- -- Contributed by Luke Merrill
This weekend at Horror Camp we screened a new release hot off
the video rental shelves. Albeit no one rents movies from a video store, just
bear with me alright?
Leprechaun Origins is the reboot of the cult classic from
the nineties starring the loveable Warwick Davis. Warwick Davis being such a
fine choice in the role for being one of the most recognizable “little person”
actors. I really don’t know how to be more politically correct with that
statement. I instantly remember Davis from his memorable role in Willow, which
was a fantasy tale most likely made to closely parallel LOTR at the time,
without the annoying feature of being 20+ hours to watch which just wasn’t
allowed back then. Leprechaun was such a departure from Willow that it was such
a treat to see Davis in his garishly disgusting role, wisecrackin and trickin
everyone from stupid white people to greedy thugs in the 6 films of the
original franchise.
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| The original Horror Leprechaun design |
This is a reboot so it has none of that. The leprechaun
doesn’t wear cloths, he’s more akin to a feral beast so he never talks, and
there isn’t a four leaf clover to be found anywhere in the film. Really this
film doesn’t even have a plausible segueway to explain how Warwick Davis later
became the Leprechaun we know and love from the original series. So if you can
get past that one little detail you might be able to watch this movie in its
entirety. If that’s something that would bother you, ya know the fact this
movie could’ve been named anything other than Leprechaun and been a little less
misleading then you probably don’t need to continue reading.
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| The New Horror Leprechaun design |
That being said, despite this obvious flaw the movie isn’t
half bad, but who really wants to commit to a movie that isn’t even half good?
It has the same Joss Whedon feel that Cabin in the Woods gave us except without
any of the humor, but the plot is almost the same, except without the Joss
Whedon twist that made Cabin in the Woods a horror parody of itself. In order
to watch this movie you have to be prepared to watch a genre picture where
young couples get chased though the woods and have time to discuss real
relationship issues between catching their breath. Pressing issues such as “Hey
Bitch, why did you keep running after I fell?” Or “No, It’s your turn to bait
and attack the leprechaun to meet you inevitable death, you jerk.” Are
addressed. This is the colorful banter that truly tests relationships and
forges unbreakable chains of trust to persevere from now until the hereafter. Unfortunately
for the poor saps in this film the hereafter might be 20 minutes from now. Most
everyone dies.
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| How we used to imagine Leprechauns |
The real question to this film is “who is the survivor going
to be?” It’s a tough call the couples
are quick to assimilate what is happening, what they must do to survive, and
have an excellent team dynamic. So anyone could have come out on top, not one
single character had so many flaws that it was a guarantee that they would die
in the very next scene. I find that to be true of a many of these WWE
production horror flicks. I find although the concept itself is a bit
overplayed, or more to say conventional in terms of plot, the character
development typically trends toward level headed thinking and genuine human
emotions in terms of “what do we do in this deathtrap scenario?” Many of the
characters exhibit cowardice, but typically will redeem themselves and show
some inner strength. It still gets them and the people around them killed
almost everytime…… but it’s. the. JOURNEY. that truly matters. That sense of
personal growth that only trial by pursuit of horrible monsters, that these
movies are so quick to highlight, which is most important.
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| How I want a Leprechaun Remake to look |
So I wouldn’t say to not watch Leprechaun Origins it’s
decent in its own regard. I’ve heard it compared to a Syfy original and would
have to agree. But I feel the disappointment from not getting anything that
resembles the Leprechaun that fans of the series have grown up with and watched
on BET reruns is going to be a bitter pill to swallow.
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