Leprechaun 3

Trimark | minutes | | | Standard DVD reviewed by: Fusion3600

Scott McCoy (John Gatins) is on a hot streak in Las Vegas, but his tide of favor hasn't always been so high. In truth, Scott was busted at the tables and forced to pawn his Rolex watch, which offered up just enough to get him back into the games. But while he was at that pawn shop, he found a single gold coin and took it, which must have been lucky, as he's been winning ever since. Now Scott is living the life of a golden high roller, but all of his luck and fortune come with a price, as that coin has an owner who is looking to reclaim the shilling. That owner is the leprechaun (Warwick Davis), who treks to Las Vegas to take back his gold and have a terrific time, which includes some rolling of the dice and a couple beautiful women. As Scott tries to keep his streak alive and avoid the leprechaun, he finds himself in more and more trouble, but here seems to be something different about him, perhaps he has something in common with the small, murderous tot. In any case, only one of them can possess the gold and in the end, both will do whatever it takes to make sure they're the one with the shilling.

This is the third installment of the series and while the fourth is my personal favorite, this one runs a close second, to be sure. I like the entire premise of the leprechaun in Las Vegas and since the focus here is shifted off the horror aspect, the humor shines through and that is what makes this one better than the previous two flicks. Now I like horror movies as much as the next guy, but when you have such comedic potential, I think a focus change is needed and in this case, that change was made and the results are terrific. Of course, some bloodshed is found here as our little buddy tracks down his gold, but this is more about limericks and hilarious one liners, so don't expect a horror driven picture here. Warwick Davis returns once again and gives a hilarious turn, while the other actors seem so out of it, you'll crack up just looking at their blank faces. But the bad acting is by no means a downer, as it improves the humor and adds in even more laughs, which is always welcome in a film such as this one. I recommend this disc to all those interested and if you're unsure about it, then give the disc a rental and decide for yourself.

The man behind our beloved leprechaun is Warwick Davis, who might be small in stature, but he has sizable talents. Ok, so the guy is buried under latex and a clunky costume, but come on, he really brings this character to life, so no knocks against his performance. I am sure the costume limits his antics, but he manages to bounce around well enough and gives old leppie a spirited persona. In addition to his mannerisms, Davis also supplies the voice and delivers all the limericks with ease, which is a vital element in this series. I admit this kind of role won't win any awards, but since I think Davis really makes this series worthwhile, I wanted to mention his work in this review. Other films with Davis include Return of the Jedi, Leprechaun, Labyrinth, Leprechaun In The Hood, Willow, Leprechaun 4: In Space, The Phantom Menace, and Leprechaun 2. The rest of the cast here includes John Gatins (Witchboard 2, Varsity Blues), Lee Armstrong (Magic Island), Terry Lee Crisp, and Michael Callan (Freeway, Cat Ballou).

Leprechaun 3 is presented in a full frame transfer, which is how the film was intended to be shown. This was a direct to video release, so the full frame presentation is correct, although some scenes look to be open matte. This transfer is a mixed bag, as some parts look excellent and others aren't as impressive. The good scenes look sharp and well detailed, with no real problems to report, but the bad ones don't measure up as well. These scenes look grain laden and have poor contrast balance, which is not good. I will say that the good portions outnumber the bad ones by far, but I still wish the whole film looked as terrific as the finest scenes.

A pretty basic, but effective track is included, although I am unsure just what "ultra-stereo" means. In any event, this mix offers the usual experience for these "ultra-stereo" discs from Trimark, so I have no real complaints. The music comes across well enough and while the sound effects don't explode from the speakers, I was pleased with the dynamics here in the end. No issues with the dialogue either, as vocals are clean, sharp, and show no signs of flaws in the least. This disc also houses a Spanish language track, as well as subtitles in English, Spanish, and French.

This disc includes the film's trailer, as well as some bonus trailers.