At the Theater- Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter - You walk into something like this looking for a guilty pleasure, but this Historical Drama (!) /Action/Vampire movie mostly sucks. The hyper-stylized action sequences are more gawdy and outlandish than cool, the effects work ranges from shoddy to serviceable and the script is full of those little groan-inducing moments that border on bad taste- it's all rather painfully derivative and way too self-serious to get any enjoyment out of. It's hindered by the confines of trying to interweave itself with historical events and real-life characters and just isn't smart, crafty or cool enough to pull it off- something the Blade (at least the first two) and Underworld films have never had to worry about; Blade is a Vampire/Human hybrid and Selene is a "Death Dealer" Vampire- their respective powers and capabilities are explained, established and understood, while Lincoln's ability (as a mere human) to withstand being pulverized by a projectile horse (!) should just be accepted... it's laughably ridiculous, just like most of the movie.
Benjamin Walker, the star of the film who portrays the titular character, tries really hard- he looks like a young Liam Neeson and has some raw talent to build upon. I have a feeling we'll be seeing more of him- hopefully in better quality films. Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Mary Todd Lincoln, here), Dominic Cooper (Lincoln's Vampire Killer mentor and trainer who's harboring a secret), Rufus Sewell (who always portrays a solid villain) and Anthonie Mackie (The Hurt Locker) all also put in better work than the film deserves. Martin Csokas (The Debt) has the best line in the flick- while sniffing the air, his vampire character mutters, "Abraham Fuckin' Lincoln!"
I really hated Director Timur Bekmambetov's Wanted and feel this is only a baby step in the right direction- this film really should have gone straight to video. Check it out as a rental only if you absolutely have to have your Vampire fix...
4.5 out of 10.
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