Leprechaun 4: In Space (1996)

I saw a preview for this move in front of a movie I had rented previously that turned out to be not quite bad enough for inclusion on this page. When I popped this video in, I was treated with exactly the same sequence of previews, the exception being that the preview for Leprechaun 4 was replaced with a preview for that other movie. You've got to love small time video distributors.

This is (hopefully) the last and (probably) the funniest of the Leprechaun movies. Not having seen any of the others yet, I can't really pass judgment on them, but I can't imagine any of them being more ludicrous than this one.

Warwick Davis reprises his role from the first three movies, proving once and for all that there just aren't enough good parts for four foot tall leading men. I feel genuinely sorry for Mr. Davis, because he is an excellent actor and was the highlight of this and (probably) the other Leprechaun movies. I only hope he was paid well for them.

This time around, old Lep wants to be a King and rule the universe, so he captures a princess who will soon be a Queen and tries to woo her. Some space marines ("Semper Fi! Do or Die! KILL! KILL! KILL!") break up his party when they come down to secure the planet he's holed up on for its mineral rights. Trying to save his bride-to-be, our Irish hero falls on a grenade and gets himself blown to bits.

Performing the after-kill ritual, one of the marines urinates on what's left of the poor Leprechaun. He gets his privates shocked with green lighting for his trouble, and the adventure begins in earnest.

After being "reborn" in a most memorable way, the green one goes on a rampage on board the Marine's ship trying to get his princess and his gold back. We're introduced to the part man, mostly machine Dr. Mittenhand, who wants to use the Princess' regenerative DNA to grow himself a new body. Also, there is Harold, the boot-licking, ultra nerdy assistant, and Tina and Brooks, the beautiful Biologist and the silly Space Marine who falls in love with her. There is also the Sergeant, and the guy-whos-name-I-can't-remember-and-doesn't-really-have-a-purpose-in-the-movie, who nevertheless sticks around to the end.

Warwick Davis has some great one-liners and provides most of the overt comedy in this movie. He even does a great John Wayne impersonation. The rest of the comedy is provided intermittedly by the rest of the cast, none of which are that good in the acting department, but they obviously have never met a ham they didn't like. This movie obviously doesn't take itself seriously, which is a very good thing, because there isn't a blessed soul anywhere on Earth who would.

Between a twelve foot Leprechaun, a guy who turns into a giant spider, a machine that can grow fingers from skin cells and blue goop, and the terrible computer graphics that made up all the outside shots of the ship, this movie is a laugh riot nearly from beginning to end. There are only a few places that drag. That, and the fact that the movie was being intentionally silly, are the only two things that keep me from rating it five turkeys. I just can't bring myself to give a movie a "perfect" rating that was actually trying to be bad unless it really was perfect. And alas, it wasn't. But it was close.

Scene to watch for: The opening shot of the aluminum foil asteroids.

Best line: "No, Harold, it all went according to plan."

Things that make you go "Huh?": Dancing with the Sergeant.