Leprechaun: Origins Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		1.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		1.0
Overall		2.0

Leprechaun: Origins Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman October 14, 2014

Note: This film is also included in the bundle Leprechaun: The Complete Movie Collection.

WWE, usually the refuge of overly muscled titans who dominate both due to size and persona, might seem to be an odd bedfellow for a leprechaun, or indeed a Leprechaun, but the WWE’s mascot of sorts, Dylan “Hornswoggle” Postl, attempts to inhabit the latex grotesquerie of Warwick Davis in Leprechaun: Origins, to largely ludicrous effect. This is a film with a budget that probably surpassed the sum total of all of the previous Leprechaun films put together, and so it has a certain production gloss that clearly outshines its progenitors, but that’s all largely for naught in a script that dabbles in so many hoary clichés it becomes hard to keep track of them after a while.

One might think that a leprechaun origin(s) story might delve back into an antediluvian past, uncovering nuggets (of gold?) from some long forgotten folklore and myth. With regard to Leprechaun: Origins, one would be, in a word, wrong. The film instead is a contemporary set adventure featuring two backpacking couples who wander into the Irish version of Shirley Jackson’s The Lottery, with a nasty leprechaun (who is barely ever even seen to any great effect) the winning “prize”. Production values here are high (for a Leprechaun film), but just about everything else in this sorry enterprise is about as low as you can get.

Leprechaun: Origins Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Leprechaun: Origins is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Lionsgate Films (and WWE!) with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.78:1. This is easily the best looking of the films in the Leprechaun set, with deep, convincing blacks, excellent sharpness and clarity, and well defined contrast. There are both interesting effects (like the "leprechaun vision" as seen in some of the screenshots accompanying this review) and subtle but effective color grading deployed throughout the film. Outdoor shots offer some spectacular depth of field (see screenshot 2). Fine detail is excellent in close-ups. Shadow detail is at least acceptable in the many dark sequences, and often quite commendable. There are no problematic issues with artifacts throughout the presentation.

Leprechaun: Origins Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Leprechaun: Origin's lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix, the only surround mix in the Leprechaun set, offers some good immersion courtesy of ambient environmental effects and some nicely done sound effects that dot the leprechaun sequences. Dialogue is very cleanly presented and there are no issues of any kind on this track.

Leprechaun: Origins Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Leprechaun: An Icon Reborn (1080i; 6:01)


• Leprechaun: Behind the Blood (1080i; 4:50)

Leprechaun: Origins Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Some people probably thought Leprechaun was a dead prospect after the first film, and there are probably some hoping that that's the case once again with regard to Leprechaun: Origins. My hunch is we've just begun to see the Hornswoggle era of this seemingly indestructible little green man (even if he's not really a little green man anymore). Technical merits here are very strong, but the film isn't exactly a pot of gold.