Released by Shout! Factory/GKids • 10/5/2021
Little Vampire (written and directed by Joann Safar and based on his series of graphic novels for kids), is a wonderfully weird, beautifully animated gem of a movie that will completely surprise you.
First, it is refreshingly devoid of the “Let’s fill this animated movie with famous people to pad the weak script” schtick; second, it doesn’t dumb down uncomfortable themes that yes, even kids thing about (death, loneliness, religion, bullies, etc.); third, it is filled with actual smart humor that doesn’t rely on fart sounds to tickle the lowest common denominator funny bone (it does, however, have a poop joke that is constructed in such a way that it’s funnier than it should be and I laughed harder than I have in a very long time); and finally, it’s a movie that treats it’s target audience- young kids/teens- as if they have a brain.
Something I haven’t seen in a “Middle Grade”-centric animated film in eons.
The story itself is simple enough: Little Vampire has spent the last 300 years as a permanent ten year old, bored out of his mind (even though he lives in a haunted house with a bunch of monsters and his Devil Dog Phanomoto) and spends every waking moment dreaming of leaving the safety of his house and going to school to meet other kids.
Unfortunately Little Vampire is not allowed to leave the yard as his parents have spent centuries being chased/hiding from an old enemy, the Gibbus who just wants them all to die.
Of course, Little Vampire has no idea of just how dire the situation is and sneaks out of the house to visit the local school, befriending a young orphan boy named Michael by doing his homework and leaving notes in Michael’s notebook (similar to Tom Riddle/Harry Potter’s bromance in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets but without all the murder). And yeah, the Gibbus comes around once he knows that Little Vampire and his friend(s) are vulnerable.
The movie also contains a bunch of humans turned into bugs (who also happen to carry around a Zack Morris-size cellphone with them to report into the Gibbus), a throuple-like relationship between Little Vampire’s mom, stepdad and the figurehead on his stepdad’s ghost ship (oh, yeah, his stepdad is a slightly evil skeleton pirate), a large assortment of monsters who seem to spend most of their time watching 60s horror movies, a hell of a lot of borderline risqué humor (the movie is French so…) and the most divine animation that is a cross between Scooby-Doo and The Triplets of Belleville.
If you are a parent and might be wondering if the Little Vampire might be a bit too weird for your kiddo (it’s listed for the 9-12 age group), I highly suggest watching it before the young ‘un (trust me, you’re going to enjoy it) to get a feel for the subject matter and humor. If your kid is an animation junkie whose tastes run the gamut from bathroom humor to the highbrow (like Watership Down) then they will definitely adore Little Vampire.
This is definitely one movie to add to your collection.
* * * * *
Produced by Aton Soumache, Antoine Delesvaux,
Thierry Pasquet, Rodolphe Buet, Cedric Pilot
Screenplay by Sandrina Jardel and Joann Sfar
Based on the comic books Petit Vampire
Directed by Joann Sfar
Featuring Camille Cottin, Alex Lutz, Jean-Paul Rouve,
Louise Lacoste, Claire de la Rue du Can
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