Cast: Warwick Davis, Jennifer Aniston, Ken Olandt, Mark Holton, Robert Gorman
Director: Mark Jones
Producers: Jeffrey B. Mallian
Screenplay: Mark Jones
Cinematography: Levie Isaacks
Music: Kevin Kiner
U.S. Distributor: Trimark Pictures
When a leprechaun's treasure is stolen, he hunts down the thieves and kills them -- at least that's the premise of Leprechaun. In this case, one of the wee folk (Warwick Davis) has been relieved of 100 gold coins. While attempting to regain the lost treasure, he is ensnared by means of a four-leaf clover. 10 years later, a girl (Jennifer Aniston) and her father move into the house where the leprechaun is trapped. Predictably, the three-foot high monster gets free and starts to kill and maim everyone in sight.
My feelings about Leprechaun can be summed up in one warning: no matter how starved you are for blood and gore, stay far away. I know that there are far more bad horror films than good ones, but this goes beyond simply being "bad". It's so unpleasant, in fact, that it isn't even worth a look as one of those popular "so bad they're good" films. It is legitimately unwatchable.
The plot is a mishmash of cliches. The dialogue was written with the brain-dead viewer in mind. Not only is it stilted, but writer Mark Jones is determined to explain everything, no matter how obvious (and often ludicrous) it is. Of course, towards the end, the leprechaun has to be "killed" twice. This "sudden return" from the dead has, over the past few years, become one of the most-overused plot devices in Hollywood.
The actors seem perfectly suited for the stock characters they portray. Warwick Davis enjoys himself in an over-the-top performance, and Jennifer Aniston shows that, in different circumstances, she might be competent. Everyone else is horrible.
As usual in pictures of this genre, there's a lot of blood but, while some slasher flicks take pride in the art of presenting a murder, there's no style evident in Leprechaun's various killings. The copious amounts of gore are more laughable than sickening. True to its unoriginal form, the leprechaun follows the recent trend of wisecracking whenever he attacks. Compared to the other homicidal maniacs like Freddy and Chucky, his lines are more idiotic than pithy.
Then there's the intelligence of the characters to consider. Now I recognize that it's necessary for people to do stupid things in horror movies to advance the plot, but Leprechaun thrives on far too many of these contrivances. How is the audience supposed to sympathize with a group of morons who act like they flunked kindergarten? For example, if you suspect that a cat is rabid, would you stick your hand into a hole in a tree to try to get it out?
Regardless of whether you're Irish or not, if you venture into a theater showing this movie, your luck has run out.
© 1993 James Berardinelli