Leprechaun Movies Ranked

Warwick Davis is one of the most underrated actors of all time. The man has graced our screens for many years and has been a part of many franchises. These franchises include Willow, Harry Potter, Star Wars, and The Chronicles of Narnia. What is arguably Warwick’s most famous role though, is the Leprechaun. Although this character isn’t as iconic as Michael Myers or Jason Voorhees, Warwick lends his charm and humor to a franchise that could have been forgotten easily but instead has 8 films in it. Are any of them any good though? Here are all the Leprechaun films ranked.

8.   Leprechaun: Origins

This is easily the worst Leprechaun movie out of all of them for multiple reasons. The Leprechaun movies are usually pretty fun and humorous and this was Leprechaun trying to be dark and different. It just doesn’t work.

Warwick Davis does not appear in the titular role and we get a mythical origin story that isn’t really exciting and honestly doesn’t make too much sense. Another really odd choice is we barely see the Leprechaun at all. They change his design but barely show him anyway. The design honestly doesn’t look too great anyway. The kills and characters are lackluster as well.

The cinematography is dark and muddy looking. The script is boring and insulting. Easily skippable in my opinion.

7. Leprechaun: Back 2 tha Hood

When Leprechaun went to the hood for the first time it was a surprise success. Not because it was a great movie but because it was so insane of an idea that people wanted to check it out.

Success did not come twice though as this time around they tried to tell a more serious story while still having the Leprechaun be his humorous self. You can’t have a plot set in the hood staring a Leprechaun and try to make it even a little bit serious. It just doesn’t work.

The acting is subpar and for such an insane title, the movie overall is pretty dull. This movie killed the franchise for some time and it seemed people were kind of done at this point.

6. Leprechaun 2

Leprechaun 2 is a pretty bland movie. This time around we get a little more information about him though. He is apparently searching for a bride and that is all the plot we really need.

We get more kills and more one-liners from Warwick Davis but overall none of it is really memorable. This was the last Leprechaun movie to be released in theatres and it makes sense. The budget seemed smaller. Makeup and gore look cheaper. You can still have a decent time with it but it doesn’t stand out like some of the other entries.

5. Leprechaun in the Hood

Why is the Leprechaun in the hood? I still don’t know. Whoever had this idea though, give them a raise because this movie was really successful on home video.

This is the ultimate so bad it starts to turn into good movies. The Leprechaun is looking for his gold in the hood and this fish out of water story needs to be seen to be believed. Ice T and Coolio star in this movie and it is great to see them play off of Warwick Davis. This one is far from bland as the Leprechaun has tons of new jokes, and people to meet and he even has a rap at the end of the film. As I said, it needs to be seen to be believed.

4. Leprechaun 3

The Leprechaun is in Vegas and honestly, it is a perfect place for him to be. Plenty of gold and plenty of sinners who need to be punished.

Warwick Davis is just camping it up here for sure. This is one of the most entertaining entries in the franchise. It feels like the most meta film out of all of them. The Leprechaun spends most of the movie gambling. The kills in this one are outrageous and unique. We have a side plot where the main character is turning into a Leprechaun himself. We also get some great fun from scream queen Caroline Williams.

No one bats an eye in Vegas as well. A killer Leprechaun walking around fits perfectly in that world apparently.

3. Leprechaun Returns

As much as I don’t want to like this movie because Warwick Davis is not in it, I just can’t. It’s really fun and one of the best in the franchise. Linden Porco plays the Leprechaun now in this film which plays as a direct sequel to the original film. A lot of horror movies are doing this and this one works.

The humor is still here but there are actually some suspenseful scenes and the gore and kills here have to be the best in the entire franchise. We also get the return of Ozzie from the first film who is played once again here by Mark Holton. This one fell under the radar and I feel not a lot of people have seen it because it premiered on the Syfy channel. Definitely check it out though. You might just be pleasantly surprised.

2. Leprechaun 4: In Space

When a horror franchise goes to space, it usually isn’t a good idea. Is Leprechaun 4 a good movie? Nope. Do I love it? Yes!

This entry is beyond bonkers. The Leprechaun could not find a wife on earth so he decides to marry an alien princess of course. He comes across a military unit and starts picking them off one by one. This movie is filled with a bunch of random ideas for sure. We have androids going rogue. We have a killer bug man. We have the Leprechaun using a lightsaber. We have a man’s head being flattened like a pancake.

There is a scene where the Leprechaun literally comes out of a man’s privates. I didn’t think that was even possible. As I said, it is not good but you can not take your eyes off of it and I find that in a way successful.

1. Leprechaun

The first movie to be released is also the best one in the franchise for multiple reasons. The humor is on point and doesn’t go too far. The characters are likable and are given a personality. They don’t feel like throwaway characters.

We get Jennifer Aniston in her feature film debut and it’s fun to see her in a role she doesn’t usually play today. There is also more of an effort here to blend the horror with the humor. It is still fun of course but they try to add more suspense here and there and that is appreciated.

The first film seems to be the one that is the most rewatchable. It is short, sweet has some quotable dialogue, and introduced us to another great character played by Warwick Davis.

What is your favorite Leprechaun movie? What is your favorite Warwick Davis movie? Let us know in the comments below. 


About Martin Maruri

Martin Maruri is an avid fan of pop culture and movie trivia. In his spare time, Martin loves to watch horror movies, watch baseball and spend time with his lovely girlfriend. P.S...He also loves spending time with his French Bulldog named Tobin.

View all posts by Martin Maruri

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