THE LITTLE VAMPIRE, a German-Dutch British-American co-production, is based on novels by German author Angela Sommer-Bodenberg, and I suppose they`re vaguely in the Harry Potter vein of a little kid caught up in supernatural events.
Young Tony arrives in Scotland from America, with his parents. Dad is designing a golf course for a stately home, and Tony is sent to the local school where he`s teased and bullied. One night, a young vampire, Rudolph, flies into his bedroom - instead of being scared, it`s the start of a beautiful friendship.
Watching THE LITTLE VAMPIRE I thought how much times have changed; this seems like pretty scary stuff for the 8-10 year-olds, at which it seems to be aimed, but I guess kids take vampires in their stride these days. There are a few amusing ideas here; this kindly vampire family, headed by the imposing Richard E. Grant, don`t want to vampirise humans so they suck the blood from cows instead; and Tony becomes the hero who helps his new friends escape the clutches of the vampire killer, Jim Carter. The special effects are basic, and the allusions to other films range from ET to TO HAVE AND HAVE NOT (a little girl vampire coaches Tony in the art of whistling). For adults, there are a few mild laughs, but parents with sensitive littlies should be wary.
