Leprechaun 3 Review

Disclaimer: Contains spoilers!

Plot Summary: The leprechaun returns once more, and this time he sets his sights on tormenting Las Vegas.

Review: Sure enough, I remembered correctly, this is the best entry in the franchise. Not only that, but this is a decent film overall. I know...it's hard to believe that a film called "Leprechaun 3" could actually be good. The jokes simply succeed, for once, at being genuinely funny, and the story utilizes the leprechaun in a meaningful way. Furthermore, the gags and setups are imaginative and allow the film to properly revel in the asinine nature of the scenario. Things don't stop there--oh no--as we finally get some likable and nuanced characters added. To be perfectly honest, I'm really surprised anyone was capable of taking the material of this franchise and turning it into...(wait for it)...GOLD! See what I did there? Oh my god, the puns! Hooray!

In fairness, the first, roughly, 25 minutes are lackluster so bear with it until the film picks up in a big way. The story completely brushes over part 2 with the leprechaun starting off already captured by a random guy missing half his limbs. Somehow the leprechaun is encased in stone with a magic amulet keeping him at bay. This amulet is yet another weakness added, but it doesn't really play that important of a role. The leprechaun is sold to a guy at a pawnshop who, of course, awakens the leprechaun. When the pawn guy sees the leprechaun's pot of gold, he tries to take it but gets into a fight with the wee lad. The two have a somewhat amusing back and forth until the pawn guy dies, but a single gold coin is lost from the pot. Ohhh fuck...not this plot line again. We are three movies in, and this has been the only story line writers could come up with?! Killing me here.

While the shenanigans at the pawnshop were occurring, the main guy, Scott, stumbles across Tammy, a magician's assistant whose car broke down. I like the dynamics between these two since Scott is this naive kid, and Tammy is this cynic with a heart of...(you know what's coming)...GOLD! I do want to mention that the guy playing Scott, John Gatins, is better known as a screenwriter, but he had his start with shit horror movies like this. Well...he also appeared in "Witchboard 2" and "Pumpkinhead II," which both starred my dear, sweet Ami Dolenz. The chick that plays Tammy, Lee Armstrong, does bear a striking resemblance to Ms. Dolenz. I guess what I'm trying to say is that this movie should have had Ami Dolenz in it! Moving along...Scotty decides to risk spending money on the casinos despite Tammy warning him not to. I just love how this kid is running around with a huge check for college as if you just show up to the college you want and slap down the money. Sure enough, he loses all of his money and decides to try and pawn shit. This is when the film picks up and becomes a ton of fun. Scott finds the missing coin and inadvertently makes a wish that is granted. It would seem this film at least decided to alter the missing coin plot line for the better. Now you are granted one wish for each gold coin from a leprechaun, and the characters fight over the coin.

 Am I crazy or do you see the resemblance too? Ms. Dolenz is way better though.

Once others see Scotty winning a ton of money due to his wish, they figure out that the coin is the source. First it is stolen by the magician Tammy works for, but ends up in the hands of the casino manager. He wishes that Tammy will want to fuck him which is hammed up amusingly. Next is some bitch who wishes to be young and sexy (which was a fail to me). Finally, the magician wishes to become the best in the world. Of course each of these characters meets with a fitting demise at the hands of the leprechaun. Not to be outdone, there are also some enforcers working within the casino which have fantastic banter with each other and with the leprechaun. I especially like when these enforcers stumble upon the casino manager in bed with the leprechaun due to bad timing. It just comes off as so ridiculous that it's like the casino manager was into some super kinky shit!

Perfect timing. Imagine walking into this?

The other aspect that helps this movie stand out is that Scotty is bitten by the leprechaun, and the two have their blood mixed. Apparently this causes Scotty to slowly turn into a leprechaun as well. This means he develops the magic, looks, desire for gold, and, to my great delight, a hankering for potato pancakes! Yes, beloved potato pancakes. Scotty is also able to fight the leprechaun on equal footing to a degree which enhances the over the top nature of everything. To highlight the absurdity, the leprechaun even says for Scotty to come over to the green side. It's so corny, but so fun at the same time! In the end, the way they manage to defeat the leprechaun this time around is to melt his gold with a flamethrower that was being used for a magic trick. As far as defeats go, this too could have served for a nice place to end this franchise similarly to part 2's death scene.

Realistically, if you're going to give this franchise a shot, this is the high point. The use of Las Vegas and the concept of lady luck blend seamlessly with the leprechaun mythos. The jokes are funny and the gags work without endlessly relying on little person jabs. The characters are equally funny, memorable, and likable with great banter that adds a much appreciated layer of depth to this ridiculous franchise. To be as concise as possible: this film understood the notion of having fun with the material while simultaneously being smart about the approach. Sure, the plot still involves a missing coin, but they toy with that setup by using a genie-esque twist to the story structure. I don't know how else to explain it--they simply did everything right to squeeze out whatever potential there was in this series. After all, this is still just a movie about a killer leprechaun, but the filmmakers successfully took that premise and ran with it. You know what, forget every other entry in this series and watch this as a standalone feature. You may be shocked by how entertaining this movie can be.

Notable Moment: When the wannabe porn star comes out of the TV. Hey, she may not be Sadako/Samara, but it further lends credence to my proposed porn parody of "The Ring." Make it happen!

Final Rating: 6/10