Tony Thompson is nine years old and feels very unsettled in this strange place where he can't understand what anyone says, although they're speaking English and where he's bullied at school due to his fascination with vampires.

One day is dreams become reality when a vampire boy, of Tony's age, flies into his room and they become best friends.

The little vampire is called Rudolph (Weeks) and is on a mission to help his father (Grant) to find an ancient amulet, which will help them remove the curse of the vampires.

The only resistance they face is the evil Rookerie (played by Jim Carter) whose family has been in the business of destroying vampires for generations.

This is an exciting adventure story for kids. The story is just what every typical nine-year-olds fantasies must consist of but is not patronising - it is in fact slightly confusing even for adults!

The characters are real cartoon style goodies/baddies and of course the morality is intact: the baddies get their comeuppance and the sweet little kid who is bullied at school exacts his revenge in a humble manner.

There is also a subtle humour injected by director Uli Edel. There is a sequence where vampire cows save the day and some classic lines are uttered by the kids.

Jonathan Lipnicki, whose cute glasses and blond hair made Jerry Maguire so watcheable, is brilliant. His innocence is a delight to watch.

Overall this is a classic kid's film, which will keep their minds entertained for an hour and a half, and their imaginations entertained for weeks afterwards!

Natalie Stone