Delightful Disney fantasy which remains one of the best films about leprachauns ever made - not that that's particularly high praise.
It's great fun to see Sean Connery in an old fashioned "juvenile lead" role - his eye brows do a LOT of acting (I don't think they stay still for more than a few seconds) and he has what seems to be a terrific amount of hair. He flashes his dimples in 50s brylcreamed heartthrob style and to be honest struggles with his lines at times. He "sings" too!
Janet Muno is lovely as Darby's daughter. She was an original manic pixie dream girl, staring off into the distance a lot of the time (though capable of fire). Her performance has a touch of magic and wistfulness - she's utterly perfect.
Albert Sharpe and Jimmy O'Dea are perfect as Darby and the Leprechaun king. At its heart this film is a battle of wills between these two, continually trying to double cross and one up each other, but enjoying the contests. They don't fall into cuteness so it keeps it fresh - as does the fact the townfolk assume Darby is a lying drunk mourning the death of his wife.
The sets and costumers add a lot - I thought this was shot in Ireland but it was on the Disney backlot. There's a strong support cast including Keiron Moore as a bully.
The script is very clever - things are set up and paid off nicely, it has logic. The ending is satisying.
No comments:
Post a Comment