Leprechaun 2

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Leprechaun 2
Leprechaun two poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Rodman Flender
Written by
  • Turi Meyer
  • Al Septien
Based onCharacters
by Mark Jones
Produced by
Starring Warwick Davis
CinematographyJane Castle
Edited by
  • Richard Gentner
  • Christopher Roth
Music by Jonathan Elias
Production
company
Planet Productions
Distributed by Trimark Pictures
Release date
  • April 8, 1994 (1994-04-08)
Running time
85 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$1.5 million [1]
Box office$2.3 million

Leprechaun 2 (also known as One Wedding and Lots of Funerals in the United Kingdom) is a 1994 American comedy horror film directed by Rodman Flender and written by Turi Meyer and Al Septien. The sequel to Mark Jones' Leprechaun (1993) and the second entry in the Leprechaun series, the plot centers on a leprechaun (Warwick Davis) as he hunts for a bride and for his gold hoarding impulses.

Contents

Leprechaun 2 was released on April 8, 1994 to a box office total of $2.3 million. Panned by critics, it was the final installment to receive a theatrical release, until Leprechaun: Origins in 2014. A sequel, Leprechaun 3 , was released direct-to-video the following year.

Plot

In 990s Ireland, the leprechaun celebrates his 1,000th birthday, on Saint Patrick's Day. Once married, he promises to free his slave, William O'Day. The leprechaun’s intended bride, however, is O'Day's only daughter. In response to O'Day's pleas, the leprechaun says that she will be his only once she sneezes three consecutive times without anyone saying "God bless you". He manipulates her to start sneezing. O'Day says "God bless you" to save her, but is killed by the angered leprechaun, who promises to make a bride out of a descendant of O’Day on his next 1,000th birthday.

On St. Patrick's Day, in 1990s Los Angeles, a young man named Cody works with his Uncle Morty giving "dark side" tours, a scam that drives tourists around to the alleged gravesites of celebrities. Cody takes over the tour one day, when Morty is too drunk, forcing him to cancel a date with his girlfriend, Bridget O'Day. He drops Bridget off at a go-kart track run by his rival, Ian. Prior to Bridget's departure, the leprechaun emerges from one of the tour stops (a real Irish tree was growing at the home of Harry Houdini). He attacks and pulls out a homeless man's gold tooth before leaving in search of his new bride-to-be: Bridget, a modern descendant of the O'Day bloodline. Cody speeds through a red light and is arrested; Morty bails him out of the police station.

Ian has to drive Bridget home, trying to force his way inside her place to seduce her, but she punches him. While leaving, Ian sees Bridget gesturing for him to come to the garage; however, it is a trick by the leprechaun, who has disguised a lawn mower as Bridget. As Ian attempts to kiss "Bridget", the lawn mower is revealed; now running, it slices Ian to death. Cody later visits Bridget and gifts her with flowers, and they reconcile. The leprechaun sneaks inside and begins to make her sneeze, which Cody thinks is caused by the flowers and attempts to say "God bless you", but starts to be strangled by a phone cord before he can finish the phrase. The leprechaun then manifests to claim Bridget. After a scuffle with Cody, he escapes with Bridget, but loses one of his gold coins after Bridget knocks the pot of gold from his hands. The coin falls into Cody's possession.

The leprechaun takes Bridget to his lair, but realizes a coin is missing. He leaves to get it back. Since Cody left the flowers behind, he is considered a prime suspect in Ian's death and Bridget's disappearance. He returns home and consults a book with Morty which explains the leprechauns' ancient search for love and that cast iron is their one weakness. The leprechaun then attacks, demanding his coin back. Cody makes a deal to surrender it for Bridget's safe return, unaware that the leprechaun plans to manipulate him. Morty intervenes and they escape to a bar which is celebrating St. Patrick's Day. Morty notices the leprechaun sitting at the bar and challenges him to a drinking contest, assuring Cody that Bridget cannot be taken as long as the leprechaun is with him. Morty wins the contest, but the leprechaun escapes, sobering up at an espresso bar and murdering the barista who mocked his height. Noting the leprechaun's weakness for cast iron, Cody and Morty go to the go-kart track office to empty the safe, which is made of cast iron, intending to capture the leprechaun inside.

A security guard nearly catches them, but Morty knocks him out. As the leprechaun attacks Morty, Cody manages to trap him inside the safe. However, Morty then locks Cody in a supply closet and demands he be given three wishes, in keeping with the tradition. Morty first wishes for his pot of gold. The wish is vaguely granted, the gold manifesting inside Morty's stomach. The leprechaun says he can remove it if Morty uses his second wish to free him from the safe. For his third and final wish, Morty wishes for the gold to be removed, which the leprechaun grants by disemboweling and killing him. Cody flees the closet, but is apprehended by the guard, who accuses Cody of being behind all the murders. The leprechaun then appears in a go-kart, running over the guard. He attempts to run over Cody, who discovers that possession of the gold makes it impossible for the leprechaun to harm him. He makes his way to the leprechaun's lair in search of Bridget.

There, Cody defeats the living skeleton of the ancient O'Day and frees Bridget. They attempt to escape the labyrinth-like cave, but get separated. Cody finds Bridget, who asks Cody to give her the coin. He complies and she is revealed to be the leprechaun in disguise. The real Bridget reappears and begs the leprechaun to spare Cody. However, the leprechaun forces Cody to stab himself with a cast iron stake. Cody's death is a ruse (he knew of the trick), as he actually gave the leprechaun a chocolate coin. Still immune to harm, Cody stabs the leprechaun with the stake, causing him to combust. Cody and Bridget escape and discard the gold coin. They emerge in the sunlight and kiss.

Cast

Release

In its U.S. opening weekend, the film played in 252 theaters and grossed $672,775. Its final domestic box office was $2.3 million. [2]

Reception

Leprechaun 2 holds an approval rating of 6% on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 17 reviews. [3] Kevin Thomas of the Los Angeles Times wrote that it has better writing, production values, acting, and humor than the original. [4] TV Guide stated that the film is an improvement over its predecessor, though "cynically contrived even by schlock horror standards". [5] Marc Savlov of The Austin Chronicle critiqued that the film is a complete rehash of the original. [6] Discussing the rationale for a Leprechaun sequel with Fangoria , Warwick Davis said, "Money's definitely the answer", alluding to a pay increase for his role as the titular villain. [7]

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References

  1. ↑ Trenchard-Smith, Brian (September 26, 2014). "Before Sharknado There Was Leprechaun…". Trailers From Hell. Archived from the original on March 28, 2023. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
  2. ↑ "Leprechaun 2". Box Office Mojo . IMDb. Archived from the original on April 22, 2017. Retrieved April 21, 2017.
  3. ↑ "Leprechaun 2 - Rotten Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango. Archived from the original on September 11, 2024. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
  4. ↑ Thomas, Kevin (April 11, 1994). "MOVIE REVIEW: Faith and Be Gory, 'Leprechaun 2' Better Than the First". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved April 21, 2017.
  5. ↑ "Leprechaun 2". TV Guide . Archived from the original on April 22, 2017. Retrieved April 21, 2017.
  6. ↑ Savlov, Marc (May 27, 1994). "Leprechaun 2". The Austin Chronicle . Retrieved April 21, 2017.
  7. ↑ Shapiro, Marc (April 1994). "Leprechaun 2 Flender's Fortune". Fangoria (131): 58–61 – via Internet Archive.
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