Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter 3D
| release date | June 22 2012 |
| studio | Twentieth Century Fox |
| director | Timur Bekmambetov |
| writer | Seth Grahame-Smith |
| starring | Benjamin Walker, Anthony Mackie, Dominic Cooper, Rufus Sewell, Robin McLeavy, Robin McLeavy, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Jimmi Simpson, Alan Tudyk |
| rating | R |
| trailer 1 | Trailer #1 |
1 Comments
I can’t really say if I’m disappointed or not, because I really wasn’t sure what I wanted this film to turn into. The sets and costumes are beautiful, and the cast is pretty great. But don’t get me started on how bad some of the visual effects were, and the very odd pacing of the film. It’s a fun film, but it achieves nothing more than simple summer thrills, that will probably bore most audiences.
A tepid reimagining, ‘Abraham Lincoln’ is like the dull younger sibling to Guy Ritchie’s ‘Sherlock Holmes’ – it wished he was as cool, not realizing big brother is really an annoying jerk. Much like ‘Sherlock Holmes’, ‘Abraham Lincoln’ has decent art direction, but it’s too concerned with rushing from scene to scene to enjoy any of it. Obvious CGI and the constant switching from real time to quick time to slow-mo saps all the energy from what could be exciting action scenes.
There’s an intriguing story in there somewhere, but it needs a different format to be told effectively. Perhaps something like HBO’s ‘John Adams’ miniseries would’ve lent itself well. Incorporating specific time periods of Lincoln’s life with more actual historical detail with a fun vampire spin would’ve been way more interesting than shoehorning Lincoln’s entire life into a 100 minute movie designed to placate the shopping mall audiences of mainstream America.
I’m kind of surprised to say that I really enjoyed this. The action was very well orchestrated and came often, it definitely had the Timur Bekmambetov style. One thing I was nervous about going in was CGI vampires, but the effect never took me out of the experience. One more thing to note is that the 3D was one of the best post- conversions I have seen, there was depth and color rather than in your face coming- at- you moments and added to the experience, the final set piece on the train was breathtaking and exciting. Worth the time and money, check it out.
Comment
Honest Abe himself tells us early on in “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter” that one very significant portion of his life will not be remembered throughout American history. The premise for the film is that he lived a double life as a slayer of vamps; a side-job that started at an early age when his mother’s life was taken by one named Jack Barts. This was mere inspiration. Lincoln did not learn that you could properly dispose of vampires for good until he tried it ten years later and failed miserably; saved only by a more experienced hunter, Henry Sturges (Dominic Cooper), who later teaches Abraham the trade, so to speak. This of course means that he walks him through what effectively kills vampires, as well as the enemy’s own unique weapons of choice (which include invisibility, evaporation, and obviously the sharp teeth). Abraham goes into battle with the beasts hidden in the darkness each night wielding his trusty axe (with silver on the tip, since everyone knows silver kills vamps); living a perfectly normal life by day.
His daytime job is as a shopkeeper, working for the kindly and energetic Joshua Speed (Jimmi Simpson). In the shop is where the most life-changing moments occur. Lincoln meets the love of his life – the woman who would soon be his wife – Mary Todd (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), who is then dating the politician Stephen A. Douglas (Alan Tudyk). He also reunites with a childhood friend; a slave by the name of William Johnson (Anthony Mackie), who still cherishes the fond memories along with the harsh ones that they both endured during their separate and shared boyhoods. Lincoln must try as hard as he possibly can to juggle his personal life, his political life, and his odd job as a killer. And this is just the first part of the story. Just wait until he moves into the White House with Mary Todd. Things get real messy then.
The main villain of the story is a slave-owner/head vampire named Adam (Rufus Sewell). The slaves themselves are the only thing keeping his army of evil bloodsuckers sane for the time being. They will wage war once they run out of food resources. Lincoln makes the mistake of freeing the slaves; and so the war that never was begins. The script by Seth Grahame-Smith, who also wrote the novel of the same name, clearly has no intentions of following history very closely at all; but for a movie of this title, it actually takes itself very seriously indeed. This could have made for something silly – something satirical or flamboyantly goofy – but instead the screenplay makes an attempt to develop real characters and situations. Maybe it’s better off that way.
The film, directed by the visionary Timur Bekmambetov, is a stunning visual achievement. With Tim Burton as one of the producers, that’s what you’d most likely expect; a ravishing production filled with great shots and nice looking effects (although the vampires aren’t particularly amazing to gawk at). If that’s all you’re looking for, then “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter” is the movie for you. Its chock full of pretty things to look at and it’s got plenty of different elements to pick aside and admire; yet I can’t help but feel there’s an empty void somewhere here that hasn’t quite been filled. Yes, you get some pretty sweet and stylistic action sequences, but so what? I might care if the screenplay had been ignored a little more – or perhaps a little less mediocre – but the film makes the mistake of believing that it’s got more substance than it actually does.
If you’re a technical junkie, you’re going to want to see this no matter what. But the fact of the matter is that “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter” provides only momentarily thrilling, but ultimately forgettable pleasures. It has some good performances – although Benjamin Walker as Lincoln is somewhat questionable, more-so during the younger days of the world-renown president rather than his later years – but on a whole, I questioned its authenticity as an action flick and as entertaining historical fiction throughout. I’ve heard rumors of a 168 minute cut, and I hope that surfaces one day. The thing feels either too short or too long. Or maybe it just feels oddly uninspired for a film with such a great idea going for it. I give it credit for possessing an impressive production and cast, as well as a damn interesting premise; but I also must discredit it for failing to engage me. I don’t ask much out of these action movies, why must they be so difficult? Perhaps it’s finding the right balance between absurdity and realism; there’s a line there and if you cross it, there will be hell to pay. This movie gets off easy. Not all of them can be so lucky.