The first film was "so bad it's good", two and three were pretty much the same, and four (In Space) was awful, I was sure this fifth straight-to-DVD entry in the franchise would be no improvement. Basically, sometime in the 1970s in Los Angeles, California, Mack Daddy O'Nasses (Ice-T) and Slug (Barima McKnight) break into the wall of place that is supposed to contain riches, they discover a room full of gold, and a stone leprechaun statue with a medallion around its neck. While Mack Daddy takes a gold flute, Slug removes the medallion from the statue, accidentally freeing the Leprechaun (Warwick Davis). Slug is killed by the creature, but the medallion is thrown into the air, it lands around the Leprechaun's neck, turning him to stone once again. Twenty years later, wannabe rap artists Postmaster P. (Anthony Montgomery), Stray Bullet (Rashaan Nall) and Butch (Red Grant) want to impress music producers at an audition. After failing to sell a guitar to pawn shop owners Jackie Dee (Dan Martin) and Chow (Jack Ung), Stray Bullet manages to convince Mack Daddy, now a successful record producer, to help them. However, he drops them when Postmaster P. Refuses to make his music more aggressive. In revenge, the three friends break into Mack Daddy's office, they find and steal some gold, including the golden flute, and the leprechaun statue with the medallion on its neck. With the medallion removed and awoken, the Leprechaun hunts the friends wanting his gold flute back, which when blown places people in a euphoric trance. Along the way, the Leprechaun kills Reverend Hanson (The Mask's Ivory Ocean), DJ artists, and a hot girl. Eventually he finds the friends, they engage in a fight with him, the Leprechaun uses his magic powers to force Stray Bullet to kill himself with his own gun and steals back the flute. Knowing that the Leprechaun is smoking marijuana in the hood, Butch convinces Postmaster P. Him to use a joint laced with four-leaf clovers to strip the Leprechaun of his powers in order to steal back the flute. Postmaster P. And Butch dress in drag to sneak into the club where the Leprechaun has taken residence, they use joints to bring the hypnotised Zombie Fly Girls out of their trance. Postmaster P. Manages to go upstairs to the office and get the Leprechaun to smoke the clover laced joint, causing him to pass out. The rap artists take the flute and head downstairs where Mack Daddy shoots Butch, killing him. Postmaster P. Retaliates by shooting Mack Daddy, then the Leprechaun returns, no longer under the effects of clover. Although Postmaster P. Tries to distract the Leprechaun, the monster uses his magic to explode Mack Daddy's torso. With the last of his strength, Mack Daddy throws the magic medallion in the air, it is unclear if it landed on the Leprechaun or not. Postmaster P. Is next seen on stage with smoke and silhouetted, he performs a rap song about how he has finally made it. After his performance is over, and the audience are applauding, he removes his sunglasses, it is revealed he has put under the spell of the Leprechaun, who is his manager and has taken over the music world. The final scene sees the Leprechaun performing his own rap, "Lep in the Hood Come to Do No Good", during which he uses his magic to hypnotise the sexy waitresses wearing gold dresses to do whatever he wants, including rapping with him, this scene may be a flashback to show how he took over the club earlier. Also starring Lobo Sebastian as Fontaine Rivera, Bebe Drake as Post's Mother, Daya Vaidya as Waitress #1, Chloe Hunter as Waitress #2, Lori J. Jones as Waitress #3 and a cameo from Coolio. Davis as the mischievous Irish monster talking rhymes and killing his way through the hood is alright, Ice-T and the three wannabe rappers don't add much either, the story and script are dumb, and the special effects are very cheap looking. I will admit some of the rap songs are catchy, especially the final one by the Leprechaun himself, "Lep in the Hood Come to Do No Good", but there is not enough violence or attempts at humour, and not enough of the Leprechaun, a boring and pointless musical black comedy slasher horror. Poor!
Review of Leprechaun 5: In the Hood
