Once upon a time, in the mystical land of Ireland, there lived an ancient leprechaun named Seamus. Seamus was known throughout the land for his mischievous ways and cunning tricks. But hidden beneath his mischievous exterior was a heart filled with kindness and a desire to bring joy to those who crossed his path. One fine day, as Seamus was frolicking through a field of clovers, he stumbled upon a hidden cave. Curiosity getting the better of him, he couldn't resist entering to uncover its secrets. As he ventured further into the dark cave, a golden glow surrounded him, and he felt a mysterious power coursing through his veins.
As he ventured further into the dark cave, a golden glow surrounded him, and he felt a mysterious power coursing through his veins. Little did he know, he had stumbled upon a powerful enchanted spell. The enchanted spell bestowed upon Seamus the ability to grant wishes to those who truly believed in the magic of the leprechauns.
Spellbreaker: Secret of the Leprechauns (1996)
If you recall, that film followed an old man and his stowaway leprechaun and fairy friends as he visited his douche son and family in Denver. Douche dad was trying to scam old man into letting him build the Irelandland theme park on Fairy Hill. No one believed old man about the existence of the wee folk at first, but everyone came around eventually.
If you don’t recall any of that, don’t worry because Spellbreaker wastes its first two minutes having douche dad’s creepy son, Mikey, narrate it all, accompanied by flashbacks. This is easily the worst part of Spellbreaker. That’s not really a compliment toward Spellbreaker so much as a reminder of what a pile of pooka droppings Leapin’ Leprechauns! was.
Spellbreaker wisely ditches the strange non-story of the dad half-heartedly trying to swindle and institutionalize his own father. Even wiser still, it ditches the entire douche family except for grandpa and Mikey, mysteriously sending Mikey on a vacation to stay with grandpa despite us having seen the whole family seemingly move to Fairy Hill at the end of the first film. (Douche Dad was last seen giving tours of Fairy Hill complete in his Irish costume of a turtleneck, hat and vest!)
While Mikey and grandpa enjoy themselves in the woods fishing and joking with their leprechaun buddies, a mysterious redheaded woman named Morgan appears riding a sinister looking black horse. She says she’s staying at the old ruined evil castle just up the way and invites Mikey to clean up some boxes for her.
Those of you versed in the advanced cinema technique known as “foreshadowing” will be instantly suspicious of her, what with the leprechauns seemingly unrelated babble about the Lord of the Dead Finvarra and his crappy bride Nula. You’ll also be on the edge of your seat waiting for that moment that little Mikey will need to use his new found talent for sleight-of-hand magic tricks.
King Kevin of the leprechauns is smitten with Morgan and gets himself trapped and put under her spell when he greedily eats her enchanted cake. When he finally makes his way back to his kingdom, he is determined that she will be his bride and sends all the leprechauns out to find suitable wedding gifts. Presumably Morgan knew this would happen because she gallops through forest with her butterfly net catching all the leprechauns.
Morgan’s plan is to deliver them all to Finvarra in the land of the dead and then I guess she and he will rule over Fairy Hill. As a rule, I generally tune out the ravings of bullies, madmen, and egotistical supernatural beings because do I really need to know all the details of why their ass has to be kicked back to whatever smelly realm they came from?
I’ll admit that after the first movie, I thought a best case scenario for Mikey might be growing up to be a registered sex offender. His terrible haircut and nerd glasses combined with a natural surliness was a recipe for social alienation and sexual isolation that was sure to lead to multiple felonies once puberty unlocked all his evil gifts.
But I’ll give the little freak credit, he channeled all that weirdo stuff into being a kid who instantly distrusts Morgan, is smart enough not to eat her cursed cookies (it seems ridiculous that his grandfather would accuse him of imagining things since they spend their time hanging out with leprechauns and fairies), sabotages Morgan’s potions, and uses his lock picking abilities to try and free his leprechaun friends. He’s like a little teeny Jason Bourne!
You can complain that this is simply another case of a big time mythical villain being outsmarted and embarrassed by a kid, but Morgan knew the kid was trouble from the beginning and did what she could to neutralize him. How was she to know she was dealing with a budding Doug Henning?
Likewise, a demanding viewer may also rightly observe that King Kevin and the Fairy Queen talk way too much and that their antics aren’t nearly as funny as the movie meant them to be. At least this time though, they have something to do other than harass kids at a playground and disrupt dinner parties.
While Spellbreaker is no Darby O’Gill and the Little People (and really, what is – that one starred James Bond!) it’s much more in line with the minimal expectations of a Full Moon Entertainment family movie about wee folk than Leapin’ Leprechauns! was.
Keeping the action set in Ireland, dispensing with the lame family drama and ramping up the action up to and including a trip to the underworld where poor Mikey is forced into a leather harness so he can haul the steamer trunk full of leprechauns and his now shrunken grandfather(!) easily make Spellbreaker a two-leaf clover film to Leapin’ Leprechauns!‘s one-leaf clover blarney. And if it’s all resolved with a bit of leprechaun wish deus ex machina that seemed made up on the spot, well, that’s just something to be chalked up to the mysterious ways of those tricky Fairy Folk, right?
I’ll admit that after the first movie, I thought a best case scenario for Mikey might be growing up to be a registered sex offender. His terrible haircut and nerd glasses combined with a natural surliness was a recipe for social alienation and sexual isolation that was sure to lead to multiple felonies once puberty unlocked all his evil gifts.
With this newfound power, Seamus set out to spread joy and happiness throughout the land. People from far and wide sought out the leprechaun's favor, hoping to have their deepest desires fulfilled. Seamus, being mischievous at heart, decided to have a little fun with the wishes he granted. He would grant them, but always with a twist. For instance, if someone wished for fortune, Seamus would make it rain gold coins, but only for a day. If someone wished for love, Seamus would sprinkle a pinch of love potion in their drink, causing them to fall head over heels for the first person they laid eyes on - which often led to some humorous situations. But amidst the laughter and pranks, Seamus never forgot the true purpose of his magical powers - to bring joy to those who believed. He would often bring laughter to children by creating whimsical pranks and leaving little surprises in their path. The enchantment of the leprechaun's spell brought a spark of happiness to the lives of those it touched. As the years passed, Seamus noticed that people's belief in magic began to wane. The demands for wishes grew fewer, and the world became a little less enchanted. Saddened by this turn of events, Seamus realized his time with the enchanted spell had come to an end. With one final wave of his hand, Seamus released the spell into the world, allowing the magic to scatter among the hearts of those who still believed. Although he had lost the power to grant wishes, Seamus knew that the enchantment would live on as long as people held onto their belief in the magic of the leprechauns. And so, the tale of the leprechaun's enchanted spell became a legend, passed down through generations. It reminded people of the power of belief and the ability to find joy in the simplest of things. The magic of the leprechauns continued to bring a twinkle to the eyes of believers, forever enchanting the hearts of those who dared to believe in the extraordinary..
Reviews for "The Enchanted Tale of the Leprechaun's Spell: Ireland's Hidden Magic"
1. John - 2 stars - I was really disappointed with "The enchanted tale of the leprechauns spell". The story felt cliché and unoriginal, with predictable plot twists and underdeveloped characters. The animation quality was also subpar, lacking the vibrant and captivating visuals I expected from a fantasy movie. Overall, I found it to be a forgettable and uninspiring watch.
2. Emily - 1 star - "The enchanted tale of the leprechauns spell" was a complete letdown. The storyline was confusing and convoluted, making it difficult to follow and engage with the film. The voice acting was also lackluster, with wooden performances that failed to bring any emotion or depth to the characters. The movie lacked the magical charm and enchantment I had hoped for, leaving me bored and unimpressed.
3. Sarah - 2 stars - As a fan of fantasy movies, I was excited to watch "The enchanted tale of the leprechauns spell", but it fell short of my expectations. The plot was disjointed and the pacing was off, making it difficult to stay engaged throughout the film. Additionally, the dialogue felt forced and cliché, lacking the creativity and wit that can make fantasy stories so enjoyable. Overall, it was a disappointing experience that didn't live up to its potential.
4. David - 1 star - I found "The enchanted tale of the leprechauns spell" to be quite boring and uninspiring. The characters lacked depth and development, making it difficult to care about their journey. The animation was also mediocre, with poorly rendered scenes that didn't capture the magic and wonder of the world being portrayed. Overall, it felt like a cheap and unimpressive attempt at creating a fantasy film.
5. Jennifer - 2 stars - "The enchanted tale of the leprechauns spell" failed to captivate me from start to finish. The storyline was predictable and lacked originality, following the typical tropes and clichés of the genre. The animation was decent, but nothing extraordinary, and the music didn't add any depth or emotion to the scenes. Overall, it was a forgettable and unremarkable film that didn't leave a lasting impression.