Common Sense Media Review
Dark movie may frighten some kids.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 8+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
The Little Vampire
What's the Story?
Unhappy about moving from San Diego to Scotland so his father can build a golf course for Lord McAshton (John Wood), young Tony (Jonathan Lipnicki) begins having creepy dreams about vampires – but no one believes him when he says that they are real. One night, Randolph the vampire flies into Tony's room and tells Tony that the vampires want to be human again, but first they must escape the vampire killer who is after them and find a missing amulet before a comet arrives. Tony helps Rudolph find cows so he can suck their blood, and it turns out that a vampire is a handy friend when it comes to dealing with school bullies. The pair is in for some frightfully wild adventures, but everything ends on a positive note.
Is It Any Good?
On one hand, this is an imaginative and exciting story, based on a popular series of children's books. On the other hand, the subject matter is vampires who suck blood out of cows. So parents should be very cautious about watching this movie with younger kids. The production design is outstanding, and Richard E. Grant and Alice Krige as Rudolph's vampire parents are first rate.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about what we do when we get scared. Tony pretends to be a vampire, which is one way to be less scared by them. And once he sees that Rudolph needs his help, he is not afraid anymore. Talk to kids about the bullies at school, and any experiences they may have had with bullies. Do they think that Tony becomes a bully in the movie?
Movie Details
- In theaters : October 27, 2000
- On DVD or streaming : March 6, 2001
- Cast : Jim Carter , Jonathan Lipnicki , Richard E. Grant
- Director : Ulrich Edel
- Studio : Warner Bros.
- Genre : Fantasy
- Topics : Friendship , Fantasy
- Run time : 95 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : some mild peril.
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate