The new mashup film Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter “has visual style to spare, but its overly serious tone doesn't jibe with its decidedly silly central premise, leaving filmgoers with an unfulfilling blend of clashing ingredients” (RottenTomatoes).
I generally try to not rely overly much on other critics when writing my reviews, yet it seems everyone, including myself, pretty much agrees on this one.
I generally try to not rely overly much on other critics when writing my reviews, yet it seems everyone, including myself, pretty much agrees on this one.
The film is certainly more action movie than horror movie and ALVH gives us a number of thrilling action scenes as good ol’ Honest Abe takes on the blood-sucking vamps. This shouldn’t come as shock, as the director is Timur Bekmambatov (Wanted), who knows how to film exciting fight sequences.
The actors brought in for ALVH serve both the action and the dramatic moments well. Benjamin Walker (Flags of Our Fathers), as Abraham Lincoln, is not the most charismatic individual, but does an acceptable job as our top-hatted president. (At times he also really looks like Liam Neeson, which is somewhat ironic since Neeson was the fan favorite to be Lincoln before Daniel Day-Lewis was cast in Steven Spielberg’s upcoming historical biopic epic.) Dominic Cooper, Anthony Mackie, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Rufus Sewell, and Jimmi Simpson each also do well.
With decent action and serviceable actors, it is really the film’s tone which bumps it off-track. ALVH takes itself much too seriously for a film that’s essentially using its title as a gimmick to generate interest. If the filmmakers want their audience to suspend rational belief long enough to not only accept that our 16th president killed vampires, but also did it while running on the backs of horses during a stampede, or could chop down a tree with a single blow, then they should realize everything they’ve put on screen is ridiculous and treat the material more appropriately. If the characters had more fun, audiences would too.
The actors brought in for ALVH serve both the action and the dramatic moments well. Benjamin Walker (Flags of Our Fathers), as Abraham Lincoln, is not the most charismatic individual, but does an acceptable job as our top-hatted president. (At times he also really looks like Liam Neeson, which is somewhat ironic since Neeson was the fan favorite to be Lincoln before Daniel Day-Lewis was cast in Steven Spielberg’s upcoming historical biopic epic.) Dominic Cooper, Anthony Mackie, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Rufus Sewell, and Jimmi Simpson each also do well.
With decent action and serviceable actors, it is really the film’s tone which bumps it off-track. ALVH takes itself much too seriously for a film that’s essentially using its title as a gimmick to generate interest. If the filmmakers want their audience to suspend rational belief long enough to not only accept that our 16th president killed vampires, but also did it while running on the backs of horses during a stampede, or could chop down a tree with a single blow, then they should realize everything they’ve put on screen is ridiculous and treat the material more appropriately. If the characters had more fun, audiences would too.
ALVH also deviates from the book at times when I thought the original work was superior, particularly the very beginning, the very end, and the book’s interpretation of slavery. Also, many characters who were interesting in the book are omitted in the film, including Ann Rutledge, Edgar Allen Poe, and John Wilkes Booth. The film also keeps it focus solely on the vampire part of the story and fails to develop the pressures Lincoln faced in running a country at war with itself. The book finds a clearer balance between Lincoln as hunter and Lincoln as politician.
A better ALVH film would have mirrored that balance. Yet as it stands, “The historical epic and the monster movie run on parallel tracks, occasionally colliding but never forming a coherent whole” (Richard Corliss).
These shortcomings are surprising, since Seth Grahame-Smith, the author of the ALVH book and other mashup bestsellers Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and Unholy Night, also wrote the screenplay. Why he so radically altered his own material is baffling, although the added climax (not in the book) on a fiery train ride was certainly exciting.
Overall, ALVH is not quite as fun as the title sounds, making itself much more grim than it needed to be. That being said, the film still offers you the opportunity to watch one of our nation’s greatest presidents become even more bad-ass, as he stabs, shoots, kicks, and decapitates vampire after vampire. So that’s still kinda cool, even if it doesn’t make for the best movie.
The Final Word: Wait to rent it.
A better ALVH film would have mirrored that balance. Yet as it stands, “The historical epic and the monster movie run on parallel tracks, occasionally colliding but never forming a coherent whole” (Richard Corliss).
These shortcomings are surprising, since Seth Grahame-Smith, the author of the ALVH book and other mashup bestsellers Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and Unholy Night, also wrote the screenplay. Why he so radically altered his own material is baffling, although the added climax (not in the book) on a fiery train ride was certainly exciting.
Overall, ALVH is not quite as fun as the title sounds, making itself much more grim than it needed to be. That being said, the film still offers you the opportunity to watch one of our nation’s greatest presidents become even more bad-ass, as he stabs, shoots, kicks, and decapitates vampire after vampire. So that’s still kinda cool, even if it doesn’t make for the best movie.
The Final Word: Wait to rent it.
This one could have definitely been a lot more ridiculous and insane, like the premise seemed like it promised, but I still had fun with it. Surprised this actually did well at all at the box office. Totally thought that people weren't all that interested in the idea of Honest Abe, hacking up vamps. Good review Ethan.
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