The Little Vampire

A cluttered storyline and wandering direction help put a stake in the heart of this tale of a lonely boy and a family of vegetarian vampires. Tony (Lipnicki) is forced to move from sunny California to gloomy Scotland when his father gets a job building a golf course for crusty Lord Ashton (Wood). After being bullied by the local kids at school, Tony starts daydreaming about vampires to take his mind off his loneliness. As if summoned by magic, soon a young vampire named Rudolph (Weeks) appears at his window, befriending Tony and taking him on a flight through the countryside. After he introduces Rudolph to American slang and Nintendo, Tony is introduced to Rudolph's family. Rudolph's father Frederick (Grant) and mother Freda (Krige) explain to Tony that they are trying to become human once again, but need the other half of a magic amulet held by Lord Ashton to complete the spell. Meanwhile, crazed vampire hunter Rookery (Carter) stalks the family. Some scenes are visually stunning (especially those vampire cows) but the convoluted plot puts this one six feet under.