Review of Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (2012) by Rood T — 21 Apr 2013

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter superimposes the idea that Lincoln, our country's greatest President, was also a hunter of the evil dead. And not just a regular everyman that accidently came upon a nest of Vampires, a'la The Lost Boys, but a fully trained and time-tested slayer. As ridiculous as this premise sounds, it's the serious tone that's maintained throughout the film that truly makes AL:VH a fantastic movie, which is ironic as most of my fellow reviewers are using this point to bash it. But as they're mostly idiots that live in their mama's attic, who really cares what they think.

To avoid spoilers on the plot, I'll be brief. During his childhood Abe Lincoln was wronged by a vengeful Vampire, and later saved by the Hunter Henry Sturgess (played by The Devil's Double Dominic Cooper). After a botched assassination attempt on the aforementioned Vampire, he then devotes his life to killing all Vampires under the Hunter's rules, and in the process begins to see ties between the monstrous undead and the destruction caused by slavery in the South. Abraham soon focuses on cutting the chains of slavery, which are tied heavily to the Vampires lifestyle, and ends up in politics where he stops his literal killing of the Vampires to shut them down on a larger scale. But as he reaches higher power in politics, he gains notoriety and soon the Vampires come calling, wherein Honest Abe and his famed axe are waiting.

AL:VH spans a large amount of Lincoln's life, which helps the viewer relate to the existence of a legendary man who lived during a crucial time in our history. The major points of his life are intertwined with precise care to the main plotline of hunting Vampires, and never feel forced. Director Timur Bekmambetov (Wanted, the excellent Night Watch Trilogy) worked alongside AL:VH novelist Seth Grahame-Smith (Pride and Prejudice and Zombies) to craft a world where the inclusions of Vampires don't require a major suspension of belief, nor does Lincoln's retribution on them. I'm not saying there aren't some over-the-top moments nor totally unbelievable plot points, but the film doesn't feel set in an alternate dimension, and instead could possibly coincide with our own history. But it's also the mainly unknown yet talented actors who maintain that serious tone which helps the viewer immersion into the film.

Relative newcomer Benjamin Walker plays Abe from teen to old man, and keeps the connection between the Abraham Lincoln we all were taught in school, and a tactical killing machine, believable. Anthony Jackson (8 mile, Hurt Locker) plays the real life Will Johnson, who was Lincoln's personal valet and main catalyst for the President's attack on slavery. The highly under rated Rufus Sewell (A Knight's Tale, Dark City) stars as the menacing villain Adam, the head of the Vampire Clan, and it's Sewell's sophistication of the character that helps keep the dark Vampire menace believable.

It's also notably to mention the cinematography which helps to create an aura and mood throughout the film. Producer Tim Burton's influence is obvious whether the viewer is being taken down the ominous alley ways of 1800's New Orleans or thrust in the grey, smoky battlefields of Gettysburg. The tone of the film is brilliant, and though there are some extreme CGI inputs, they never break the 4th walll and let you know the images you see are simulated. Even the fight scenes, which obviously are helped with CGI, are stunning to watch and never grow tedious.

Most reviewers are bashing AL:VH because it should be more comical and cartoony due to the premise, but that's just lazy interpretation. Similar to the Zach Snyder's 300, maintaining a serious tone throughout the film allows the viewer to ignore the fantastical premise. If it was all punch lines and ridiculous imagery, it would be impossible to buy-in that one of the greatest men in history was also a Vampire Hunter. And let's be honest, wouldn't that have been awesome? I fully recommend Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter for everyone, as even my own sweet mama saw it and loved it. No matter what type of movies you prefer, I promise it's nothing like you expect.