MY CALL: This sequel makes me miss the rigid acting in Leprechaun (1993). Although Warwick Davis remains forever a pleasure on screen, his surroundings, supporting cast and writing have collapsed around him like a straw house! MORE MOVIES LIKE Leprechaun 2: Leprechaun (1993) and the loads of sequels taking Warwick Davis from “da hood” to outer space. But whatever you do, don’t watch Leprechaun: Origins (2014)–terrible even for a direct-to-DVD B-movie.
You’ll probably want a drink to get through this…
We begin in Ireland 1000 years ago, as our Leprechaun (Warwick Davis) celebrates his 1000th birthday on which he may magically choose his bride by saying “God bless you” after she sneezes thrice. Stupidest ritual ever!!!! But his marital prophecy is foiled and he curses that on his yet next 1000th birthday he’ll marry her fairest offspring. Barf! This sounds awful. And why is he dressed like a green wizard!?!
So here we are on St. Patrick’s Day 1994, his 2000th birthday, and the mythological wee person emerges from a tree in Hollywood, California. To preempt your question, I have no clue whatsoever why he was in that tree or for how long or how he got across the Atlantic Ocean. Perhaps he teleported–as we learned he can do in part 1 when he has his gold and, thus, his powers. But wait…didn’t we last leave him dead in a well in South Dakota????
I’m left to wonder how this creature of Irish folklore emerged from this tree in 1994 when, in 1993, we last saw him melting to death after a kid slingshot a four-leaf clover down his throat. Remember that? Because evidently it slipped director Rodman Flender’s (The Unborn, Idle Hands) mind.”
Yeah, that was pretty awesome!
A lot seemed to slip his mind. Like when the Leprechaun refers to St. Patrick’s “feast day” on his 1000th birthday in the year 994…which predates it being known as a feast day by about 700 years! Moreover, if his 2000th birthday is in 1994 then this Leprechaun was born in the year 7 BC (and not 6 BC, since there is no year zero), 401 years BEFORE Saint Patrick (AD 365-461) was even alive and before some pretty important Christian stuff happened regarded naming saints and all that jazz! So not only are the writer and director rather uninformed Christians (and historians), but they also seem to have made a “part 2” that behaves as if “part 1” never happened.
What’s more is that the practice of saying “God bless you” in response to a sneeze is not recorded prior to the year 77 AD. However it’s expected to predate the earliest recorded (or “written”) history, so we’ll let that one slide. But hold on, according to the Irish Folk story “Master and Man” by Thomas Crofton Croker one of the purposes of saying “God bless you” is to serve as a shield against evil. Other variations are to protect the sneezer from momentary vulnerability to the Devil as the soul can escape during a sneeze, or that the sneeze itself is an effort to expel the evil (this Wikipedia article explains some of it). It seems that no matter which historical variant of the phrase we choose, it makes absolutely no sense for the Leprechaun to say this to complete a prophecy in which an innocent virgin’s soul is forever claimed against her will by an evil Leprechaun.
If you drink enough, you won’t notice any of these writing issues.
Well, in either case the Leprechaun’s back and in control of his pot of gold. And now, why ISN’T he dressed as a wizard?!? Not that he ever should have been, but CONSISTENCY, people!
His magic permits him to control prehensile tree roots, cause hallucinations, and manifest telekinesis. At one point he uses his powers of illusion to make a horny teenager think an exposed lawnmower blade was a pair of bare breasts so that when he goes in for a motorboat he got the wrong kind of motor in his face!
Unfortunately the kill occurs off-camera, thus highlighting the destitute budget–which accordingly reflects all other aspects of this film’s production value. But there was one entertaining on-screen kill when a snippety barista (Michael McDonald; Mad TV) gets steamed to death with a bloody blistered face.
The Leprechaun finally claims his bride in magical bondage (via three prophesied sneezes and a “blessing”) and takes her home to his tree in Hollywood. Yep. Evidently he has lived there for a while, creating yet more discontinuity with Part 1. His lair is a labyrinthine subterranean Hobbit hole.
He just needs to reclaim a gold shilling before he can consummate the marriage. And things get festive when retrieving his gold is literally down by removing it from someone’s stomach.
Doing away with four leaf clovers and shoe-shining compulsions, the movie crescendos into a lackluster finale culminating in an explosion when the Leprechaun is defeated by his ancient weakness, wrought iron. His explosive death pales in comparison to his melting scene in Part 1 and after our protagonists escape his lair the movie “just ends.” Watch out for a cameo by MTV Lifetime Achievement Award Winner Clint Howard (Lords of Salem).
While this movie has its bad movie delights here and there, recognizing Clint might just be one of the more satisfying highlights for you.
