Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
Director: Timur Bekmambetov
Cast: Benjamin Walker, Dominic Cooper, Anthony Mackie
Rated: 14A
Running time: 105 minutes
When the world was first exposed to Seth Grahame-Smith's book Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, there was definite sense that we had finally evolved to that moment where the masses would "gobble up any stupid thing with monsters in it." What followed were many more copycats until Seth came into 2010 with Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, thus leaving the history books also open to such monster silliness.
And silliness ensues rapidly in this period piece in which Honest Abe fights to free the slaves from vampires. We start with a young Abe watching his mother die from a vampire and he vows to destroy the killer without really knowing what is going on. As a man, he runs into a teacher who informs him about the way of the vampire. Specifically he learns how to kill vampires in slow-motion baton moves with a silver-coated axe. Not content to be a mere slayer, Abe takes on politics to become president in a time of Civil War in which the South is using the slaves as vampire food. Yes, the South did rise again, only because they were vampires - which is pretty funny.
What is most impressive is the staggering silliness of it all and the unflinching stoicism of the actors. Even when they are skipping atop stampeding horses, there is no breaking in the grimacing, brow-furrowing, slow-motion axing.
While not a must see, this film certainly delivers what is promised in the title. Personally, I'll admit a part of me is quite eager to see the robot werewolf version of the Louis Riel story.
