No matter what you think of the “Leprechaun” series, one cannot deny that they are entertaining. From its campy plot to the outright crude humor, it never bores. “Leprechaun in the Hood,” the fifth movie in the series, stays true to these core values while being different enough to stand out from the total of eight movies. And while this movie is awful and hilarious, it has a message that must be thoroughly explored.
Directed by Rob Spera, the film stars Warwick Davis as the Leprechaun, Ice-T as Mack Daddy O’Nassas, and Anthony Montgomery as Postmaster P. Set in Los Angeles, Mack Daddy is a record producer who has acquired his musical talent from the Leprechaun from whom he also stole his gold, strapping him in a frozen stone state. Meanwhile, Postmaster is a rap artist along with his two friends Stray Bullet and Butch, who are trying to make it big. Postmaster and his friends attempt to convince Mack Daddy to pick them; he refuses, citing the positive message of their music which Postmaster refuses to change. The three decide to rob Mack Daddy, getting his gold, shooting him, and awakening the Leprechaun.
This of course follows the standard “Leprechaun” film format of someone taking the gold and then the Leprechaun chasing afterwards. But it goes deeper than that. The core theme of the film is greed and its corrupting force. Mack Daddy only wants music that sells well and is marketable. Postmaster P. who originally wants to make a positive uplifting change with his music, slowly becomes consumed by the need to win the music competition. The only way these two men are able to have that power is through the Leprechaun’s golden flute, which literally forces the listener to direct their attention to the sound. The desire for the flute leads to death and misery. The Leprechaun represents the total corruption of that power as well, from his hoarding of gold to his ability to control minds. Even when it seems our hero has won, he simply becomes another puppet of greed.
But of course, the movie also has problems. The acting, besides Warwick Davis’s, is all laughably bad and absurd. The editing choices are baffling at many points, and the general quality of everything is awful. This is, however, a low budget direct to DVD movie whose production studio disbanded a year after release. So, taking everything into account, it all makes sense. The “Leprechaun” series is not something that is to be taken seriously on any level. The films are essentially cash grabs which ride off of name recognition and being able to turn a profit. And it must have been profitable because not only was another “Leprechaun” movie, but it also functioned as a direct sequel to this one and was titled “Leprechaun: Back 2 the Hood.”
Overall, I had a great time watching this movie on St. Patrick’s Day and it’s definitely worth watching, especially around friends. “Leprechaun In the Hood” gets an 8.6/10.