The Magical Legend of the Leprechauns (1999) (TV)

User Rating:

6.4/10   

Director:

John Henderson

Writer (WGA):

Peter Barnes (written by)

Release Date:

7 November 1999 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Comedy | Family | Fantasy | Romance

Plot:

American businessman Jack Woods rents a cottage on the enchanted Emerald Isle which is occupied by a family of leprechauns...

Plot Keywords:

Fairy | Leprechaun | Friend | Banshee | Ballroom Dancing

Awards:

Nominated for Primetime Emmy. Another 1 nomination

Cast

Randy Quaid	...	Jack Woods
Whoopi Goldberg	...	The Grand Banshee
Roger Daltrey	...	King Boric
Colm Meaney	...	Seamus Muldoon
Kieran Culkin	...	Barney O'Grady
Zoë Wanamaker	...	Mary Muldoon
Daniel Betts	...	Mickey Muldoon
Orla Brady	...	Kathleen Fitzpatrick
Caroline Carver	...	Princess Jessica
Frank Finlay	...	General Bulstrode
Phyllida Law	...	Lady Margaret
Michael Williams	...	Father Daley
Harriet Walter	...	Queen Morag
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Danny Babington	...	1st Fairy
Christopher Benjamin	...	Troll Manager
Tony Bluto	...	1st Troll Assistant
Neil Conrich	...	Pooka Captain
Arthur Cox	...	2nd Farmer
Tony Curran	...	Sean Devine
Fercal Fay	...	Irish Dancer
Jonathan Firth	...	Count Grogan
Simon Greiff	...	Chief Grococh
James Hayes	...	Innkeeper
J.D. Kelleher	...	Stallholder / 1st Oakshee
Clive Kneller	...	1st Fairy Flunkee
Gary Lydon	...	Dunlang the Dullahan / James Fitzpatrick
Conor McDermottroe	...	John Fitzpatrick
Edward A. McDermottroe	...	Fergus Flynn
Kevin McKidd	...	Jericho O'Grady
Nula McMannican	...	Irish Dancer
Clive Merrison	...	Chamberlain
Stephen Moore	...	Jentee
Anthony O'Donnell	...	Bert Bagnell
Christopher Schönning	...	Fairboy
Peter Serafinowicz	...	George Fitzpatrck
Owen Sharpe	...	Harry Fitzpatrick
David Shaw Parker	...	Leprechaun Captain

Also Known As:

Kampf der Kobolde (Germany)
Leprechauns (USA) (short title)

Runtime:

Germany:172 min (2 parts) | USA:139 min

Country:

UK | USA | Germany

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Australia:PG | Germany:6

Filming Locations:

Ashridge Park, Little Gaddesden, Hertfordshire, England, UK

Company:

Hallmark Entertainment

Trivia:

Last film of Michael Williams.

Quotes:

Jack Woods: You're - you're...
Seamus Muldoon: A Leprechaun. Wet Leprechaun. Leader of the Kerry Leprechauns. Seamus Maldoon, at your wet service.
Mary Muldoon: [invisible] What in the Grand Banshee's name do you think you're doing?
Seamus Muldoon: What's it look like; I'm talking to the man.
Mary Muldoon: Are you mad, as well as stupid?
Seamus Muldoon: I have to! He saved me!
Mary Muldoon: He *saved* you?
Seamus Muldoon: Gallantly, I have to say. And not at all for himself.
[Jack stumbles outside]
Mary Muldoon: [appears inside] You were drunk!
[...]

Soundtrack:

We Can Fly Away

Enchanting

It is the old story of a boy and a girl in love who are forbidden to love each other because they come from two different worlds who hate each other. Yes, it's "Romeo and Juliet", it's "West Side Story" and I even would go so far to say that there'S a little bit Rose and Jack in it but never before has this story been told in such a charming way.

Here, it's a story within the story. An American businessman comes to Ireland in order to check the location and prepare everything for his American company who wants to build a golf territory in Western Ireland. At his second day of Arrival, the businessman by chance saves the life of a Leperchaun which means that the Leperchaun is devoted to him for the rest of his life. Through this incident the businessman gets to know another, magical parallel world that exists in the real human world. The parallel world has mainly two groups of human-like beings in it, the Leperchauns and the Fairys. The Leperchauns are lazy, always playing tricks on somebody and always in trouble. The Fairys on the other hand, are royal, prissy and always trying to make the world beautiful - they are responsible for the appearance of flowers and trees, e.g. for the perfect shape of the leaves and so on. Now, the son of the Leperchaun whose life the businessman saved, Mickey, falls for Jessica, a fairy and the daughter of the Fairy king. Of course this leads to trouble and you can guess how the story will go on, but it's still a pleasure to watch.

The movie is a feast of colours, nature and music, always with a bit magic in the air. Besides, the cast is brilliant. We've got Colm Meany as the Leperchaun dad, Daniel Betts as his charming son Mickey, Caroline Carver as Princess Jessica and - watch out - Whoopie Goldberg as the Big Banshee, a goddesslike creature observing all that goes on in the magical work. The movie might not be a big piece of cinema, but is really charming and a pleasure to see. It is crowned by a great music score and the title song "Fly away" performed by Emma Townsend.