Leprechaun in the Hood (2000) Trimark/Comedy-Horror RT: 90 minutes Rated R (strong violence and gore, pervasive language, drug use, some sexual content) Director: Rob Spera Screenplay: Doug Hall and Jon Huffman Music: Nicholas Rivera Cinematography: Michael Mickens Release date: March 28, 2000 (US) Cast: Warwick Davis, Ice-T, Anthony Montgomery, Rashaan Nall, Red Grant, Dan Martin, Jack Ong, Lobo Sebastian, Ivory Ocean, Barima McKnight, Eric Mansker, Steven M. Porter, Bebe Drake, Donna M. Perkins, Daya Vaidya, Chloe Hunter, Lori J. Jones, Coolio. Box Office: N/A
Rating: ***
Question, where does a leprechaun go once he’s been…. IN SPACE?!!! Sorry not sorry, I couldn’t resist.
The answer to this burning question is in the title Leprechaun in the Hood. That’s right, the malicious mythological creature is back on earth and terrorizing Compton in search of the magic gold flute stolen from him by a trio of wannabe rappers. Now that’s a plot description I never expected to write.
As usual, Leprechaun in the Hood has no connection to the previous installments other than Warwick Davis (Willow) in the title role. In this one, we find Leprechaun in the possession of record producer/crime boss Mack Daddy (Ice-T, New Jack City), trapped in statue form by a medallion around his neck. He’s been holding onto him for 20 years after finding and stealing his gold along with the aforementioned magic flute. It was this discovery that led to MD’s rise to the top.
For every success story in the music industry, there are 100 that wouldn’t even make it past the audition round on America’s Got Talent. The nameless trio at the center of Leprechaun in the Hood is among the unlucky 100. They are Postmaster P (Montgomery, Star Trek: Enterprise), Stray Bullet (Nall, 3 Strikes) and Butch (Grant, First Sunday). They can’t even get through a whole song without messing up somehow. They hope to find a backer in MD who coldly rejects them because they’re not gangsta enough for his taste.
The guys, who really think they have a shot at winning a major hip-hop competition in Las Vegas, decide to retaliate by breaking into the mogul’s office and robbing him. That, of course, goes wrong too. They end up shooting (but not killing) MD. While he’s down (but not out), Postmaster steals the gold flute off him. Robbed of his good luck charm, MD furiously hunts for the thieves with the intention of putting bullets in them. Also, Butch stupidly removes the medallion from the leprechaun statue, freeing the evil creature to go after the three idiots that f***ed up in ways they can’t even imagine.
So why is the flute so precious? It’s more than just a gold trinket. When blown, it has the power to temporarily hypnotize anybody within hearing range, putting them in a euphoric trance and under the power of the blower. That’s how MD got where he is. That’s why he’s so mad about it being stolen. That’s why Leprechaun wants it back.
Director Rob Spera (Witchcraft) really leans into the comedy in Leprechaun in the Hood which isn’t at all surprising. With a title like that, it can’t be taken as anything other than a goof. Just get a load of some of the dialogue. This exchange takes place right after the guys narrowly escape the wrath of MD and his gun:
Butch: Man, I told you before, Stray. It be the physical, then it be the metaphysical! That was some meta-f***ing-physical s*** back there!”
Stray Bullet: “Yeah. Well, I’ll bet them bullets he was shooting was some physical s***!”
Postmaster P: “Yo, who gives a f***? Physical, metaphysical, who cares? Mack Daddy after our asses, y’all!”
The comedy extends beyond the dopey, frequently profane dialogue. The opening scene depicting MD and an associate finding the leprechaun’s treasure in an abandoned subway station sets just the right mood. The associate inadvertently frees the leprechaun (that darn medallion!) who immediately stabs him in the neck with his Afro pick. MD fights him with a stash of weapons he conceals in his big 70s-style Afro. In the vernacular of the movie’s main characters, that’s some funny s***.
I’m pleased to report Leprechaun in the Hood has a few great bloody kill scenes courtesy of Leprechaun, meaner and funnier than ever. He telekinetically blows up one guy’s chest (we get to see through the hole) and puts his hand through another guy’s stomach from behind. Another fellow gets his chest blown up as well when bullets won’t take him down. All the while, Leprechaun regales us with rhymes like “A friend with weed is a friend indeed, but a friend with gold is the best I’m told.” He says this while sharing a bong with a stoner too wasted to notice his new smoking buddy is a leprechaun. Must be some good s***. BTW, beware of the weed mixed with clover.
I saw Leprechaun in the Hood when it premiered on cable in early 2000 (it bypassed theaters, of course). How could I pass it up? I knew it had to be good with a cool title like that. Besides, where else are you going to find “Zombie Fly Girls”, a trio of temptresses under Leprechaun’s power? Take a guess what he uses them for. I told a friend later that I saw it and he replied, “Dude, there’s just some movies that you don’t watch.” I could see his point, but I argued that it didn’t apply to Leprechaun in the Hood, at least not in my opinion. Again, it’s all about the title. There are some I just can’t resist like Attack of the Killer Tomatoes (1978), Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988) and Surf Ninjas (1993) as well as several from Troma.
What do you want me to say regarding the acting in Leprechaun in the Hood? It’s exactly what you’d expect. Ice-T playing it straight amidst the silliness is all the funnier. Davis still seems to be enjoying himself as Leprechaun. Ivory Ocean (The Mask) gets a few laughs as a pastor who gives the guys temporary sanctuary in exchange for entertaining his congregation at the day’s service. It goes exactly how you’d expect, NOT GOOD! That is, until Postmaster blows the flute. That’s a game changer.
Leprechaun in the Hood is the last of the series to be released under the Trimark banner. The studio also responsible for Warlock 1 & 2 (1991-93), Cyborg 2 (1993), Return of the Living Dead III (1993), Death Wish V: The Face of Fear (1994), The Doom Generation (1995) and Meet Wally Sparks (1997) went under in 2001. Too bad, it was the closest thing we had to New World and Cannon.
I’m not going to claim that Leprechaun in the Hood represents cinema at its finest. No, it’s quite the opposite. It’s trash, junk, rubbish; it rots the brain. That doesn’t mean it isn’t entertaining. I got a kick out of it. I laughed often. Any movies that features a rapping leprechaun during the end credits is A-OK in my book.
