Berardinelli said director Mark Jones has no style evident in the film. Wilmington described it as a "dingy, drab, pointless little movie ... made without flair or imagination, seemingly enervated by its own bad taste and low intentions". Canby called the screenplay and direction amateurish, and Hicks wrote that Jones is bereft of ideas and should go back to his day job, describing the plot as "by-the-numbers killings with no rhyme or reason". Harrington wrote that the film "has major continuity and credibility problems". Strauss identified the theme as anti-greed but said the writing is "simultaneously prosaic and murky", causing Jones to miss his mark. Wilmington wrote that the leprechaun's cries for his gold reflects the filmmakers' cynical desire for box office success. "Sight & Sound" described "Leprechaun" as a film which seems to have no concept of a target audience, stating, "Jones wants this to be a lively romp for older kids in the mould of "Time Bandits"...but also wants to corner the lucrative horror market." The review concluded, "Unsuitable for adults or kids, this is ultimately for completists." Harrington called the make-up "quite evil-looking", though Strauss wrote that "effects are strictly so-so".