Today’s Prayer Focus
MOVIE REVIEW

The Little Vampire

MPA Rating: PG-Rating (MPA) for some mild peril.
Moral Rating:
Moviemaking Quality:
Primary Audience: Kids
Genre: Family
Length:
Year of Release: 2000
USA Release:
Jonathan Lipnicki in “The Little Vampire”
Featuring Alice Krige, James Carter, Jonathan Lipnicki, Richard E. Grant, Rollo Weeks
Director Uli Edel
Producer Richard Claus
Distributor
Distributor: New Line Cinema. Trademark logo.
New Line Cinema
, division of Warner Bros. Pictures

Here’s what the distributor says about their film: It is not easy being a 9 year old in a new country. Tony has just moved with his parents, Dottie and Bob Thompson, from a big bustling city in America to a small village in a remote corner of Scotland. Every night, in his new home, Tony has nightmares about vampires, and he has no idea why. He soon becomes so absorbed by them that he starts studying every book he can find on the subject. His classmates tease him about his vampire obsession, especially the cruel local kids, Nigel and Flint, nephews of local squire, and Bob’s employer, Lord McAshton. The teacher at his new school is so shocked he tells Tony’s Mom about how worried he is; not a good start for the new kid in town. One evening, while in his room, practicing basic vampire moves, Tony gets a visit from a large bat, which transforms before his eyes into a 9 year old vampire boy, Rudolph, who happens to be extremely hungry, and convinced that Tony is one of his kind. Realizing that Tony is not a vampire, Rudolph tries to fly away again, but having no strength he just plummets straight to the ground outside Tony’s window. Rookery the vampire hunter in his vampire hunting truck is in hot pursuit, and Tony, intrigued by the real life vampire he has met, protects Rudolph and, at his request, leads him to the local farm, where Rudolph drinks the blood of a cow. What later ensues is an adventurous caper during which Tony helps Rudolph find the mysterious missing half of the amulet that can help Rudolph and his family finally realize their dream—to become human again!


Viewer CommentsSend your comments
My nine year old cousin and I went to see the Little Vampire today. As a Christian, I am skeptical and wary of such imagery, but since I know the difference between fact and fiction and the ads made the film look co much like an appealing family comedy, I decided to give the film a try. It has its good and bad points. Good points—The movie proves that the value of friendship has no bounds. It deals with the issue of prejudice and overcoming it in a way that children can understand. Bad points—Although the movie as a whole wan’t very scary, there are some parts of the movie that would be unsettling to very young children. Children also need to know the difference between fantasy and reality before taking them to see this film. It would seem terribly easy for a young child to get too caught up in the story. My advice—if the child is well-grounded not easily disturbed, this movie may open up the opportunity for some productive discussions about friendship. Otherwise, you may want to skip this one. My Ratings: [2½/3]
Jamie, age 26
Movie Critics
…scary scenes inappropriate for the intended young audiences…
Preview Family Movie and TV Review
…MESSAGE—We can find friendship in the most unusual places—and with the most unusual people…
Kids-in-Mind