Leprechaun: Back 2 Tha Hood

Lion's Gate | minutes | | | Standard DVD reviewed by: Fusion3600

Emily Woodrow (Tangi Miller) has always dreamed of leaving the ghetto, making a better life for herself. But the chances are infrequent, so she and her friends make the best of life, which includes smoking a lot of reefer. Then a door opens, one which could lead Emily and her friends not only out of the slums, but straight up to the penthouse. But as with all things, nothing comes without a price and in this case, the friends were even warned. A psychic warned the friends about potential trouble, the kind of trouble they wouldn't be able to handle. Of course, most of the crew laughed off her words and didn't think twice about her comments. So when the group stumbles upon a treasure chest loaded with gold coins, her warnings seem distant. The chest is worth a fortune and as such, could be Emily's ticket to a better life. She is not leaving alone however, as there is enough treasure for all the friends to cash in. Soon enough, the friends begin to go on spending sprees, getting new cars, kick ass clothes, and yes, even better hair extensions. This bliss is soon to come to an end though, as the owner of the treasure is soon to arrive. He is The Leprechaun and he seeks to reclaim his gold coins, no matter what that takes. When he starts to stalk the friends and the blood begins to spill, can they survive his wrath?

The little green bastard is back, but after one lackluster run through the ghetto, would the return venture be a step up? Leprechaun: Back 2 Tha Hood is the kind of movie that doesn't have to be great, it just needs to be a blast to watch. I would rank the best Leprechaun flicks as the ones that take place in Las Vegas and outer space, as both were outlandish, hilarious, and had a good deal of blood involved. Those two were by no means classics, but the filmmakers knew what the fans wanted and delivered on all counts. In this installment, we have a lot of focus on humor and that isn't a bad decision. The humor is often the kind you groan at, but within the film's structure, that brand of humor is right at home. I wasn't all that taken with the previous Leprechaun in the Hood feature, as a lot of the jokes in that fell flat. This time around, there is more success in that department, but the violence and gore is reduced. This movie needed some blood, or at least the creative killings we're used to, but no such luck. I know there is some violence, but blood is thin and the methods are simple and uninspired. Even so, there is enough to like about Leprechaun: Back 2 Tha Hood for fans of the series, though more gore would have been welcome. So if you're a fan of the series, give this newest release a rental.

Leprechaun: Back 2 Tha Hood is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen. This is a low budget, direct to video release, so we can't expect it to be all that refined, but Lions Gate has supplied a solid visual effort. The print is in good condition, with no nicks or grain to mention, though some light softness is evident. I was quite pleased with the contrast, as black levels were deep and stark, with no errors to report. That means detail remains high and nothing is lost in the shadows, which is excellent news. No worries with colors either, as all the hues, from the greens to the reds look bright and consistent. I didn't expect a whole lot from this presentation, but Lions Gate has come through and the flick looks terrific.

Lions Gate has even created a Dolby Digital 5.1 option for this release, which is a surprise, but a most welcome one. As you can imagine, this movie isn't much on high impact audio, so the surrounds won't be going into overdrive. But there is some presence in the material, mostly subtle, but effective touches. So the atmosphere is enhanced via background sounds, sometimes small, sometimes large, that impact the experience. A basic scene can be more alive with the proper audio in the background, which is what we have here. The main power comes from the rap driven musical soundtrack, which ensures the bass comes deep and often. No troubles emerge with dialogue, as vocals sound clean and crisp at all times. This disc also includes subtitles in English and Spanish, in case you need those.

An audio commentary track is up first, as director Steven Ayromlooi is joined by franchise star Warwick Davis. I was looking forward to Davis' thoughts, but he remains reserved and covers mostly basic points. The director fills in with some production stories of his own, but I expected a lot more from this track. Ayromlooi returns for a second session, joined this time by director of photography David Daniel. This is another solid track, but it is more basic details about the production, the kind of stuff most of us would know beforehand. This disc also includes some storyboards, as well as the film's trailer.