After losing his mother and father during his youth, Abraham Lincoln (Benjamin Walker) is out to exact revenge on the man responsible. However, during his travels he finds himself among vampires who are preparing to take over the country. With this knowledge the man formerly known as Honest Abe will become Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter as he sets out to save the country he so dearly loves. With the help of his friend Will Johnson (Anthony Mackie), his mentor Henry Sturges (Dominic Cooper), and his beloved Mary Todd (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), Lincoln aims to free the United States of both racism and vampires.
It’s clear just from the title of the film that the premise of Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter is absurd. Writer Seth Grahame-Smith has taken one of the most well-known and highly-regarded individuals in American history and turned him into something angry and fantastical. I’m not saying that the film is entirely disrespectful to American history, but the reality is that Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter is likely to ruffle some feathers as the sixteenth president of the United States somehow becomes the center of a fantasy about blood-thirsty monsters. Take the content of the film with a grain of salt and understand that, unlike many around the country, Grahame-Smith and director Timur Bekmambetov aren’t trying to erase history, but rather twist it into something entertaining.
Entertaining it is, as those who are able to deal with the absurdities of the film get a few good laughs from Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. Seeing the man who fought to free the slaves, the man who led a nation through a civil war fighting vampires is just ridiculous and laughable. I genuinely believe that the comedic aspect of the film is unintentional, and that almost makes it funnier...because someone believed that this idea was truly endearing. The entire concept of the film is beyond absurd, and I honestly wish to have been a fly on the wall when this film was being promoted to the executives at 20th Century Fox.
Beyond how ridiculous the entirety of Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter is, the computer generated images (CGI), set development, and choreography are wonderful. With the exception of the blood-sucking vampires it feels as if viewers are accurately transported back to 1800’s America. The sophisticated sets look genuine and nearly flawless as they accurately represent the time period in which the film is meant to exist. Beautiful landscapes, pre-electricity homes, and 1800’s clothing and attire fill the screen from the very first scene. It’s almost mind-boggling how a film with such an asinine premise can be so visually captivating, but the reality is that the team behind Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter pulled it off. Through a combination of physical sets and animation, the backdrop of the vampire-hunting president is brought to life.
We’ve all heard of Tim Burton (and if you haven’t...where have you been?). He is one of the many producers who take part in bringing this production to life, and his influence is present throughout the course of Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. The film is gorey and full of juxtapositioned darkness and ironically bright colors. While his films haven’t always resonated with me, I believe that he may be the primary source of success for Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter.
Furthermore, the choreography is exceptional. The steps taken to ensure that the action sequences occur flawlessly are tremendous. With fully-animated scenes developed prior to filming to help the actors succeed in this regard, and both Walker and Cooper training tirelessly to afford themselves the ability to perform their own stunts, nearly every scene portraying action and excitement playso out beautifully. Dedication like this helps Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter find some success and is a testament to how forcefully the cast and crew believed in this project.
For a film about vampire hunting Abe Lincoln, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter is far better than I had expected. I can’t say it enough: the premise is absurd, and I don’t blame anyone for avoiding the film simply as a result of the title. The story itself is truly wonky and unnecessary, but there are some lovely aspects of the film as well. Nearly everything regarding the visuals of the film are done incredibly well. Aesthetically Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter compares to some of the great films in recent memory, and this is why the film has found success. From the standpoint of a cinephile, to someone who can look past the ridiculousness, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter has a lot of appeal.
Directed by Timur Bekmambetov.
Written by Seth Grahame-Smith.
Starring Benjamin Walker, Dominic Cooper, Anthony Mackie, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Rufus Sewell, Marton Csokas, Jimmi Simpson, Joseph Mawle, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐½/10
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