Based on the Children’s book series The Little Vampire, from German writer Angela Sommer-Bodenburg, the story from the author has been adapted before, most notably in the 2000 live action kid’s film. This version is directed by Joann Sfar with about as much competence as is humanly possible, and it’s sadly hindered by the poor American dub that sadly almost seems exclusively available. I wonder if there is a version with the original voice track, but sadly the movie isn’t so good that I will necessarily go and seek it out.
The American dub really hinders any momentum the movie might have as the voice actors do their best to deliver the dialogue at a speedy pacing. The lack of dramatic pauses or beats makes it sound like an episode of “Speed Racer.” As for the movie itself, it’s a perfectly fine kid’s film that doesn’t really put too much fright in its target audience, even if the premise is insanely convoluted. There’s young Pandora who agrees to marry the pirate of death who grants her and her son immortality by turning them in to vampires. They’re hunted by the moon shaped prince who wants Pandora for his wife and seeks her out.
Three hundred years in hiding, the little vampire seeks friends after being stuck in his big mansion and meets Michael. Michael is also hastily established as being an orphan who wants friends, which makes him and Little Vampire a match made in heaven. The writing speeds through so much of what goes on and rarely ever settles down for a little while to let us settle in to this world, and it’s a shame because it is adorable at times. The animation watches like a mash up of Don Bluth and Ralph Bakshi, with some characters resembling illustrations from a book while other characters look rotoscoped.
The inconsistency shockingly adds to the charm. It’s by no means going to be considered a kid’s classic any time soon, but it’s amounts to a decent diversion for budding horror geeks.
Editor’s note: This review was written by Felix Vasquez Jr earlier this year