Horrific Inquiry: LEPRECHAUN 3 (1995)

“I want my gold shilling. Tell me where it is or there will be another killing.” – Leprechaun 3

Leprechaun 3 thus far, is the worst film in the franchise – and painfully so. A recycled boredom of a film, not even Warwick Davis is able to save this one. The premise is intriguing, both in location and compounding of the Leprechaun mythology, but nothing truly develops into anything fun, intriguing or worth watching. Yet, as it has become the annual tradition here at Horrific Inquiry, we dive deep into a bit of Irish luck.

A Recycled Mess

Leprechaun 3 basically recycles the the formula of the last two films, the Leprechaun (Warwick Davis) loosing yet another shilling and killing all those who have touched it – even if they have not made a wish. Yet, his depiction here becomes more like a dog after a bone, constantly sniffing around and killing any one with the scent of his shilling. and it works as badly as one would expect. With the setting of Las Vegas, there was a hope of horrificly comedic interactions and situations, yet the film limits its potential, overstaying in different locations. To be honest, all too often the film does not give off any vibes of its location, rather feeling like the events of the film could have happened anywhere.

As the film opens, Leprechaun 3 is shown in the Las Vegas lights, the subsequent credit title card in green merging the sense of the folklore and the setting. As the film opens up at a local pawn shop, a man missing an eye, a leg, and sporting a hook for a hand brings in a statue looking to pawn it for enough money for a tank of gas. As it is revealed to be the stoned form of the Leprechaun we have come to know so well, he pleads with the pawn shop owner, Gupta (Marcelo Tubert), to never remove the medallion, subsequently taking the money and get out of town. As the Leprechaun was destroyed in the last two films, Leprechaun 3 follows suit of previous films, lacking to provide any explanation for his return. However, this time viewers are at least alluded to a war that has just ended between the broken-limbed man and the statue before him.

As with the previous film, greed becomes Leprechaun 3‘s central premise, Gupta disregards the warning to leave the medallion in place. As he is appraising it, the Leprechaun comes back to life, leaving his pot of gold on the counter. It’s as though the trickery of the Leprechaun is to find the greed within, to lure it out. as if the greed of mankind is absolute. As Gupta discovers the pot of gold, the Leprechaun appears, limericks and all, to avenge the deed. Immediately the dialogue is worse than it ever has been before, yet the gore is immediately present, the Leprechaun ripping off one of Gupta’s ears. As the Leprechaun is forced to flee, one gold coin falls and is left behind.

And then there were two…

For the next half hour, Leprechaun 3 will spend its entirety on the cat-and-mouse game of the Leprechaun and Gupta, all while working to separately establish the film’s central duo of Scott (John Gatins) and Tammy (Lee Armstrong). As the events between Gupta and the Leprechaun escalate, an old CD-ROM filling in the folklore of this rendition, Scott pulls over to help Tammy whose car has broken down, their interactions setting up the film’s secondary location – the Lucky Shamrock Casino. And while Scott is underage, he convinces Tammy to let him inside to see a casino for the first time. This not only sets up the relationship between Scott and Tammy but also gives audiences a chance to meet is the upcoming body count.

As the two locations merge, Scott goes to the Pawn shop after losing his entire college and housing fund, it is the first time the Leprechaun is allowed to interact with its promoted setting. As he walks around the strip in Las Vegas, reciting limericks here and there, this is the most genuine the film feels of Sin City. As he arrives at the Lucky Shamrock Casino, his interactions with an Elvis (Terry Lee Crisp) impersonator further heighten the feeling, giving the franchise it’s own enhanced campy feeling. Yet, it does not last long as the Leprechaun begins sniffing out his missing schilling, taking names and lives as he goes.

Conclusion:

By the film’s end, there is a decent body count, each death more gruesome than the last. Where this rendition of Leprechaun differs is in the prospect of another Leprechaun coming into existence. I have focused much on the lack of authenticity within the setting, but the film truly lies in greed – both in humans and fellow Leprechaun. As the Leprechaun and Scott fight in one of the hotel rooms, his green blood falls into a wound on Scott’s arm. Almost immediately, he begins to undergo a werewolf-like transformation – the film clearly reaches out to infuse its story with different influences. While poorly executed, there is intrigue as to what it could have been had it been done differently.

Leprechaun 3 is not a film that will be at the top of your watch list this season, yet it speaks to the continuing campy nature of the Leprechaun franchise. And as there are more sequels that follow this one, it still retains a bit of luck to keep it going.