Common Sense Media Review
By Brian Costello
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based on child development research. How do we rate?
age 10+
The confusing fantasy has overdone, lame special effects.
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Based on 1 parent review
What is the story?
In the basement of an Irish mansion, butler Simpson (David Warner) casts a spell and brings a banshee back to life in hopes that the banshee will help him find gold and make him rich. Instead, the banshee demands possession of a human body, and as the banshee demands it, the lady of the house, Laura (Veronica Hamel), descends the basement stairs. Simpson throws a banshee at Laura and learns too late that the banshee will not serve him, but the other way around. Meanwhile, two children from America — Ethel and Tommy — are sent to live with their future stepmother Laura while they await the arrival of their real estate developer father (Jack Scalia). When they realize that something is wrong and evil with Laura and Simpson, they start seeing a leper named Finn. It’s up to the kids to protect both Finn and their father from the clutches of Laura and the Simpsons, and they must prove to their father that Laura is, in fact, a banshee.
Is it good?
THE LAST LEPRECHAUN is marred by cheesy audio special effects and superb acting, especially in the case of Veronica Hamel. She screams, moans and howls her way through her role as a greedy woman possessed by a banshee. Much of the film, in fact, seems overdone. Why does the butler eat cockroaches while in the barn? Why is there so much plot? Why does food fight? Everything seems to be done just to provide shock value to keep the audience engaged through a subpar story.
Speaking of which: while the story should be easy to follow, it often isn’t. The butler brings the banshee back to life in the form of his boss, and she wants to sell the land to energy interests while brainwashing her future husband while trying to scare her future husband’s children, while the gob is gallivanting his eye and has gold hidden somewhere, and the kids have to convince their father to his fiancee is actually a banshee. Something like that. It’s a lot to take in, with no real payoff, and everything about the acting and special effects makes it difficult – if not impossible – to care one way or another how it will all, predictably enough, end.
Talk to your kids about…
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Families can discuss leprechaun movies. How is this similar and different from other films involving leprechauns?
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How did the film present Irish culture and folklore? Was this an accurate representation? Did you learn anything about Irish culture?
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Did you find the story confusing? How could the story have been told in a clearer way?
Did we miss something about diversity?
Research shows a link between children’s healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in the media. That’s why we’ve added a new “Different Representations” section to our reviews that will be published on an ongoing basis. You can help us help children