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Movies / On DVD / The Little Vampire
The Little Vampire

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The Little Vampire (1999)

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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! [More]

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

[See More Credits]

Reviews for The Little Vampire

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1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 >> >|
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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.

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
06/24/06
Derek Adams
Derek Adams
Time Out
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

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.

Full Review Source: Sight and Sound | comment Comment
12/03/02
Christopher Hawkes
Christopher Hawkes
Sight and Sound

Excellent stuff -- it won’t just be kids that love this film!

Full Review Source: ViewLondon | comment Comment
10/30/02
Sam Chambers
Sam Chambers
ViewLondon

A surprisingly enjoyable kid's movie.

Full Review Source: Shadows on the Wall | comment Comment
12/10/01
Rich Cline
Rich Cline
Shadows on the Wall

It's refreshing to see a kids' film taking on such sinister subject matter.

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
01/01/00
Lizo Mzimba
Lizo Mzimba
Empire Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The basic idea which drives this jolly film, along with Lipnicki's charm, is sometimes almost enough.

Full Review Source: BBC | comment Comment
01/01/00
Michael Thomson
Michael Thomson
BBC
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

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.

Full Review Source: Chicago Reader | comment Comment
10/21/09
Lisa Alspector
Lisa Alspector
Chicago Reader

The Little Vampire is hardly a children's classic, and it will doubtlessly be more at home after it hits the video shelves.

Full Review Source: One Guy's Opinion | comment Comment
07/24/06
Frank Swietek
Frank Swietek
One Guy's Opinion

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.

Full Review Source: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette | comment Comment
01/27/05
Philip Martin
Philip Martin
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Lipnicki has learned how to make cute faces, but his delivery is formulaic and without emotion.

Full Review Source: Film Quips Online | comment Comment
02/08/03
John R. McEwen
John R. McEwen
Film Quips Online

A sprightly romp, funny, full of life lessons, and scary.

Full Review Source: Boston Phoenix | comment Comment
03/24/02
Tom Meek
Tom Meek
Boston Phoenix

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Apollo Guide | comment Comment
07/19/01
Brian Webster
Brian Webster
Apollo Guide

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Anchorage Press | comment Comment
06/11/01
Marjorie Baumgarten
Marjorie Baumgarten
Anchorage Press

The characters are engaging and so is the story.

Full Review Source: Laramie Movie Scope | comment Comment
01/01/01
Robert Roten
Robert Roten
Laramie Movie Scope

This chomper is too kid-comedy-ish to cater to adults and a tad too scary for the little ones.

Full Review Source: E! Online | comment Comment
01/01/00
E! Online

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.

Full Review Source: Kansas City Star | comment Comment
01/01/00
Brian McTavish
Brian McTavish
Kansas City Star

A fun and warm children's fantasy.

Full Review Source: Houston Chronicle | comment Comment
01/01/00
Bruce Westbrook
Bruce Westbrook
Houston Chronicle

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.

comment Comment
01/01/00
Chris Hewitt (St. Paul)
Chris Hewitt (St. Paul)
St. Paul Pioneer Press

Successfully subverts traditional representations of the undead.

Full Review Source: Boxoffice Magazine | comment Comment
01/01/00
Chris Wiegand
Chris Wiegand
Boxoffice Magazine

Not a bad kiddie movie.

Full Review Source: IFilm | comment Comment
01/01/00
Dave White
Dave White
IFilm
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
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