Alright "phenomenon" may be a stretch, but "cult" definitely describes the Leprechaun film franchise. Writer/Director Mark Jones really took some chances with this movie in the early 90's, a time when the Horror genre appeared to be washed up. The end result was a moderately successful B movie that developed a small, but enthusiastic fan base. The idea of a leprechaun in a slasher flick may seem like a ridiculous concept at first. Let's face it, in most folk tales leprechauns are portrayed as adorable little Irish elves; not as hideous, conniving, murderous creatures. Mark Jones could have tried to make this a dark film, and if he had done that it likely would have failed miserably. By throwing some humour into the mix, the concept of the film begins to make sense and the movie becomes rather enjoyable to watch. Leprechaun was well-cast. Jennifer Aniston got her first big break, and she did a tremendous job. Watching her for the first time, it was obvious that she was going to move on to bigger and better things. Warwick Davis is another talented actor and was the perfect choice to play the Leprechaun. This franchise would likely have never become so popular if it weren't for him. The rest of the cast is made up mostly of character actors such as Ken Olandt, Mark Holton, and Robert Gorman. While their performances aren't Oscar worthy, they all do their part to keep the film moving along smoothly. The story is nothing too complex. It is what one would expect for a horror film with a Leprechaun. A Leprechaun has his pot of gold stolen and will stop at nothing to retrieve it and murder anyone who gets in his way. The only way he can be stopped is by using a four-leaf clover. The effects were decent for a low budget movie. The Leprechaun's make-up was very well done. It really enhanced the idea that this is supposed to be an evil Leprechaun. Overall if you are expecting to get a good scare from this movie, you will be disappointed. However, if you are simply looking for a simple, enjoyable movie with some light humour and a decent amount of gore, then this would definitely be worthwhile.
