Leprechaun 4: In Space
A leprechaun terrorizes marines in space.
Leprechaun 4: In Space is a 1996 American science fiction comedy horror film directed by Brian Trenchard-Smith and written by Dennis Pratt. It is the fourth entry in the Leprechaun franchise, coming after Leprechaun 3 (1995) and before Leprechaun in the Hood (2000). Warwick Davis plays the leprechaun, who menaces a Marine crew on a spaceship while trying to recover a princess he plans to marry.
In the year 2096, on a distant planet, the leprechaun woos an alien princess named Zarina as part of a scheme to become king of her world. They agree to marry, each secretly intending to kill the other after the wedding night to claim the other's benefits—a title for the leprechaun, and his gold and jewels for the princess. A squad of space marines arrives and kills the leprechaun for disrupting mining operations. After a marine named Lucky attempts to steal gold and is killed by the leprechaun's lightsaber, a grenade explosion finishes the leprechaun. Gloating, marine Kowalski urinates on the corpse; the leprechaun's spirit travels up the urine stream into Kowalski's penis. The marines return to their ship with the injured Zarina, planning to take her home for diplomatic relations. The ship's cyborg commander, Dr. Mittenhand, intends to use Zarina's regenerative DNA to rebuild his own mutilated body. On the ship, the leprechaun violently emerges from Kowalski's penis after he is aroused during sex. The marines hunt the leprechaun, who outsmarts and kills most of them in gruesome, absurd ways. While pursuing Zarina, the leprechaun injects Mittenhand with a mix of Zarina's DNA and blended scorpion and tarantula remains, then initiates the ship's self-destruct. Marine Sticks rushes to the bridge to stop it but is blocked by a password prompt. Mittenhand, now a monster called "Mittenspider," traps Sticks in a giant web. In the cargo bay, other survivors accidentally cause the leprechaun to grow giant after shooting him with an experimental growth ray. Biological officer Tina Reeves escapes to the bridge, frees Sticks by spraying Mittenhand with liquid nitrogen and shooting him. The only other surviving marine, Books, opens an airlock, sucking the giant leprechaun into space where he explodes. The trio deduces the password is "Wizard" (Mittenhand had compared himself to the Wizard of Oz), stops the self-destruct, and Books and Reeves kiss while Sticks sees the leprechaun
- title
- Leprechaun 4: In Space
- year
- 1996
- director
- Brian Trenchard-Smith
- writer
- Dennis Pratt
- star
- Warwick Davis
- series
- Leprechaun series
- genre
- Science fiction comedy horror
Lore & Background
In 2096, on a remote planet, the Leprechaun courts an alien princess named Zarina in a plot to become king of her home planet. Both secretly plan to kill the other after the wedding night. A platoon of space marines arrives, kills the Leprechaun, and one marine urinates on the body, allowing the Leprechaun's spirit to travel up his urine stream into his penis. The marines return to their ship with Zarina, while the ship's commander, Dr. Mittenhand, plans to use her regenerative DNA to recreate his own body. The Leprechaun violently emerges from the marine's penis after arousal, then kills most of the crew in gruesome ways.
Reader's Guide
The film holds a 44% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 9 reviews, with an average rating of 4.6/10. The A.V. Club wrote that 'the outer-space setting comes off as a desperate ploy to continue a horror series without having to pay any attention to continuity or the laws of reality.' DVD Talk rated the film as 3 stars of 5 stars as 'Recommended.' As the fourth entry in the Leprechaun series, it marks a shift to a science fiction setting, featuring absurd and grotesque deaths, including the Leprechaun's emergence from a penis and his transformation into a giant. The film's legacy lies in its cult status as a bizarre, low-budget horror-comedy that embraces its own ridiculousness.
Did You Know?
- The Leprechaun's spirit travels up a marine's urine stream into his penis after the marine urinates on his body.
- Dr. Mittenhand transforms into a monster called 'Mittenspider' after being injected with a mixture of Zarina's DNA and blended scorpion and tarantula remains.
- The password to stop the ship's self-destruct is 'Wizard,' because Dr. Mittenhand compared himself to the Wizard of Oz.
- After being sucked into space and exploding, the giant Leprechaun's hand gives the surviving marines the finger.
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