'Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter' is a 2012 American action horror film based on the 2012 mashup novel of the same name written by Seth Grahame-Smith (who also wrote the adapted screenplay). The film is directed and co-produced by Timur Bekmambetov, along with Tim Burton. The real-life figure, Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States (1861-1865), is portrayed in the novel and film as having a secret identity as a vampire hunter. The film stars Benjamin Walker, Dominic Cooper and Anthony Mackie. I'm going to start with saying that I really enjoyed this film, the best vampire movie in years. Another important note is that I have read the book, but in this review I am not going to be constantly comparing it to the book, I am going to do a separate blog post explaining just how different the film is to the book (the good changes and the bad). This review contains mild spoilers.
So what's good about this movie I hear you ask? One thing is the acting, Benjamin Walker does a really good job as Lincoln, he even puts his own twist on the younger version of the character which works effectively. My only complaints with him are that when he portrays the older Lincoln, there are a few scenes where he just looks like he is impersonating Abraham Lincoln, rather than playing the role of him. All the other actors/actresses do a fairly decent job, no one really stands out as doing a bad job, nothing fantastic, but nothing to complain about. The effects in this film were also really good, especially on the vampires, they look a lot like they do in '30 Days of Night', but with their own twist (the darker skin and extensive of the jaw when they attack) which works really well to show them as ruthless, aggressive killers. Their eyes also look quite good, seeing this in 3D you see everything in perspective, the glow of the eyes always seem to be further forward than the rest of the body, but at the same time, they are in their right place, it's quite a cool effect. Granted there are a few moments where the quality of the effects drops (the scene with the stampede of horses), but apart from a few small moments, everything looks really good (the cinematography gives this film its own unique look which has a hint of Tim Burton's style).
The 3D in this film is one of the best I've seen, a lot of it is perspective, but their are some really good scenes where things come out the screen, like splinters of wood, embers, even the occasional ax head (and fork). Like I previously mentioned, the 3D in this film does great with the perspective, it helps show us the true scale of some of the scenes and battles. 3D has the best opportunity to show off with action films, and this one impressed me, can really find any major flaws with it.
The best part of this film has to be the action, the action sequences in this film are amazing, this is what I wanted from this movie, I've talked loads in previous posts about how the quality of vampire films have dropped in recent years and their reputation has been damaged by the likes of 'Twilight', this films gives us everything we could possibly want, axes, guns, knives, explosions. The fight sequences switch between normal time and slow motion, the slow motion scenes being really effective and the normal time scenes showing off Lincolns apparent skill with an ax. It was well thought out, and well choreographed, even if some of the sequences are impossible (the train sequence). I don't want to spoil it too much so just take my word for it, the action is worth it. The story they adapted for this film works really well on screen, incorporating all the action we
Now on to the weaker parts of this film. The first being the pacing, the first half of this film is very fast, it jumps into the story and action, and doesn't give up. Then we get half way through the film, and it slows down (showing Abe when he's older), and picks up again near the end. It pace gets slower, noticeably when Lincoln becomes President and the story goes more into politics, which also happens in the book (that's the only time I will compare it to the book in this review), but the book is more detailed, there was a lot missed out in this adaptation which many would see as important. The film probably could have benefited from being split in two, but I think they still did a good job with it.
Warning, this next paragraph contains major spoilers.
Apart from that, the only real problem is that some of the things that happen, can't happen, like the train sequence, in the real world, the train would have went straight off the rails rather than battled to continue going up. Also by the time of that train sequence, Abe is fifty years old, and somehow he still seems to be very agile with an ax, and can still fight better than most twenty year olds can, and do jumps that would be impossible for most. We do have to take into consideration that this is a fantasy movie, about vampires, but sometimes even those types of films have to stick to reality. Finally, they film could have included more of Americas history, and Abe's journey to becoming President, because in the film, it just seems to happen, the films skips about twenty years and suddenly he has been elected President. It also skips over details about the Civil War, e.g. how it started (we are left to assume that vampires started it) and who was involved (we are given a small cameo by the character of Jefferson Davis, but unless you know your history, then you'll have no idea who he is. It also skips over how the war ends, the films suggests it was all decided in one final battle.
To conclude, there is a lot wrong with this film but enough right to make it a good watch, basically, the films ridiculous, the whole concept is ridiculous, but where else can you see an American icon hacking off vampires heads with an ax? The action is amazing, if you have any doubts about going to see this movie, forget them, if you like action, then you'll love it. The acting, effects, 3D and score are all good, even the story is decent, I know I haven't mentioned much about the structure of the story, that is because I don't want to give too much away, but the story is quite good, I'll give it that much, it's a decent adaptation from the original story in the book, and the history and legacy of Abraham Lincoln himself. The best vampire film since '30 Days of Night' and far better than the previous vampire film to come out this year 'Dark Shadows' (also a Tim Burton project). The film is by no means perfect, in fact it is a long way off, but it is what is right about this film that makes it worth watching. I am going to give 'Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter' a 7.5/10.
You'll leave the cinema thinking there was a lot you didn't know about the 16th President of the United States.
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