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

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 | Train Station

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: I'm sorry, Kathleen, but I'm leaving on the evening train.
Kathleen Fitzpatrick: This evening?
George Fitzpatrck: Good riddance.
Kathleen Fitzpatrick: George?... Could you go, please?
John Fitzpatrick: You going somewhere, George; can I go with you?
George Fitzpatrck: Not me, him.
John Fitzpatrick: I don't wanna go with him.
George Fitzpatrck: No one asked you!

Movie Connections:

References Waterloo (1970/I)

Soundtrack:

We Can Fly Away

A little bit John Denver and a little bit William Shakespeare

Hmmmm...it's interesting that no one has even mentioned West Side Story while reviewing this film. You know West Side Story don't you? The play, the movie. Critical acclaim, awards (1961 Best Picture!), still making lots of money? Why do I bring that up? Because it was adapted from Shakespeare...you know...Romeo and Juliet? Oh yeah, there's been some recent, and just plain silly updates of R & J of late so it's on our minds now, but back when West Side Story was new no one minded the update and no one should mind it now. Why not? It's a classic story (and not even that original when Shakespeare did it, the Chinese beat him by a few hundred years) told in almost every language and culture. Also, for the record this film steals from two other films (though not as well known). First of all a third of the film borrows from "Leapin' Leprechauns!" a low budget direct-to-video kid flick made in 1994 (apparently with some success since there was a sequel a year later called "Spellbreaker: Secret of the Leprechauns"). LL was about a man who visits Ireland to build an amusement park on the land of the little people. A second third of the film borrows VERY heavily from the John Denver made-for-TV 1986 Christmas movie "The Christmas Gift," a very good movie about an architect who visits a small village to build a new planned community but falls in love with a women in the village. His relationship with her takes a turn for the worse when she finds out his original intentions but doesn't care to listen that he is trying to stop it, you see he has fallen in love with the little village, the woman, and the magic of the place. For those who don't know, that's also the plot of "Leprechauns." So we have a lot of borrowed plots here intertwined with a little razzle dazzle and some charming performances all around. But if we start playing that "it's not original game" every movie made past 1945 would fall into that category! Just because YOU never heard of it doesn't mean it's original! Now we get "Leprechauns", which for my money is more entertaining than the Bards story if not as toe tapping as West Side Story. This of course is a family picture which means suitable for kids and for adults in touch with their inner kids. Is it fun, yes. Randy Quaid is terrific for the role of Jack Woods...first of all he's tall...very tall...he seems like a growing Alice inside the magical little Irish cottage he rents for a business trip. The human folk look up at him like he's John Wayne American (they do share the same initials). When pretty Kathleen Fitzpatrick (Orla Brady) needs someone to ride her horse and cart in a trotting race (no women allowed), Jack Woods steps right up and obliges "how hard can it be?". A previous encounter with him stumbling across her bathing nude in a stream has made him a definite last choice on her list but she does accept because there is no one else. Jack Woods, American, never having ridden before (or has he, he never really let's us know) ends up winning the race and an invitation to a second chance with Kathleen. Why do some people see Leprechauns and others don't? Well, it's explained, a little, but the point here is that Jack and Kathleen see them. The little folk are feuding with the fairies that live in a floating castle in the sky. This feud is getting The Grand Banshee (Whoopi Goldberg) upset because the little folk (both varieties) are suppose to be tending to mother nature. Without their attention, nature is in for a bad eternity. This is where Romeo and Juliet come into the story. You see, Mickey Muldoon, the son of the Leprechaun Muldoons (they live in Jack Woods cottage...Jack sees them remember?) likes Jessica, the princess of the fairies. And she likes him. When they run away this causes both sides to go to war. And so we have it, some pretty neat plots, very lively for it's 2 1/2 hour run (though spread out on TV for four hours it must have been a little much). If I have one complaint it's that the producers bowed to popularity (as opposed to tradition) and staged a Riverdance scene instead of an Irish jig during a Leprechaun celebration. Hey, I like Riverdance as much as anyone but it just didn't fit. On the plus side Orla Brady (Kathleen Fitzpatrick), Zoe Wanamaker (Mrs. Leprechaun Mary Muldoone), Caroline Carver (Princess "Juliet" Jessica), and Daniel Betts (Mickey "Romeo" Muldoon) are quite pleasing in their respective roles and new to most American audiences. Colm Meaney and Whoopi Goldberg, both from the world of Star Trek, add their star power to the mix. And Kieran Culkin is wasted in a role that seems to have been left on the cutting room floor. Pop the film into your VCR or DVD player, and have some fun...but most of all lighten up. If you want Romeo and Juliet check out Franco Zeffirelli's 1968 classic.