Grade: B
Take everything you know about Abraham Lincoln, add vampire hunting to his resume and you have “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter.”
“Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter” is the life story of the 16th President of the United States from young boy until the fateful night of his death.
As a young boy, Lincoln (Benjamin Walker) witnesses the death of his mother by a vampire from whom the Lincoln family was once employed. From that night on, Lincoln seeks revenge against his mother’s murderer but does not have the means nor the know how to do so.
One night he meets a young stranger, Henry Sturgess (Dominic Cooper), who can help him in the fight against the vampires. Lincoln learns how to be as fast as a vampire and what can truly kill the undead.
When his life of vampire hunting becomes second to his true calling of politics, he puts aside the hunter and becomes President.
But when the Civil War begins and the South uses the vampire race, led by a vampire named Adam (Rufus Sewell), Lincoln must once again uses his mighty axe to defeat the vampires once and for all.
“Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter” is a very well-executed film. It takes the history of one of America’s most famous presidents and puts a spin on his life that is entirely believable. The way in which the true life story of Lincoln and the fictional vampire hunter story mesh together is really something special. I sat through the entire film thinking to myself I could truly believe all of this happened, which is exactly what you want from a film like this.
The film knows exactly what it is and owns it. That’s what makes “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter” successful. When you take such a ridiculous story and try to make it a very serious subject it’s just not going to work. But in this case, it’s light-hearted, fun, violent and action packed. Personally, I don’t know what more you need in a film.
Now, with that said, it isn’t an A+ plus movie by any means. The pacing is a bit slow at times and I think the inclusion of a big name star would’ve really helped the marketing for this movie. That’s not to say that Benjamin Walker did a poor job, because in fact he did a great job as Abraham Lincoln.
“Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter” is a great film if you take it simply for what it is: Abe Lincoln fighting vampires. If you take it too seriously and claim that it’s historically inaccurate, then you won’t enjoy it as much. But if you’re looking for a fun horror film, because trust me there aren’t a lot out there, definitely check this film out.
