Dawson o be his partner, Basil invites Rosa to move in with them and Dawson agrees.