I wont ever get anything worthwhile as far as true scares with Leprechaun. Maybe if I were younger the effect would be with a stronger, stranger response, because the make-up- which is extremely well-crafted- and the un-hinged demented brilliance of Warwick Davis could be creepy for a kid. As an adult, however, a LOT of this is quite silly, the kind of flick that might've been presented as the St. Patrick's Day special on the grind-house circuit back in the 70s. Which means that what it lacks in any sort of quality and carries with idiot characters, it does a good enough job of making up for it as a comedy. There's next to no real character development at all, but who needs with then with a little green man running around...excuse me, riding around (on a variety of little goofy vehicles). The writer's make a self-conscious effort to make it in a predictable style, at least at first (they also waste no time getting to the Leprechaun at the start). The director Mark Jones makes shallow attempts for 'different' angles at times (lets do a quick tilt here, a little extra grand-guignol there), but it's really the Warwick Davis show at the end of the day, and the crazy situations that come out of his dogged attempt at one thing- his pot of gold!
A funnier side too is just suddenly seeing the name Jennifer Ansiton in the opening credits- a first time acting job that feels very much like one. She and the rest of the main human characters are pretty standard as somehow able enough to stay on their toes with such a wretched little s.o.b., but it goes without saying you'll come across the very inane dialog exchange or just tepid moment of "acting" (Mark Holton as Ozzie is an example of this). Meanwhile, the Leprechaun rides his tricycles and scooters, and sometimes runs like hell (in truly over-the-top action sequences), and its usually a gas if not entirely workable as horror. Whatever cheap thrills do come around, its never anything totally exciting. But I wouldn't trade some of the Leprechaun's classically mad turns of phrasing ("This old Lep, he played one. He played pogo on his lung"). That little near 4 foot ball of comedic bravado makes the picture somewhat memorable, and I'm sure I'd have fun again watching it again some time soon. Cleverest bit of old-time cliché logic: the Leprechaun's ability to talk in other voices ala the Terminator as a trick on those around the corner. 6.5/10
