Charles Bands’ “Unlucky Charms” is entertaining only in the way that modern Full Moon films are. They’re trashy and don’t even seem to try anymore, but at least there’s always a highlight or two that salvages the experience. Plus, “Unlucky Charms” is not even eighty minutes long. Factor in the opening credits, and closing credits, it’s a little over an hour of a goofy horror comedy with really hot women.
Deedee Deville is a super model hosting her own reality competition in an old Irish mansion, and she’s cast a group of gorgeous women to compete for the grand prize. Of course, like every reality show, the women in the cast are cut throats and hideously unfriendly. In spite of being good looking, the girls spend most of their time undermining one another’s confidence, and competing for the next witty one-liner, all the while the leprechaun Farr Darrig and his group of mystical monsters have been freed from the underworld by a mysterious force that has assembled the sacred charm bracelet. This makes Darrig and his friends wreak unholy havoc on the young girls against their will.
“Unlucky Charms’ delights in the horror comedy trappings, offering some fun reality show satire, all the while flaunting the curvaceous young women that saunter about in catty attitudes. The only really decent contestant is Audrey, a college girl trying to compete with the other young models. She is too pure of heart to really lower herself to their level, and begins to sense the evil powering this competition. Tiffany Thornton is a stand out in the picture, playing to her strengths as the pure hearted good girl who is so classy she can barely scream at her rivals when they put her down.
Thornton hasn’t changed a bit since her Disney days, which adds to the eye appeal along with her genuine performance. Seth Peterson is also very funny as the catty judge of the competition who loves to snipe at the women and undermine his fellow judges, completely oblivious to the heinous plans behind the scenes. The make up effects are respectable and gruesome, while the villains themselves provide some interesting conflict. Especially when the premise doesn’t completely make them one dimensional villains so much as they’re complex creatures forced in to committing horrible acts. “Unlucky Charms” is a fun time filler with an interesting premise that kept me entertained the whole way through.