‘Welcome to Vegas. The odds are you won’t leave alive!’
Leprechaun 3 – aka Leprechaun III and Leprechaun 3: In Las Vegas – is a 1995 American comedy horror film directed by Brian Trenchard-Smith (Turkey Shoot; Night of the Demons 2; Leprechaun 4) from a screenplay written by David DuBos (Bayou Tales).
The movie stars Warwick Davis (Leprechaun franchise; Skinned Deep), John Gatins (Pumpkinhead II; Witchboard 2) and Caroline Williams (Tales of Poe; Hatchet III; Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2).
Warwick Davis later said Leprechaun 3 was his favourite of the series. “I think it tapped into the potential of bringing a comedic element to it all. And Brian Trenchard-Smith, who directed that one, is an incredible director. He manages to get so much out of so little money, and that was what was great about working with him. He really got the humor.”
Plot:
One night in Las Vegas, a pawn shop owner purchases a statue of a leprechaun from a mysterious stranger. He ignores the stranger’s warning to never remove the statue’s golden medallion and takes it for himself. Instantly the statue transforms into the murderous Leprechaun (Warwick Davis), who vows to kill anyone who takes his gold.
Scott McCoy (John Gatins), who unwittingly took a gold coin from the pawn shop, and Tammy (Lee Armstrong), Scott’s new friend, are first on the list…
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Reviews:
” …not at all as bad as the franchise ended up becoming, but that’s really not saying very much at all; and Leprechaun 3 is so endlessly addled and pointless that it’s greatest sin isn’t that it’s bad, but that it is stultifying and boring.” Alternate Ending
” …it is precisely the combination of cheeky punch-line humor with grisly violence that makes the movie work as well as it does. As Lep maniacally marauds one casino after another in search of his gold schilling, he spouts such hysterical couplets and ludicrous limericks as “I want my gold schilling, tell me where it is or there will be more killing,” or “for pulling this trick, I’ll chop off your dick!” Arrow in the Head
“Warwick Davis at least has fun with the movie. His character is loaded with one-liners, but it feels so desperately loaded that it stops being fun. Surrounding Warwick are a ton of uninspiring actors who feel more like bad cardboard cutouts of what a skeevy Vegas person should be. It is rather bland and dull…” Basement Rejects
“More reminiscent than ever of the Wishmaster movies (especially the second movie that also featured a casino-set finale), this film veers from the sublime to the ridiculous every other minute. We get the leprechaun meeting an Elvis lookalike and doing his best impersonation of the swivel-hipped one,…” Flickfeast
“At this stage in the Leprechaun series, the most you can hope for is an entertaining & comedic horror. Leprechaun 3 delivers on most of those fronts. It’s well acted, its comedy works way better than any of the previous films but it doesn’t have much in way of horror. It’s not scary, not in the slightest & it’s very light on gore. The kills instead are more tongue in cheek & silly…” Games, Brrraaains & A Head-Banging Life
“From a terrible magician to a scummy hotel owner to Elvis Presley himself, the sets are filled with over the top characters who make the leprechaun seem in his element. The incongruity of a little person running through the streets killing people doesn’t exist when he’s in a city where seeing white tigers at the entrance to a casino is normal. Somehow, the entire premise of the film is more acceptable when he’s in Las Vegas.” Killer Horror Critic
“The gore is fair, rewarding viewers with effects that match the previous two films’, but leaves them more amused and content. Leprechaun 3 is funnier and faster-paced than one and Two. It’s also the first place to look for leprechaun dung (it’s green, by the way).” Oh, the Horror!
“ …this entry is where the sophomoric humor reached its zenith. It’s colorful, fun and brisk, featuring characters fighting over a piece of gold with the power to granted ill-fated wishes in the style of The Monkey’s Paw. The kills are hilariously, absurdly over the top, and the effects are among the best in the series.” Paste magazine
“This time, the monster is the highlight while all else around him is stupid. Moves fast and maintains involvement with inventive ideas, but runs out of gas by the lackluster finale.” Splatter Critic
“Leprechaun 3 delivers on the gore (the bloodiest scene is when he saws the magician in half), clever kills (he turns a guy into a human slot machine), and hilarious rhymes (“For that trick, I’ll chop off your dick!”). The flick also contains some intentional humor that’s actually quite funny.” The Video Vacuum
Cast and characters:
Warwick Davis … Leprechaun
John Gatins … Scott McCoy
Lee Armstrong … Tammy Larsen
John DeMita … Fazio
Michael Callan … Mitch
Caroline Williams … Loretta
Marcelo Tubert … Gupta
Tom Dugan … Art
Leigh-Allyn Baker … Waitress
Richard Reicheg … Lucky
Linda Shayne … Nurse
Ian Gregory … Doctor
Roger Hewlett … TonyTerry Lee Crisp … Elvis
Jennifer Stein … High Roller
Susan Skinner … Girl Tourist
Tre Temperilli … Gambler (as P. ‘Trash’ Temperill)
Heidi Staley … Fantasy Girl
Steven Swadling … Gambler (as Steven Michael Swadling)
Related:
Leprechaun
Leprechaun 2
Leprechaun 4: In Space
Leprechaun in the Hood
Leprechaun: Back 2 tha Hood
Leprechaun: Origins
Leprechaun Returns
