The Little Vampire is a family comedy for every age group that is sure to make event he most stoic laugh out loud. It is based on The Little Vampire novels by Angela Sommer-Bodenburg.

Tony Thompson (Jonathan Lipnicki) has adjustment problems. Scotland could not be much more different from California. People talk funny. The school bullies are picking on him. And he has been having horrible nightmares about vampires ever since they moved into the old house.

Things turn around when a young vampire named Rudolph (Rollo Weeks) flies into his room to escape the vampire hunter, Rookery (Jim Carter). The two 9-year-olds become best friends.

The vampire clan has a magical amulet that can break the vampire curse if used during the passage of the Comet of Lost Souls, which only occurs every 300 years. The amulet was lost during the last passage of the comet. The comet returns in a few days and the amulet must be found, but the only clues to its location are the dreams and visions that plague Tony.

The vampire hunter can also use the amulet. If he gets it, he can eradicate all vampires. Tony and Rudolph must recover the amulet while avoiding the vampire hunter, overcoming the prejudices of both their families, and being on opposite sides of the clock.

The Little Vampire is a precious movie that will hold the attention of every member in the family. It offers comedy, adventure, drama, suspense and just plain mischief.

The scenery, makeup and costumes are a visual knockout! The special effects are otherworldly. You have to see the vampire cows attacking to appreciate the special effects (and the comedy). The camerawork is splendid. The enhanced color saturation of the background during the landscape scenes is awesome.

All the acting is superlative. There is no way to single out one performance, because all were of the highest caliber. Many have said that Weeks stole the show, but I believe the actual show-stealer is Anna Popplewell, who played Rudolph's sister Anna. Her cuteness combined with the comical seriousness of the character to yield a heartwarming performance that makes you want to see more -- much more -- of her in this role. This is another movie that I wish had gone to series and sequels.

The Little Vampire is perfect for a Halloween gathering of children, but it is also a great family film for any day of the year. You have to see these vampire cows to appreciate the bloodsucking fiends of the millennium.