Well, we did it. We successfully managed to make it through our first installment. Only downside of it all was that Chucky was a huge diva. He somehow had heard that he wasn't our first choice for the first installment. The rest of the time consisted of him just continuing to monologue and declaring that He's the best there is and I'm Charles Lee Ray. Ugh...
I had hoped that Leprechaun wasn't going to be as bad. However, that was a bit of wishful thinking. He tried hiding in Leprechaun Returns. When I finally found him, I told him that we had to watch Origins cause he was in it. "Tis not I", he declared. "What?" "Tis my cousin Jeffrey.", He informed me, "He needed the part.".
So there you have it. It was all Jeffrey, who just happens to look like a creature from The Descent.
By this point, Leprechaun had been to Space. He had also gone to the hood....twice. With each installment, it felt like it was going further down the rabbit hole of Russian roulette with the franchise. And the fans weren't exactly feeling it. So the next step was to reboot it.
As the continuing tradition has been, what do you do when you reboot? Why you recast and make something different, of course. Warwick Davis had played the Leprechaun for the previous six installments. He made the character iconic as he brought so much to the role. This left it kinda big shoes to fill.
However, they were able to find someone up to the task. Dylan Postl. He is big in the wrestling world. That's about all I know of him as I am not very familiar with that scene.
My first experience with this film wasn't a very positive one. This was another franchise I had grown up with. So, it already was facing some big odds as I was used to Warwick Davis. However, as time has passed on. I find myself appreciating Origins.
It took a good look at the whiteboard that consists of everything Leprechaun and then wiped it all gone. Gone was the bantering of the Leprechaun. Gone was the Leprechaun as we knew him. Gone is most of the mythology as we knew it.
In it's place, we are left with a different kind of story. This one is more grounded. Well about as grounded as you can get with a Leprechaun in it. It's also a more serious take on the story as well.
Four travellers their way to a local village in Ireland. While there, they encounter the locals who weave a tale that could woo any history majors. Nearby, there is a spot. It rumored to be the cradle of Celtic Ireland civilization. They are offered a place to spend the night then could travel to check things out. It seemed too good to be true
After settling in to their cabin for the night, they hear something outside. Unbeknownst to them, this would begin the longest night of their lives. It's revealed that a Leprechaun is the thing waiting to attack.
They must survive the night and uncover the truth behind why the Leprechaun is attacking them.
Looking back on the film, I spent some time wrestling with my thoughts on it. I also took some time to think about the original film. For the most part, I remembered the original had the Leprechaun trying to reclaim pieces of it's gold.
For the most part, that's about as much in common as those two films share. The biggest change being that it's setting is Ireland and it focuses on a group of travellers. This brought a very Hostel type vibe to the film for me. Yes, we have a Leprechaun. But it kinda looks like an extra from The Descent. I understand this was a small film. And I'm not trying to knock it. It just takes awhile for it to grow on you. If it manages to do so. For some, it will. For some, it won't.
However, the big reason why Dylan Postl was cast was for his acting using just his body language and eyes. Kinda an ideal person to bring this unique take to life. One that wouldn't be wrong to see in a Grimm Fairy Tale.
Actually that's a great way of explaining the Leprechaun. It's a more folklore based version than before.
The actors and actresses in this film all do a good job. They make their characters likeable. To the point where I was wishing that some of them would survive. I know I haven't really stated who is in the movie yet.
This is because the actors and actresses kinda blend into their characters. If that makes sense at all, let me know.
There is some gore in this film. But it's a tad light. It's never in your face. It felt like at one point the film could have been trying for a PG-13 rating. That definitely would explain why they don't show the deaths. It mostly happens off screen.
As for the Leprechaun, it works. This is a more folklore based take than anything we had seen before. It definitely sets the tone Origins tries to set. Dylan Postl does a great job with what he is given. The performance carries through well when we see up close shots of its head. I know there are some people that wish we would have gotten a vocal Leprechaun. Or something closer to Warwick.
For me personally, I would have been okay if in this film we got this take. But if it had done well, show the evolution of it. Have the Leprechaun evolve from this Descent dweller into the version that we are used to. It would add a breath of fresh air. And it would have established more to the lore the film is trying to establish.
I would say that this installment isn't necessarily bad. It is a bit misunderstood. A lot of people wrote the film off because it was doing things different. And it's not fair to the film to just write it off automatically. Let's give it a chance shall we? Is this better than the original? No. Is it universally terrible and bad? No.
Again, just go into the film with an open mind. There are some people that will like it and some that won't. I would say that it would have been nice to see a sequel or hear where they would have taken things.
Rating: 3 out of 5.
(Not bad for a rainy day.)
Stay tuned as we will be exploring Puppet Master The Littlest Reich on Friday.
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