As a child I was a great fan of both the original Little Vampire book and the (badly dubbed) 1983 German television series, so I was very keen to see how this movie turned out. Sadly, this English-language version of the story has ditched the dark humour and wild fantasy of previous incarnations in favour of a more bland, Disneyesque reworking.
The charm of the original lay in the development of the relationship between the little vampire and the mortal boy. In this film, they meet and become instant best friends, and then some tedious plot involving a passing comet takes over the storyline. Likewise, Rüdiger's family (or Rudolph, in this version) would be more interesting if they didn't accept his human pal almost instantly.
So, if we ignore the fact it is a poor adaptation, how does the movie stand by itself? It is fairly good fun, but its linear plot, simplistic characters and acting from little Jonathan Lipnicki make it unsuitable fodder for adults. Kids will probably enjoy it, but it won't become an obsession.
That said, much respect to the herd of flying vampire cows.
The charm of the original lay in the development of the relationship between the little vampire and the mortal boy. In this film, they meet and become instant best friends, and then some tedious plot involving a passing comet takes over the storyline. Likewise, Rüdiger's family (or Rudolph, in this version) would be more interesting if they didn't accept his human pal almost instantly.
So, if we ignore the fact it is a poor adaptation, how does the movie stand by itself? It is fairly good fun, but its linear plot, simplistic characters and acting from little Jonathan Lipnicki make it unsuitable fodder for adults. Kids will probably enjoy it, but it won't become an obsession.
That said, much respect to the herd of flying vampire cows.