Little Vampire Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		1.0
Overall		3.5

Little Vampire Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf October 19, 2021

“Little Vampire” is inspired by a book series created by Angela Sommer-Bodenburg, who wrote about a friendship between a human boy and his monster pal. The source material is changed somewhat for the film adaptation, with director Joann Sfar aiming to transform the idea into a comedy with a slight horror approach. For the French production, Michel is an orphan looking for something more than life with his grandparents, coming into contact with the Vampire, who was once a human as well 300 years ago, now rebelling against a protective curse that’s kept him 10 years old for centuries. In the mix are the Vampire’s monster buddies, a skeleton pirate and the woman who loves him, and a villain with a head shaped like a crescent moon.

“Little Vampire” is exceedingly weird, but it’s also trying to be cute and clever, which helps to digest the strangeness of it all. Vampire and his gang pass the time watching old Hammer Films, leaving the creature bored of his existence, happy to enter the human realm and meet Michel, an orphan who craves the pirate life granted by Vampire’s guardian, the Captain of the Dead, who lives inside a protective bubble and travels via a pirate ship in the sky. Laughs aren’t plentiful in “Little Vampire,” but there’s charm in the excitable voice acting, and the design of the movie is quite delightful, with the production displaying a love for playful horror, while the script studies the power of family ties.

Little Vampire Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.84:1 aspect ratio) presentation for "Little Vampire" delivers a colorful viewing experience, with the monster realm heavy with primaries, offering deep red skin and bright green snot. Hues are also vibrant with sky tours, encountering sunsets and deep blue afternoons. Sharpness brings out animated details and artistry, and character design is open for inspection. Delineation is satisfactory. Banding is a common sight throughout the film.

Little Vampire Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 5.1 DTS-HD MA mixes are prepared for English and French languages, with the former a bit bigger and clearer, though the latter isn't problematic. Dialogue is crisply delivered, handling broad comedy and softer emotions for heartfelt conversations. Scoring supports superbly, with a clean orchestral sound that fills the soundstage as necessary. Atmospherics are distinct, exploring monster movement and ship battles, along with school and domestic movement. A dream sequence provides a jolt of panning effects. Low-end isn't too active, coming alive with booming ship cannons.

Little Vampire Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• A Trailer (1:57, HD) is included.

Little Vampire Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

More villainous interests emerge in "Little Vampire," leading the story to battle sequences and near-misses with character safety. It ends on a more epic note of warfare, but it connects the most through character appearance and heartfelt desires, with Sfar making an enjoyable family-friendly fantasy without getting too saccharine, making sure oddness is the top priority here.