He paved the way for a better America, he stood for equality and justice, he had a fantastic beard... and a little known fact is that the 16th president to watch over the stars and stripes was secretly a vampire hunter. So it may not be exactly as history tells it but this version of Abraham Lincoln finds himself lusting the death of apparent vampire Jack Barts who he believes responsible for his mothers death. On carrying out his vengeful mission against the demonic creature Lincoln finds himself thoroughly outmatched and would have been the helpless prey of his nemesis without the help of the mysterious Henry Sturgess. Henry teaches young Abe all about the sinful enemies hiding in the shadows, taking Abe under his wing Henry shapes him into a weapon of mass vampire destruction with all the knowledge he possesses. Abraham Lincoln takes to his calling as vampire hunter with rage and hatred hoping to obtain the vengeance for his mothers death but soon finds himself fighting for America and freedom itself against the undead who wish to take control of her.
Benjamin Walker takes up the convictions of Abraham Lincoln with ease, though more importantly his skillful axe-work and undead hunting are played out neatly by walker who really does carry some actual talent with his portrayal of the 16th president and if they were doing something serious or historical, Walker would be a nice choice. Following en suite in talent is Dominic Cooper as Henry Sturgess the figure of mentor to Lincoln, Cooper may not have as much screen time or presence as Walker but he manages to convey what the enigmatic Sturgess has to offer in the scenes where he is present. Unlike usual a film in which Mary Elizabeth Winstead shines high in the cast ensemble the role of Mary Todd keeps her grounded and quite dull compared to her on screen husband and his mentor, though its more the role wasn't as stand out being the problem as far as her talent it's still plain to see. Rufus Sewell is the films big bad as Adam a vampire seeking the demise of America and the fall of Lincoln and Henry, though he's no stranger to villainy Sewell doesn't really bring much to the playing field and doesn't really give the impression of a super lead vampire, then again who does these days. A criminal act which can't go unnoticed is Will Johnson as Antony Mackie, a newly freed slave and long time friend of Abe's who is given little to no screen time as the film plays out, the justice is lacking as Johnson has proven himself before to be an extremely talented actor and yet here his part is relatively forgettable.
What can you really say about a film entitled Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter? You laugh, then you do a double take and you realize, yes you did just see that advertised. If the film set out to be a comedic source of entertainment with shades of emotion and groan worthy comedy I could maybe accept that. However, from the outset you can see that it actually is out for the serious audiences, those after a splicing of Gothic horror/action. Even in that case scenario you can see why studio executives would have maybe thrown a bit of cash its way to see how it turns out, but as a Serious film about a troubled Abraham Lincoln suffering bouts of vengeful nature towards vampires who then threaten freedom and America bringing about the civil war? I'd recommend picking up a cheap copy of Independence Day and watching Smith fight aliens again rather than pay to see a historic figure step into a bizarre arena where the only real loser is you for paying. The first half is passable enough to kill the time as Lincoln sets out to defeat numerous marks in his quest and while not much it does offer bouts of entertainment, however the second half divulges too much into the role of political turmoil, equality in America and the fabricated history as to what lead to the civil war... against vampires. All in all, Lincoln takes his staking duties far too seriously and despite top notch acting from its lead, it still can't help feeling like a toned up version of Twilight instead of a playful tongue in cheek biopic with elements from the likes of Fright Night or Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Even for fans of the book it falls far from the point and leaves you wondering why so much historical importance over ridiculous action? and then why am I watching this? This is most likely one to miss, unless you feel abundantly American and Patriotic to the point where you feel obligated to see it, in which case I feel for you.
3 / 10
FIN.
Benjamin Walker takes up the convictions of Abraham Lincoln with ease, though more importantly his skillful axe-work and undead hunting are played out neatly by walker who really does carry some actual talent with his portrayal of the 16th president and if they were doing something serious or historical, Walker would be a nice choice. Following en suite in talent is Dominic Cooper as Henry Sturgess the figure of mentor to Lincoln, Cooper may not have as much screen time or presence as Walker but he manages to convey what the enigmatic Sturgess has to offer in the scenes where he is present. Unlike usual a film in which Mary Elizabeth Winstead shines high in the cast ensemble the role of Mary Todd keeps her grounded and quite dull compared to her on screen husband and his mentor, though its more the role wasn't as stand out being the problem as far as her talent it's still plain to see. Rufus Sewell is the films big bad as Adam a vampire seeking the demise of America and the fall of Lincoln and Henry, though he's no stranger to villainy Sewell doesn't really bring much to the playing field and doesn't really give the impression of a super lead vampire, then again who does these days. A criminal act which can't go unnoticed is Will Johnson as Antony Mackie, a newly freed slave and long time friend of Abe's who is given little to no screen time as the film plays out, the justice is lacking as Johnson has proven himself before to be an extremely talented actor and yet here his part is relatively forgettable.
What can you really say about a film entitled Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter? You laugh, then you do a double take and you realize, yes you did just see that advertised. If the film set out to be a comedic source of entertainment with shades of emotion and groan worthy comedy I could maybe accept that. However, from the outset you can see that it actually is out for the serious audiences, those after a splicing of Gothic horror/action. Even in that case scenario you can see why studio executives would have maybe thrown a bit of cash its way to see how it turns out, but as a Serious film about a troubled Abraham Lincoln suffering bouts of vengeful nature towards vampires who then threaten freedom and America bringing about the civil war? I'd recommend picking up a cheap copy of Independence Day and watching Smith fight aliens again rather than pay to see a historic figure step into a bizarre arena where the only real loser is you for paying. The first half is passable enough to kill the time as Lincoln sets out to defeat numerous marks in his quest and while not much it does offer bouts of entertainment, however the second half divulges too much into the role of political turmoil, equality in America and the fabricated history as to what lead to the civil war... against vampires. All in all, Lincoln takes his staking duties far too seriously and despite top notch acting from its lead, it still can't help feeling like a toned up version of Twilight instead of a playful tongue in cheek biopic with elements from the likes of Fright Night or Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Even for fans of the book it falls far from the point and leaves you wondering why so much historical importance over ridiculous action? and then why am I watching this? This is most likely one to miss, unless you feel abundantly American and Patriotic to the point where you feel obligated to see it, in which case I feel for you.
3 / 10
FIN.
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