It’s St. Patrick’s Day, so we’re taking a closer look at the Disney Channel Original Movie, “The Luck of the Irish.” It is the 27th Disney Channel Original Movie released in March 2001.

The film follows Kyle Johnson, a junior high school student who is extremely lucky. He leads his basketball team to success with lucky shots, he guesses every answer on a test and finds money everywhere. But that changes when his lucky coin is stolen. Kyle is unaware that he comes from a clan of leprechauns and that coin provided luck for the entire clan. In one day, he goes from the luckiest kid in the world to the unluckiest. He and his mother start shrinking. His ears start growing and his hair starts changing to red. In the end, Kyle meets his grandfather, finds the person who stole his coin and is able to win back his coin through a wager.

This film brings back so many memories of me during my preteen and early teenage years. Every month, for a few years in the late 90s and early 2000s, I would wait for the newest Disney Channel Original Movie. The films were always a little cheesy, but they were perfectly targeted at adolescents. This was one of my favorites growing up. But, like other Disney Channel Original Movies, it doesn’t hold up as well as an adult. It’s an admittedly, fun time, and I will watch it every so often. But, when this first came out, I’d watch it every time it would come on. As an adult, I would probably watch this once every March. It’s still pretty good, but in my 30s, I’m no longer the target demographic, so it doesn’t hold the same appeal. But, as a father, it’s a good, fun, wholesome movie I can show my sons.

Part of my heritage is Scotch-Irish. I enjoyed the Irish themes in both the film and its music. From an Irish step dance to a score that sounds like you would hear in a Mighty Mighty Bosstones song, it reaches out and gets you in a great mood for how Americans celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.

This is the first Disney Channel Original Movie I’ve reviewed. I am interested to see how the ones I watched when I was younger hold up. Will they be as good as this one and make me want to see them every so often? Or will they fall flat now that I’m no longer the target demographic? I look forward to finding out.

Ranking: 3 stars out of 5.

Have you seen “The Luck of the Irish?” If so, what did you think of it? And are you interested in any other Disney Channel Original Movies?

Jeremy Brown

Jeremy has been a big Disney fan since he was a kid growing up during the Disney Renaissance. One day he hopes to go to every Disney Park in the world.

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