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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.

Rated: PG [See Full Rating] some mild peril

Runtime: 1 hr 34 mins

Genre: Comedies

Theatrical Release:Oct 27, 2000 Wide

Box Office: $13,432,508

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]

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Release:

Mar 6, 2001

No Details Exist
 
 

Reviews for The Little Vampire

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21 - 40 (sorted by date)
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There's a fair amount of material in The Little Vampire that younger kids might find quite disturbing.

comment Comment
01/01/00
Desmond Ryan
Desmond Ryan
Philadelphia Inquirer

It offers imagination and humor and a touch of goose bumps.

Full Review Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution | comment Comment
01/01/00
Eleanor Ringel Gillespie
Eleanor Ringel Gillespie
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

A surprisingly enjoyable film that its young target audience will love, while their parents will find it quite tolerable indeed.

Full Review Source: EricDSnider.com | comment Comment
01/01/00
Eric D. Snider
Eric D. Snider
EricDSnider.com

Karey Kirkpatrick and Larry Wilson's script is very saccharine, meanders all over the place, has barely realized characters, and is boring in parts.

Full Review Source: Greenwich Village Gazette | comment Comment
01/01/00
Eric Lurio
Eric Lurio
Greenwich Village Gazette

Nigel Clarke and Michael Csányi-Wills' turgid score complements Edel's squatty direction, and Lipnicki overwhelms the other cast members with his nauseating cutesiness.

Full Review Source: Film Journal International | comment Comment
01/01/00
Eric Monder
Eric Monder
Film Journal International

For adults, the film will drag in spots, but it's filled with all those values you hope to instill in your children.

comment Comment
01/01/00
Ernest Hardy
Ernest Hardy
Film.com
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Some things just don't translate ... not with Lipnicki attached, at any rate. Stick with the books.

comment Comment
01/01/00
Gemma Files
Gemma Files
Film.com
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The monsters in The Little Vampire are considerably toned down from the frightening undead of the Dracula myth. Now they're just the thing to entertain grade-school trick-or-treaters.

Full Review Source: Rochester Democrat and Chronicle | comment Comment
01/01/00
Jack Garner
Jack Garner
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

Bram Stoker, F.W. Muranu, and Bela Lugosi would turn over in their graves if they found out.

Full Review Source: ReelViews | comment Comment
01/01/00
James Berardinelli
James Berardinelli
ReelViews
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

One minute, the acting is terrific, the next minute, you’re wondering if this is the players' first film.

Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | comment Comment
01/01/00
James Brundage
James Brundage
Filmcritic.com

The film reminds us that Harry Potter isn't the whole story in children's literature, reversing the usual vampire movie cliches and advancing a few morals about tolerating differences.

comment Comment
01/01/00
Jay Carr
Jay Carr
Boston Globe
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Many kids will like this film, but that is really not all that surprising. I myself liked Gilligan’s Island many years ago.

Full Review Source: Norman Transcript | comment 1 Comment
01/01/00
Jim Chastain
Jim Chastain
Norman Transcript

The film is cute and entertaining enough for both kids and their parents or adult chaperones, but will probably leave most viewers' memories faster than blood from one's neck at a vampire convention.

Full Review Source: Screen It! | comment Comment
01/01/00
Jim Judy
Jim Judy
Screen It!

Cute and precocious in those little round specs, [Lipnicki] also grows grating, especially after 94 minutes of delivering the kind of jokes usually found on the bottom of a Dixie Cup.

comment Comment
01/01/00
John Monaghan
John Monaghan
Detroit Free Press

A truly awful film that will frighten little children and drive parents mad with boredom.

Full Review Source: Planet Sick-Boy | comment Comment
01/01/00
Jon Popick
Jon Popick
Planet Sick-Boy

Watchable family films are so rare these days that we shouldn't put a stake through one with so much heart.

comment Comment
01/01/00
Lawrence Toppman
Lawrence Toppman
Charlotte Observer

Not often does a family film come along that is literate, clever, mischievous and just plain fun.

Full Review Source: New York Times | comment Comment
01/01/00
Lawrence Van Gelder
Lawrence Van Gelder
New York Times

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

A guaranteed crowd-pleaser for the whole family.

Full Review Source: New York Post | comment Comment
01/01/00
Lou Lumenick
Lou Lumenick
New York Post
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

It's a great little Halloween primer.

Full Review Source: Jam! Movies | comment Comment
01/01/00
Louis B. Hobson
Louis B. Hobson
Jam! Movies
 
 
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