There's obviously no love between the flamboyant witch Veronica Hamel and wealthy businessman Jack Scalia, somehow becoming engaged when she discovers his name on the list of most elegable bavhelors, and supposedly through witchcraft, baby, any day. When she agrees to take the kids in on a vacation in preparation for their wedding, it's not love at first sight for the kids and step mommy-to-be. In fact, he's only a small part of her plan, as evidenced through the presence of a leprechaun Finn Regan McCool (Mick Walter) who reveals himself to be the king. Is that a leprechaun party of one?, because he's the only one we see. The kids spend the bulk of the film trying to convince their dad that she is no good for them, and scheming against her and evil butler David Warner.
The two villains spend most of the film covered in muck, often foiled by the kids as they end up covered in pig sty slop, food and other disgusting liquids. I found myself laughing reluctantly over the juvenile atmosphere, mainly because of the fun that Hamel and Warner were having. When first seen, she's dressed like Joan Colllins on "Dynasty", but once her real nature is revealed, she's closer to Angelica Huston in "The Witches" and Jean Marsh in "Willow" than she is to Glenn Close in "101 Dalmations". Warner, who has spent the bulk of his career playing villains, gets to be a rather buffoonish one here, and he's having a delightful time doing it. Walter gives his all as the leprechaun, but his make-up reiterates the creepy look of those Irish folklore characters. I genuinely expected this to be awful, so it ended up being better (if not by much) than I expected. The special effects are pretty decent, but you may need aspirin after listening to Hamel squealing for 90 minutes.
The two villains spend most of the film covered in muck, often foiled by the kids as they end up covered in pig sty slop, food and other disgusting liquids. I found myself laughing reluctantly over the juvenile atmosphere, mainly because of the fun that Hamel and Warner were having. When first seen, she's dressed like Joan Colllins on "Dynasty", but once her real nature is revealed, she's closer to Angelica Huston in "The Witches" and Jean Marsh in "Willow" than she is to Glenn Close in "101 Dalmations". Warner, who has spent the bulk of his career playing villains, gets to be a rather buffoonish one here, and he's having a delightful time doing it. Walter gives his all as the leprechaun, but his make-up reiterates the creepy look of those Irish folklore characters. I genuinely expected this to be awful, so it ended up being better (if not by much) than I expected. The special effects are pretty decent, but you may need aspirin after listening to Hamel squealing for 90 minutes.