Much of the film's success is down to the costume design, the novel SFX and the mildly foreboding atmosphere of the mist enshrouded Scottish countryside.
The Little Vampire (1999)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:64
Fresh:34
Rotten:30
Average Rating:5.5/10
Consensus: The Little Vampire can't seem to find the right pitch, with its muddled, jumpy script and badly executed mix of cuteness and fright.
Runtime: 1 hr 34 mins
Genre: Comedies
Synopsis:
Every night, since his family moved from San Diego to Scotland, little Tony Thompson dreams the same dream. A full moon hangs in the distance, bathing a lush green cliff with beams of magical...
Every night, since his family moved from San Diego to Scotland, little Tony Thompson dreams the same dream. A full moon hangs in the distance, bathing a lush green cliff with beams of magical light. An enclave of vampires gather, waiting for the arrival of a comet. As the comet hurls across the sky, to align with the Moon, the head vampire raises his hand. Clutching an ancient golden amulet, he begins an incantation. Suddenly, a vampire hunter, hell-bent on capturing and destroying the creatures, rushes forward, knocking the jeweled piece from his grasp into sea below. The head vampire leaps over the cliff to retrieve the amulet, only to fall down, down, down into little Tony's bed.
Life couldn't be tougher for the nine year old - a new country, a new school and, now, he can't sleep. What's worse then being the new kid on the block? His classmates constantly tease him. Nigel and Flint, nephews of his father's boss, Lord McAshton, routinely beat him up. His teacher thinks he's strange, obsessed with vampires. And, he can't seem to make any friends. With no one to play with, what's a kid to do? You guessed it. Emulate the only beings that visit him every night - vampires.
While his parents are at an evening reception introducing the new golf course his father is designing for Lord McAshton, Tony plays in his room, sporting fangs and a cape. He has a strange encounter as a bat flies in the window and transforms into a nine year old Vampire. Rudolph, who has mistaken Tony for one of his kind, is in a weakened state. Lack of food and being chased by the villainous vampire hunter, Rookery, has taken its toll on the littlest of vampires.
Taking pity on the hungry young vamp, Tony helps Rudolph find nourishment by leading him to a cow. We learn that vampires don’t feed on humans anymore because bite marks on somebody’s throat could expose his family’s existence, bringing them certain death. In exchange for saving his life, Rudolph treats Tony to a flying lesson. Rudolph skillfully guides his new friend back to the safety of his room and ends up spending the night in Tony’s toy chest that serves as sanctuary against the powerful rays of the sun and the terrifying Rookery. Finally, Tony has a real friend. One that he can count on.
The next evening, Rudolph takes Tony on another night flight to his home, a cemetery a short distance away. Rudolph tells Tony that his nightly dream is true. Every 300 years a comet aligns with the moon. If the vampires can assemble, hold the jeweled amulet to the sky, and repeat the magic spell, legend states that they will find peace and become humans again. But their eternal wish seems for naught. They possess only a portion of the amulet and the comet is due to align with the moon the next night!
With the power of true love and friendship as his only weapons, Tony races against time to defeat the vampire slayer and to help the little vampire become human again!
Starring: Jonathan Lipnicki, Richard E. Grant, Alice Krige, Anna Popplewell
Starring: Jonathan Lipnicki, Richard E. Grant, Alice Krige, Anna Popplewell, Rollo Weeks, Jim Carter, John Wood, Pamela Gidley, Tommy Hinkley
Director: Uli Edel
Director: Uli Edel
Screenwriter: Nicholas Waller, Karey Kirkpatrick, Larry Wilson
Producer: Richard Claus
Studio: New Line Cinema
Reviews for The Little Vampire
Evocative of Tim Burton's work, the Scottish locations appear as a kind of ghoulish theme park full of ancient stately homes and mouldering, curse-ridden crypts.
It's refreshing to see a kids' film taking on such sinister subject matter.
The basic idea which drives this jolly film, along with Lipnicki's charm, is sometimes almost enough.
Vampire cows provide comic relief and many of the scares in this respectfully dark yet optimistic story about a lonely child who befriends a vampire.
The Little Vampire is hardly a children's classic, and it will doubtlessly be more at home after it hits the video shelves.
It's an occupational hazard that you actually have to try to think about movies like this, which just get weirder and weirder the more you consider them.
Lipnicki has learned how to make cute faces, but his delivery is formulaic and without emotion.
This chomper is too kid-comedy-ish to cater to adults and a tad too scary for the little ones.
Not to put a stake through the heart of The Little Vampire, but if little Lipnicki had more acting talent to go with his adorability, it might be a better movie.
A mite short on laughs, but it's handsomely made, and it's brightened by what is, by the usually lowball standard of kids' movies, an extremely classy cast.
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