Trébol maldito

Well, for a horror movie that involves a leprechaun as the bad guy and Billy Zane in one of the leads, then I must admit that I wasn't exactly having much of any high hopes for the movie.

But still, with it being a horror movie and one that I hadn't already seen, of course I managed to find the time to sit down and watch the 2012 movie "Red Clover" (aka "Leprechaun's Revenge") from writer Anthony C. Ferrante and director Drew Daywalt.

And I will say that "Red Clover" wasn't exactly a great horror movie. Sure, it was watchable, but it was not a great moment in horror film history. Why? Well, because the storyline was simply too mundane and generic.

I will say, though, that I liked the approach to the fabled leprechaun myth, and it being a bestial creature instead of a small, bearded Irish fella wearing green breeches and a hat. So on that aspect, then "Red Clover" actually scored some much needed points. While the creature design was rather interesting, the execution of bringing it to life on the screen was less than fortunate, because most of the time you just saw the leprechaun in glimpses, and when you do see it for a prolonged period of time, you realize that it is blatantly just a suit being worn.

The acting in the movie was adequate, but it was hard to take Billy Zane serious as a sheriff, especially when he was wearing that hipster hat of his. The movie also had the likes of William Devane and Thomas Francis Murphy on the cast list, whom were familiar faces to me, given my extensive record of watching movies.

For a horror movie then "Red Clover" didn't manage to fare all that well. There are far better horror movies readily available. Sure, "Red Clover" was watchable, but it wasn't a horror movie that stood out in any aspect.

My rating of "Red Clover" settles on a less than mediocre four out of ten stars.

I mean, if you're comparing this to the movies with big-time budgets and big-time stars, then yeah it's not all that great. But for a Syfy original movie, Leprechaun's Revenge is honestly pretty decent. I watched it on St. Patrick's day and I was in a good, Irish-loving mood, so maybe that helped me enjoy it. The basic Syfy movie stuff is here: cheap special effects, a weird-looking monster, some cheesy acting, but the movie also has it's positive points. The script is pretty good and I love the small towns in movies, and Keening has its own special charm. This is definitely a step above what I'd expect from a Syfy original. It seems as if the people involved actually cared to make a good product, and they mostly succeeded. I would have given this movie 8 stars out of 10, but I just had to minus one star because of the silly scene where the leprechaun hops into a car (isn't he from the 1700's? How can he drive?) and runs someone over. It was just too ridiculous to be scary, but the rest of the movie, despite some predictability, was quite enjoyable. By the way, I admit that these lower budget Syfy movies induce some sort of feeling in me that makes me want to watch and enjoy them. Who knows?

I was not expecting much from Leprechaun's Revenge, its premise was somewhat hokey and also it was SyFy, whose reputation for mostly awful movies is notorious. So I was surprised that Leprechaun's Revenge was reasonably watchable, even if heavily flawed. What did I like about the film? Well, Leprechaun's Revenge did start off promisingly with some snappy dialogue and a good attempt at an atmosphere. The leprechaun compared to other SyFy creatures is pretty good, used sparingly but this added to the sense of terror I felt, and thankfully less cheap-looking than before. The killings are gory and fun while not being too goofy, the camera work is wonderfully nightmarish, and apart from Billy Zane, who rambles his way through his role, the acting is mostly above average. It is the second half though where the film goes off the boil with a more comic edge that jars with the rest of the film, with the humour rather humourless, the story less suspenseful and more ridiculous, the characters stereotypical and while not irritating not very interesting all the same and the ending rushed and abrupt. On the whole, better than most SyFy outings but the second half is a let down compared to the promise of the first. 5/10 Bethany Cox

Starts off great--great tension, atmosphere, characters, mystery. Somewhere along the way, it starts making mistakes. Diminishes Zane's character for no reason. Tries to introduce a romance between the protagonist that doesn't work due to poor writing and absence of chemistry. The creature doesn't quite obey the lore which introduces confusion. Deaths of prominent characters trivialized. It's as though the second half of the movie were written by someone else.

Billy Zane, William Devane, and Courtney Halverson all turn in great performances, but chemistry does not abound, particularly between Zane and the rest of the cast--then again, Zane's character, who is heroic enough throughout the film, is turned into a chump at the end for no good reason that I can see (I've mentioned it twice, so you can tell I'm sore about it--this was going to be a 5-star review but when they did that, they lost a star).

Supporting cast is also strong. I enjoyed Azure Parsons as Deputy Petterson.

It's not a bad movie, but it is disappointing. The first 30 minutes or so feel promising but that promise is not fulfilled.

I absolutely loved this movie! I'm a fan of "bad" horror flicks and such, but this was a genuinely good and fun flick! It's a perfect mix of horror and comedy, with some genuine startle-moments, some genuine creepiness, and some incredibly good humorous moments.

My biggest gripe was that the ending felt quite rushed and that it ended a bit too abruptly, that there was no final Climactic Showdown as I might've expected, no hand-reaching-up-from-underground-to-grab-the-heroine, no "twist" like that.

Courtney Halverson was a treat to watch, a sort of redheaded Abby Brammell, and showed a fine mix of strength and vulnerability in her character.

William Devane was great as the cantankerous (but right!) grandpa.

Billy Zane was a real treat in all his billyzanian goodness, and delivered some PERFECT humorous lines (especially about his nametag!).

The movie didn't take itself seriously. It was NOT intended to be a straight-up horror flick, but was filled to the brim with self-deprecating humor. Those who poo-pooed "Red Clover" (sorry, but that's the title that flashes on the screen in the movie that I have) obviously didn't "get it". Quips such as "It's like I'm trapped in some bad monster movie and I can't get out." are so up-front and obvious about that, I'm amazed anyone DIDN'T get it.

It's unfortunate that the somewhat abrupt and anticlimactic ending is the last you'll experience of the movie, and what you'll likely remember most, but the rest of the movie, the first 99% of it, is well worth the time spent in giving this little gem a go.

First, take the movie for what it is: a fun horror-comedy that pokes fun of itself with some biting humor. Second, don't expect the antagonist to be the Lucky Charms dood (who's creepy in his own right, granted), but more Pumpkinhead instead. Keep those two points in mind, and you should love and appreciate this flick as much as I do.