Horrific Inquiry: LEPRECHAUN 4: IN SPACE

Welcome back to the scariest, and at times goriest, column here at Film Inquiry: Horrific Inquiry. Twice a month, I will be tackling all things horror, bringing two films back into the spotlight to terrify and frighten once more. And occasionally looking at those that could have pushed the envelope further. Join us as we dive deep into the heart of horror, but warning, there will be spoilers.

It’s that time of year again – Irish hues of green illuminating the month of March with lore, magic and a bit of luck. Here at Horrific Inquiry, it has become tradition to dip into one of the most ridiculous horror franchises to celebrate the holiday –  and this year was no exception. Last year, the Leprechaun franchise left us in Las Vegas, the Leprechaun once again defeated. Yet, looking ahead to the next sequel, the ridiculousness was about to breach into the insane as when Leprechaun returns, he would find himself in deep space. That’s right, the fourth induction of the Leprechaun franchise takes viewers to infinity and beyond, becoming a culmination of horror and parody, while stretching the breadth of the Leprechaun universe itself.

To Infinity and Beyond

Brian Trenchard-Smith‘s Leprechaun 4 opens in space, the credits playing to a back drop of stars and space debris. As the opening credits sequence come to an end, a spaceship in the distance comes into focus. Quickly taking us inside, viewers meet the soldiers housed within. As they prepare for departure to hunt an alien preventing intergalactic mining and costing companies billions, Leprechaun 4 instantly feels as though it is taking on an 80s/ 90s sci-fi action film vibe. As it works to have its actors deliver one liners and quips, this feeling is only driven deeper and will stay with the film through its entirety.

As the sergeant arrives to relay their mission, the small band of military is taken aback as their current mission now must included Tina (Jessica Collins), a scientist sent to collect samples of biologics or anything else they find on the planet below. A tide of misogyny instantly engulfs the film as Tina is given the nickname of “cupcake” and underestimated for her ability to defend herself on the mission. As she is suited up by a Books (Brent Jasmer), the film’s Sylvester Stallone look alike, the film sections off our core three characters.

Breaking from ship, audiences will find themselves on the planet below, a woman hidden in the caves, chained to the wall. There is a reminiscent feeling of Star Trek in her look, never spot on but ever present. As the Leprechaun (Warwick Davis) appears, he unchains Princess Zarina (Rebecca Carlton), welcoming her to share a dinner with him. Presenting his proposal of marriage, her horrified reaction to their union melts away as she is promised gold and riches beyond her wildest dreams. Where she desires more luxuries than the ones she enjoys now, Leprechaun has his sights on using his marriage to the Princess to become King of the universe.

Meanwhile, the band of military have landed on the planet and have made their way into the cave, the appearance of a slimmed looking Spaceballs alien and gunfire alert Leprechaun to their presence. As he and Princess Zarina hide, one of the soldiers finds the cave – and the gold. As he begins to haul the gold away, Leprechaun quietly appears behind him, the glow of a green lightsaber not only calling to the film’s continued use of parody, but confirming the inevitable death of the soldier. Have we not yet learned to stop taking gold when we find it? Has the Leprechaun learned to just stop leaving it lying around?

A brief battle ensues between the Leprechaun and the remaining soldiers, the Leprechaun is eventually blown up and the Princess knocked unconscious. While she has lost a hand, she is still alive, brought back to the ship to recover and as means to help ease intergalactic tensions.

Two Storylines

At this point, the film can no longer sustain as just a film about the Leprechaun. In Leprechaun 3, the inclusion of a second Leprechaun was introduced giving the film a sense of duality. For Leprechaun 4, there is little narrative that is either unique or expansive enough to fill an entire film. Enter Dr. Mittenhand.

Dr. Mittenhead (Guy Siner) feels like he should be some version of a James Bond villain. His German accent and masked evil intentions adding to the continuing parodies that are resonating in Leprechaun 4. For Dr. Mittenhead, his innocuous desire to have Tina retrieve samples from the planet’s surface evolve into kidnapping and scientific experimentation. As it is discovered, Princess has the ability to regenerate, her DNA a possible cure for Dr. Mittenhead previous experiments. As it is revealed, his attempt to unite mechanics and boiling material has render him a poor constructed version of Star Trek‘s Data. And as this is a horror, his attempt to steal DNA and essentially play god comes with grave consequences.

While Dr. Mittenhead’s storyline plays out, the film toggles between misogynistic behavior and god-like science to the Leprechaun’s determination to find his wife. Yes, he was originally blown up, but as one of the soldiers peed on his remains, he was zapped and the Leprechaun was unknowingly brought on board, eventually bursting out of his penis once the soldier begins engaging in sexual pleasure. It is a wildly strange scene, the bulge in his pants growing until the Leprechaun bursts out. The film follows the traditional formula here of the previous films, the Leprechaun killing off one soldier at a time, throwing unpredictable antics and insanity along the way until he is finally defeated.

Conclusion

The heart of Leprechaun is not in the Leprechaun itself, but rather in the parodies that it continues to wield and integrate into its narrative. While the entirety of the film emulates a 80s/90s sci-fi action vibe, the film does not stop there. From Ridley Scott‘s Alien to David Cronenberg‘s The Fly, From Little Shop of Horrors to Frankenstein, Leprechaun 4 not only takes us to the depth of the universe but expands its own in the process.