I saw a trailer for this family horror fantasy adventure and thought it looked like a fun film to try, so I did. Basically little Tony Thompson (Jonathan Lipnicki) is having constant nightmares about vampires, and he is also wanting to find a friend, and what he gets is a real young vampire Rudolph Sackville-Bagg (introducing Rollo Weeks). The two of them are inseparable, but their fun isn't going to last because his family: father Frederick (Richard E. Grant),mother Freda (Star Trek: First Contact's Alice Krige),sister Anna (Anna Popplewell) and brother Gregory (Dean Cook) are needing to find a magical stone to free them the curse of being a vampire, and drinking cow's blood. They need to find it fast, because on the lookout for their kind and the stone is vampire hunter Rookery (Jim Carter). Of course it comes to the night of the Attamon comet crossing the moon, and after a few distractions the vampires are freed of their curse, and the film ends with Tony being able to be human friends with Rudolph and family. Also starring Pamela Gidley as Dottie Thompson, Tommy Hinkley as Bob Thompson and John Wood as Lord McAshton. This is a film that will appeal both to the younger and older generations, filled with some good giggly moments, it a fun family film. Worth watching!

If you take this film as a family comedy, it is exeptable and works, a little. But if you take this film as a strict vampire film you may be dissapointed. The plot takes a kid and his family from San Diego to Scotland and the kid (played by Jonathan Lipnicki) starts to dream of vampires. Then, he meets them and befriends one of them and gets mixed up to get them turned into humans and to evade the evil vampire killer Rookery (Jim Carter).

Kids will find this film funny, adults might even have a very slight liking to it, and I didn't hate it. But I did have 2 problems with it as a vampire film in general- 1, why would anyone think that Scotland looks like this. After seeing Trainspotting, you get a feeling of Scotland actually being the lowest of the low and that two boys in the film (Ed Stoppard and Jake D'Arcy) could concievably become Renton and Begbie over time. And 2, why would so much hate be put on a vampire killer. Sure in the film the vampires are targeted by him and the targeter is the villain like "Snow Day", but remember, one films Jim Carter is another films Sir Anthony Hopkins (Bram Stoker's Dracula) or James Woods (Vampires). Overall, it's OK. B-

I was surprised at how much I liked The Little Vampire. It isn't exceptional, but in no way is it terrible. Some of the special effects are a little ropey, while I liked the story in general there may be those who may find the idea of having an American hero in a film set in Scotland a little contrived and I think it could have been a tad longer. That said, the costumes are very nice and the scenery is a delight, as is the cinematography. People may find it rather bleak, but I liked the bleakness, I think it suited the film very well. The film is well directed and written, with some witty lines and a very amusing running gag about... wait for it... vampire cows. The acting is also surprisingly good. Jonathan Lipnicki is really cute, Rollo Weeks is charming and bright, Richard E. Grant and Alice Krige are campy delights as the parents while Jim Carter is suitably unhinged as the slayer. Another thing, The Little Vampire is a rare film that doesn't patronise its audience. Overall, very enjoyable, while not being the best movie I have ever seen. 7/10 Bethany Cox