Leprechaun: Back 2 tha Hood

We are now at the final movie of the Leprechaun series, Leprechaun: Back 2 tha Hood. Here, we learn more about the origins of the leprechaun and how leprechauns are supposed to protect their gold in this world which is exactly what the plot involves in this movie. This movie is from 2003 and again is mercifully the last film in the strange series.

The setting is just like the last movie in the series which is also set in the hood. The lead characters can act somewhat but frankly they are more laughable than not. Again there is a plot involving gold plot and some kill scenes that don't make much sense. It is really a film that nothing to do.

As with all of the leprechaun films, I like Warwick Davis who plays the leprechaun. As with most of the other films, he can act but due to problems with the plot, he isn't given much to do. Aside from some changes in costume design, his characters is nothing new and more of the same.

Along with the rest of the series, Leprechaun: Back 2 tha Hood is lazy, uninspired, not very fun and a lame end to this series. Leprechaun: Back 2 tha Hood leaves us with a dead feeling and the feeling that this series really had nowhere to go.

1.5/5

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Leprechaun: In the Hood

One good thing about the Leprechaun movies is the settings whether that is in Las Vegas, a tree house or in space. The fifth Leprechaun movie is set "in the hood" with the leprechaun being more of an evil character than before. Frankly, it seems like another strange and questionable movie unlikely to work. Unlike the fourth movie though, Leprechaun: In the Hood is not completely terrible.

This movie has a bigger budget and better cast than the previous ones with a more realistic setting than the last one which was set in space. Led by Anthony D. Montgomery and Warwick Davis as the leprechaun, the cast is given more to do here especially Davis who is actually much funnier than in the prior movies. The hood setting is no doubt silly and cheap but is put put together pretty well and the movie actually has a good vibe to it.

With a halfway decent cast and setting, the plot isn't too bad either. Ice T makes an appearance as a fugitive and this works. Like the others, there is the four leaf clover theme but here it is connected to street drugs. There is also a interesting flute idea and finally a rapping leprechaun as shown below.

                                      
If you thought the last few movies in this series were weird, this one takes weird to a new level. In this movie are a lot of cross-dressing, illegal drugs, kill scenes with a hair pick and tons of of sexual stuff. While I appreciate something new in this series, I am not sure that there was a point here.

As with the other movies, this one is of course very hard to take seriously but there is some quality here which really came out of the blue as this series seemed dead with the last movie.

2.5/5

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Leprechaun 2

After seeing the first Leprechaun movie, I was pretty much done. It is a film that is only worth one visit and it is generous to say that it probably should have never been made.You left it with a weird feeling. So why not see Leprechaun 2? Well I did and Leprechaun 2 is more of the same and frankly of lesser quality than the first one. It is another film that is really not needed, bringing a new meaning to "bad" and is unfortunately the start of some pretty horrible sequels.

Leprechaun 2 has an interesting plot that I kind of like while at the same time, I cringe about it. Here, the leprechaun tries to find a human bride. Pretty interesting to have a leprechaun marry a person but creepy because of what it involves and because the movie mixes horror and love themes together. Like I said, this movie did not need to be made. The plot also revolves around searching for gold that runs it course and doesn't bring much to the table.

Like the first movie, the acting is sub-par. Aside from Warwick Davis and Clint Howard, the cast which includes Charlie Heath and Shevonne Durkin is pretty unrecognizable. The actors are kind of likable but this really is some of the worst acting ever put on film and it really wears on you throughout this movie. Warwick is his usual silly self that is kind fun to watch but it is more of the same stuff from the first movie and this time around, you don't  really care as much because you saw it before.

As I said in my review of the first movie, the settings can be a hidden gem. Here the settings are kind of a mixed bag, using parts of Los Angeles, a go-kart track and a tree which is the leprechaun's home. Los Angeles really has been an overdone setting through the years so that is a bit tiresome. The go-kart does have the only good murder scene in the movie. The tree though is the most interesting setting of them all. It is a very interesting place with some creepy dark hallways. I do appreciate the effort but it is done on the "cheap" and it is kind of silly and really doesn't make much sense.

The kill scenes helped make the first film but they are pretty lacking here. They are pretty useless with not much substance and in the end not very memorable. These could could have really helped the movie work like the first one.

While this is a very flawed movie, there is a little quality here and there in bits and pieces so it could have been worse. The whole movie seems forced and  lacking and this is the first film in the series which is really rotten.


2/5

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Leprechaun

With St. Patrick's Day coming up, I thought it would be fun to review the Leprechaun movies. Here is the first one!

When you think of St. Patrick's Day, you think of non-stop drinking, the "green river" in downtown Chicago, parades and well, a lot of green. Can't forget about leprechauns though they kind of are just "around" with not a lot of influence on things. Leprechaun the film is kind of like that. It is really pointless and laughable and stayed in the spotlight because of it's style and most of all it's cheesiness.

Set in a farmhouse in North Dakota, Leprechaun has the same kind of feel as Critters 2. Here, an evil leprechaun (Warwick Davis) attacks a father a father, his daughter and a painting group. As the killer is a leprechaun, it is no surprise that the only way to kill him is with a four leaf clover.

One thing that is forgotten is that Jennifer Aniston is in this movie. In her very first movie role, and it is obvious at times, she is likable and obviously a very pretty actress who gets better in the later acts. Aside from her, the cast which includes Ken Olandt and Mark Holton have largely disappeared over the years but here they fit their assigned roles and deliver some cheesy acting that is fun to watch really.

I am not sure that the North Dakota setting fits the overall story very well. We see a lot of fields, woods, rusted out cars and small town settings and this is a part of the film that's get overlooked and something that I liked.

Obviously most everybody watching this movie is here to see the Leprechaun. He is played by three foot tall Warwick Davis and Davis fits the role perfectly. The character is gritty, mean-spirited with a "devil may care" attitude and Davis nails it with acting that is strange and kind of in a cult-style. He kills his victims with pogo sticks, wheelchairs and toy cars and this just adds to his bizarre character. The movie does struggle with a back-story on him that could have been avoided but really that is the only complaint I have on the leprechaun character that couldn't help liking.

I had not seen this film in a few years so I forgot about the four leaf clover idea but I think it is great. It is original, adds to the style of the film and includes a pretty funny ending.

Leprechaun is a "bad" film, but a bad film that still I still enjoyed in an odd way and definitely is a different take on this St. Patrick's Day holiday.


3/5

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