THE MAGICAL LEGEND OF THE LEPRECHAUNS

REVIEWED BY CHARITY BISHOP

Our rating: 4 out of 5

Because of: violence

Rated:

Mickey Muldoon is in love. Madly, passionately, intoxicatingly in love. Only one problem. The gorgeous love of his life is a fairy. In the land of blarney of superstition, four-leaf clovers, headless horsemen, and the Grand Banshee, is it so surprising that a young Leprechaun would fall madly in love with Princess Jessica of the fairy realm? Unfortunately, an ongoing rivalry between Mickey and his friends with Count Ruegan, Jessica's cousin and heir to the throne, is only the tip of the iceberg as far as hatred among the little people goes.

When Big Apple businessman Jack Woods rented a summer cottage on the beautiful Emerald Isle as part of a promotion, he had little idea that he would become entangled in a mysterious turn of events that would ultimately threaten Ireland. Having rescued Seamus Muldoon, Mickey's father and the leader of the Leprechauns from a certain death, he is forever in the little chap's favor and is given the power to see "the little people." But even their wit and humor cannot save him when he stumbles across a hot-tempered Irish lass by the name of Kathleen and promptly gets off on the wrong foot with the county's most beautiful inhabitant. 

The fires of revolution are slowly simmering in the leprechaun camps as well as the fairy realm and when Mickey and his friends crash the Grand Ball of Fairies (and ultimately meet Princess Jessica), it sets off a chain of events that even Jack cannot stop. The little people enrage the Grand Banshee so much that she removes their immortality. When Count Ruegan is killed in a stick fight between opposing gangs, it turns into a full-fledged war between opposing camps. Jessica is sent away to the underwater kingdom to be out of the reach of this precocious leprechaun and the fairies prepare for war. As their attention is turned elsewhere, Mother Nature beings to suffer and the seasons to change, pelting Ireland with storms such as they have never seen.

I have heard this story as being condescendingly called "a cross between The Wizard of Oz and Romeo & Juliet, but were I the storywriters I would take that as a compliment for both are the most famed stories in history and combined -- as well as with various other elements of classic folklore and fairy tales -- they make for a very charming and heartwarming story. With just the right amount of humor and the fantastic special effects from the creators of The 10th Kingdom, they provide a world rich in color and texture from the gorgeous scenery of Ireland to the fantastic corridors of the Underwater Palace. There are a few elements of caution, if only for younger children who may be frightened by some of the "creatures" that appear and disappear, such as the headless horseman with his glowing red eyes or the fire giant that guards the entrance to the Grand Banshee's abode. 

Violence is also prevalent in various scenes, with fist fighting, stick challenges, and plenty of kicking and hitting. Corpses of the little people simply vanish into thin air and while there is no blood or gore, the war sequences may be too intense for little kids. We glimpse Kathleen's bare back as she skinny dips and several leprechaun lasses wear short skirts in a very Riverdance sequence. It's a good film and I enjoyed it even if it was a bit too long and the battle scenes somewhat overplayed. The cast was excellent, each turning out their witty dialog with just the right amount of condescension and the Irish accents, with just the proper amount of "blarney" thrown in, will keep you laughing for hours. Incorporating a Romeo & Juliet twist between the two lovers as well as a sub-plot of human conflict and just the right amount of suspense, Hallmark and Artisan Entertainment have brought us once again a fairy tale worthy of praise.