Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
The film doesn’t quite deliver a fully-formed combination of history and supernatural horror, but for anyone who can accept the experience on its own terms, there are plenty of entertaining moments.
For moviegoers who are still unfamiliar with writer ( now screenwriter ) Seth Grahame - Smith , the musical theme of an undead - slaying Honest Abe might seem especially ridiculous - but that ’s only becauseAbraham Lincoln : Vampire Hunterbeat Grahame - Smith ’s other well know horror mashup novel , Pride and Prejudice and Zombies , to the vainglorious CRT screen . WhilePride and Prejudice and Zombiescontinues to languish in preproduction hell , manager Timur Bekmambetov ( Wanted ) get by to bringAbraham Lincoln : Vampire Hunterto realization , barely two days after the source material leger was first publish ( in March 2010 ) .
However , despite an intriguing ( and purposefully absurd ) premise , moviegoers have a plethora of vampire pic to opt from , these days . Do Grahame - Smith and Bekmambetov bring off to deliver a film adaptation that successfully juggles the campy setup and over - the - top activeness with intriguing alt - history tie beam - indium and enjoyable fictitious character / Presidential drama ?
Fortunately , the resolution is yes , arrogate that moviegoer can freeze enough disbelief and lock into Grahame - Smith ’s eccentric retelling of Abraham Lincoln ’s secret monster - slaying nightlife . Certainly , anyone expecting a aboveboard and base take on the life of Honest Abe should pass on the movie ( and look to Steven Spielberg’sLincolnstarring Daniel Day - Lewis ) , asVampire Hunteris full of one - government note grapheme , sometimes laughable attempts at tying the supernatural plot to veridical life events , and several over - the - top set pieces . That said , the mashup film is exactly what viewers should have have a bun in the oven from a Bekmambetov celluloid about an axe - maintain President who fights to free America from slavery and undead leech , likewise .
For anyone unfamiliar with the alternative historic account depicted inAbraham Lincoln : Vampire Hunter , the film ( and source material novel ) are center around Abe ’s secret diary , which includes the account of both his political - as well as supernatural - encounters , start up with the end of his mother at the hands of Jack Barts ( Marton Csokas ) , a local man of affairs / lamia . After years of patiently waiting , Lincoln ( Benjamin Walker ) sets out to avenge his female parent and encounters Henry Sturgess ( Dominic Cooper ) - who educate Abe in the art of vampire search and imposingly choreographed axe wielding . Despite Henry ’s instruction to fend off making supporter or part a class , Lincoln befriends a local shopkeep , Joshua Speed ( Jimmi Simpson ) , court Mary Todd ( Mary Elizabeth Winstead ) , and reconnects with childhood friend / innocent African - American , William Johnson ( Anthony Mackie ) . Though , when vampire honcho Adam ( Rufus Sewell ) forms an confederation with confederate separatist , Lincoln ’s loved ones ( as well as the country itself ) are threatened - forcing the 16th President to take action in and outside of the political arena .
As mentioned , the canonic plot of ground ofAbraham Lincoln : Vampire Huntercan be passably convoluted - peculiarly in its attempts to tie historic events and tangible - liveliness personalities with supernatural element . At time , chronicle and fable are sew together in a elbow room that makes both sides of the mashup more interesting , such as Lincoln ’s time spent running a general store and a lighter trip to New Orleans ; unfortunately , other moments are too on - the - nose - swear on thin ( and overly convenient ) supernatural explanations for real events .
likewise , character are exceptionally one - dimensional - which is , by far , the biggest lack opportunity in the total pic ( considering the story utilizes a number of diachronic figures within a supernatural cabal plot ) . While audiences may be surprised to find that one of history ’s most iconic leaders ( who , in this case , also materialize to fight down vampires at night ) is n’t all that interesting , it ’s scarcely the error of actor Benjamin Walker - who manages to keep what could have otherwise been a goofy portraying of the 16th President ( both sure-enough and young ) ground and believable during even the most unconscionable fiend murder escapade . Both Mary Elizabeth Winstead ’s Mary Todd and Anthony Mackie ’s William Johnson are evenly competent but underutilized - mostly respond to increasingly mad revelation without way to actually flesh out their characters as anything more than Lincoln ’s jazz ones . However , the biggest part dud is the flat - out boring implementation of the primary vampires - the aforementioned Adam , and his lady Vadoma ( Erin Wasson ) , who are nothing more than soulless faces in a convoluted endeavour by Grahame - Smith to marry a lamia rebellion with anti - abolitionist confederates .
In spite of its shortcomings , the core premise seldom fails to flirt with ( even if there are a routine of middle roll - desirable import ) , since the lamia hunting elements successfully up - the - ante with each encounter . Early on , Lincoln forgoes his mentor ’s favourite way of dispatch vampire , i.e. facile bullets - in party favour of some glib axe work . While some audience members may find the axe versus vampire figure sequence to be a little too flashy ( and toilsome to come after ) , Bekmambetov utilizes some effective irksome motion camerawork to showcase Lincoln ’s stylish and athletic slaying techniques . In a writing style that is overwrought with gun fight and throwing knife , Abraham Lincoln : Vampire Hunterthankfully exhibit a number of entertaining near quarters combat sequences that , despite our obvious veridical - world knowledge of Lincoln , make it promiscuous to believe that the President could go toe - to - toe with likewise gifted monster slayers like Blade and Van Helsing .
Despite some in high spirits - octane natural action moments in the photographic film ’s trailer , Vampire Hunteris in reality middling intimate - as most of the epic moments are still pretty confined ( narratively speaking ) . Few of the set piece are given much clip to build tension and many of the encounters offer little more than flashy hack and slash choreography . This is n’t to say thatAbraham Lincoln : Vampire Huntercan’t deliver on excitement - since a phone number of the lamia deal - to - Honest Axe combats do good from Bekmambetov ’s hallmark fast and angered action beats .
to boot , while many theaters will be pushingAbraham Abraham Lincoln : Vampire Hunterin 3D , the picture show would be just as gratifying without the exchange premium upgrade . There are a few moment where the slow - movement axe combat await especially glib ( as vampire line spews into the air ) and several larger shots ( such as a trip-up on the Mississippi river as well as Civil War battlefields ) are definitely enhanced by the added dimension ; but only those few moments are must see in 3D. As a resultant , the 3D up charge is n’t a thriftlessness , but it ’s hardly required see .
Benjamin Walker as Honest (Vampire Hunter) Abe
moviegoer expecting a gritty " Lincoln kills vampires " part drama will likely be disappointed byAbraham Lincoln : Vampire Hunter ; although , as a tongue - in - brass action mashup , Grahame - Smith and Bekmambetov have , for the most part , rescue an entertaining ( albeit campy ) historic retelling . The pic does n’t quite deliver a fully - work combining of history and supernatural horror ( if that ’s even possible ) , but for anyone who can accept the experience on its own terms , there are raft of entertaining moment of lamia hunting to keep your appetite forblooda fun time at the theater sated .
If you ’ve seen the motion-picture show and desire to discuss detail about the moving picture without worrying about spoiling it for those who have n’t seen it , please lead over to ourAbraham Lincoln : Vampire HunterSpoilers Discussion .
For an in - depth discourse of the film by the Screen Rant team check out ourAbraham Lincoln : Vampire Hunterepisode of the SR Underground podcast .
Rufus Sewell, Benjamin Walker, and Erin Wasson in ‘Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter’
If you ’re still on the fence aboutAbraham Lincoln : Vampire Hunter , check out the trailer below :
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Abraham Lincoln : Vampire Hunteris Rated R for violence throughout and brief sexuality . Now playing in theaters .
Abraham Lincoln , the sixteenth president of the United States , is reimagined with a cloak-and-dagger identity as a lamia hunting watch , dedicate to wiping out a unavowed society of vampiric slave owners .
