Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter Review

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter Review

I'll admit I had to perform a quick double-take when I saw the title of 2012's most historically innacurate movie. It's almost as though the movie executives picked names and subject matters out of a hat. Name: Abraham Lincoln. Subject matter: vampires.

The result? Wanted director Timur Bekmambetov's take on 2010's bizarre novel of the same name, adapting it into a film which gives us exactly what it says on the tin: Abraham Lincoln hunting vampires. The result is rather touch and go - there are moments where the film shows us its true potential, however the rest of the 105 minute running time is confused about its own ambitions.

It walks a very fine line between horror, spoof and action movie, then occasionally slips off said line altogether to fall flat on its face. The film refuses to let us have the fun that we seek, considering the subject matter, and other times where it risks becoming enjoyable escapism, it slams us right back down to a slower pace.

It's an interesting enough story, however, and one which could have been done justice had it been handled in an ironic, comedic manner (ala Shaun of the Dead).

"History prefers legends to men," quips the opening line of Lincoln's own narration to his twisted biopic. "However history remembers me before I was a president, it shall only remember a fraction of the truth." So there's our premise, and the movie sets off unapologetically rewriting American history.

"I assume you know what I can do with this."

When his mother is killed at the hands of a vampire, young Abraham Lincoln (Benjamin Walker) vows to take revenge on the bloodthirsty beasts and destroy their kind. Luckily, he has seasoned vampire hunter Henry Sturges (Dominic Cooper) to advise him in the gruesome ways of disposing of the undead. Before long, he’s swinging his silver-coated axe and beheading his prey like a pro, but Abraham soon finds himself drawn to the world of politics in search of a more permanent solution.

Unfortunately this is where the movie becomes confused. The first 60 minutes or so are exciting, fresh and quirky, with the film showing off the talents of the cast and even giving us a host of scary vampires to look at as they are gruesomely dismembered. However, as soon as Abraham hangs up his axe to become middle-aged, bearded and President of the United States, the ride slows down and we're left with a movie that doesn't want to be an action horror anymore, but it doesn't want to be a political biopic either. It just plods along with key points of the American Civil War laid out for us and occasional flashes of what the vampires are up to. "Can we go back to axe-swinging, vampire slaying fun now?" asks the audience. "No," says the film.

Just when boredom has nearly settled in completely, the film throws us a bone with an absolutely stunning climactic finale. The desperate battle between Abraham and the vampires aboard a speeding train is the only reason I would go and see this film again, and it saves what would have been a  disappointing movie.

Vampire Hunter really impresses with its gothic, dark atmosphere. There are some truly scary, frightening moments with regards to the vampires, and the visual effects really give us a satisfying idea of what it means to behold a truly terrifying vampire. I feel that this is something that has been tarnished in recent years, what with certain sparkly, monotonous and overly sensitive vampires taking over the image.

"I shall kill them all."

Relatively unknown actor Benjamin Walker gives a very commendable performance as the titular President, managing to balance both the emotional weight behind his mother's death and a fierce determination to avenge it. There is a touching moment (left) where an aged Abraham picks up his axe once again and fails to weild it with the skill and enthusiasm he did in his youth. It is moments like these where Walker excels, and Vampire Hunter is the movie which will act as a springboard for his jump into bigger and better things.


A nod must also be given to the make-up team, as the older portrayal of Abraham is almost identical to the portraits and pictures of America's 16th President.
 

Summary

Yet another one of Hollywood's near-wasted opportunities, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter is a pendulum of a movie that swings from genre to genre in a vague attempt to find its identity. Director Bekmambetov has a distinct talent for pulling off the visually impressive escalated action scenes, however they are far too few. The film refuses to have any fun, which is a real shame because the subject matter is one which could have provided a hugely enjoyable experience. On the plus side, the superb acting talent, the (admittedly rare) breathtaking action sequences and the genuinely scary vampires save Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter from turning into a completely bloodless bore.

5/10

Now, if anyone from 20th Century Fox is reading this, I'd be more than happy to pen the sequel for you - Barack Obama: Alien Assassin! That's a no-brainer, surely.

By Dean Johnstone

Twitter: @DJJohnstone
Email: dean.james.johnstone@hotmail.com