The Leprechauns' Christmas Gold

Review Date 7/11/2019

I have Reviewed OVER 500 "Christmas Films Christmas Television show episodes and Television Specials". Please BEWARE Of films and specials with just one review! For instance When "It's a POSITIVE" chances are that the reviewer was involved with the production. "If its Negative" then they may have a grudge against the film for whatever reason. I am fare about these films. I am on a mission to watch every Christmas Movie ever made. Since 2014 I average 100 a year.

I never heard of this until it was included in a dvd set I bought that had "Year Without a Santa Claus" and "How the Grinch Stole Christmas".

In this film a sailor in search of a Christmas tree, lands on a mysterious, uncharted Irish island where he accidentally releases a bad-tempered banshee from her pinetree prison. Leprechaun Blarney Kilakilarney knows that in order to survive, the banshee will try to swipe his clan's pot of Christmas gold. With some magical assistance from Lord Patrick, the king of the wee folk, the sailor and Blarney make a plan to outwit the gold-hungry hag before Christmas morning dawns.

More plot than needed. This cartoon to me was most likely going to be an hour but for some reason the producers went to a 30 minute version. The story is okay but in reality there is not a since of awe and wonder that you come to expect from Rankin/Bass.

I agree with many of the other reviews, if you're looking for something up to the quality of other Rankin bass classics this is not the special for you. However, as a lover of bad media, this short TV special has become something I watch every year. Firstly, it's only 25 minutes so it doesn't overstay its welcome. For one thing, the Christmas aspect of this special is completely tacked on and unnecessary. Secondly, the main character is an absolute idiot and causes every problem in this special and doesn't solve any of them. Third, the villain banshee is a whiny hag, who none of her plans work. I won't spoil the ending but it's also weird and entertaining. If you're looking for a so-bad-it's-good Christmas special... this is the best I've found.

I say this not because I dislike the Rankin/Bass Christmas specials- I actually love them- but because when people talk about the specials(on IMDb and off) The Leprechauns' Christmas Gold has often been described as their worst. While there is a few I still have to re-watch and while it is not as terrible as others have said, I do have to agree that generally The Leprechauns' Christmas Gold is a lesser effort of theirs. Of course it has its redeeming qualities. I do think the visuals, a mix of conventional animation and stop-motion puppetry, are terrific, with great detail and some good atmosphere. The music is not the most inspired of the Rankin/Bass Christmas specials there is(overall Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer has the best songs), but the scoring has some nice amounts of whimsy and the songs are memorable particularly Christmas in Killarney. Golden Gold of Ireland is also quite rousing. Art Carney does a wonderful job also as Blarney, joining the vast list of big Hollywood names filling the narrator roles for a Rankin/Bass Christmas special. Where The Leprechaun's Christmas Gold doesn't score so favourably is in the story. I do think the length was far too short to begin with, but as well as feeling rushed the whole time, the story does suffer from trying to cram in too much, under-developing what's there and from a lack of heart, feeling too mean-spirited sometimes. While I admired the animation, the camera shot quality on occasions doesn't give us enough time to breathe and really take in what we're seeing. The Leprechauns' Christmas Gold does have some of the least inspired writing of the specials, it lacks the poignancy of Little Drummer Boy, the charm of Frosty the Snowman and the wit of Santa Claus is Coming to Town, in short it just felt too bland and drab. The characters didn't engage me, the banshee is unbearably annoying and the leprechauns are characterised in a very stereotypical and potentially offensive way. Of the voice acting, only Carney really makes an impression, the others don't really distinguish themselves. Overall, didn't hate it but for Rankin/Bass an unfortunate disappointment. A fellow Rankin/Bass fan said that St Patricks Day and Christmas don't mix together and after seeing The Leprechauns' Christmas Gold I can see where he was coming from. 4/10 Bethany Cox

This odd little special from Rankin/Bass mixes a little Christmas in with a bunch of Irish shenanigans! Though filmed in the same stop-motion puppet animation style of their classics "Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer" and "Santa Claus Is Comin To Town", this feels entirely different in tone from those snow-covered merry escapades. Gold and shamrock green colors burst from the screen in a cute little story on an Emerald Isle involving leprechauns, banshees and gold - the Christmas part really just seems like an afterthought. But it's still got that great R/B style with charming set designs, cute puppet characters and bouncy happy music. So, with the wealth of other holiday options from Rankin/Bass, why not save this one for March when it will bring out the merriment of that season, as the others do for Christmas.

This is a cute movie about friendship and loyalty.

One does have to understand the myth and history about the Banshee to understand that the leprechaun can not give her the gold. It takes a brave man to stand alone while others turn their backs on you. This movie has a great moral to never give up on ones self and ideals just because the crowd is telling you to doing so.

My family and I enjoyed the songs and made a night out of watching claymation Christmas movies. This was a great one to laugh at and enjoy. Other movies that a person may enjoy are Rudolh the red nose reindeer, Santa Claus is coming to town. The year Santa Missed.