Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (A movie review)

Story: The secret life of one of America's well-loved president as a vampire hunter. Based on the book by Seth Grahame-Smith.

Review:  I first knew about Abraham Lincoln when I was memorizing The Gettysburg Address during my elementary school days. It's hard to re-imagine Lincoln as a slayer of the undead. I admire this president because of his ideals and how he handled the American Civil War. Unlike any wars, this war is not good vs. evil. Each side is neither right nor wrong. Each side shares an ideology that contradicts the other. Abraham Lincoln is instrumental in this crisis that prevented his nation to divide. Otherwise, there will be a Confederate States of America.

My copy of the book

Seth Grahame-Smith pioneered a new fiction genre called mash-up novels. He rewrote classic literature and mix it with zombies, vampires, androids, monsters. His first mash-up novel was Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. This idea is not new to me when I read the Klingon Hamlet years ago. Similar to Grahame-Smith is another author Harry Turtledove, the father of alternate history.

My review will be in the point of view of a movie patron than a book reader. I haven't read the book yet even if I already have a copy. The reason why I haven't read it before is because it might spoil me from enjoying the movie. Grahame-Smith was well researched about Lincoln that you might think he got Lincoln's diary and using it as a material add vampire involvement. 

The movie also included  historical significant people in Abe Lincoln's life such as Thomas and Nancy Lincoln, Joshua Speed and Mary Todd. Abe Lincoln is ideal as Graham-Smith's slayer of the undead because he is very tall. Since his father's an outdoors man, it is also possible that young Abe has this discipline. As for being an excellent fighter as shown in the trailers, he likes a good fist fight. According to a History Channel show "Ten Things You Don't Know About..." Abraham Lincoln, Lincoln always gets into a fist fights at a bar. A historian said that during a campaign speech, he saw one of his people outnumbered and beaten by a rival supporter. He went down the platform, threw one of the rival supporters off balance and drove them away and went back and continued with his speech.

But the fighting methods seems more like Asian martial arts. Since Timur Bekmambetov is directing, you can't help but make comparisons with his earlier work, Wanted. As for the vampires, they are just like the old-school vampirism and they don't sparkle. But unlike the stereotype vampires, they are just monsters with no other powers or charming abilities. What amazes me, that, Benjamin Walker, who plays Abraham Lincoln, was able to look like the 16th president not just because of prosthetics and trademark Lincoln beard but also with that same stern look President Lincoln has in the historical photo and painting archives.

Conclusion: It was good movie. Bekmambetov and Benjamin Walker did well for this movie and I am now looking forward reading the book. Another consolation for me here is seeing Mary Elizabeth Winstead. I really like her in Scott Pilgrim and Sky High. I never thought she could also do a more serious role besides the likes of Ramona Flowers(Scott Pilgrim). Abraham:Vampire Hunter is now showing in Philippine cinemas in 3D and 2D formats and is distributed by Twentieth Century Fox.


Trivia: Another fact you don't know about Honest Abe Lincoln. Lincoln once held views that was considered racist. Check out 10 Thing You Don't Know About Abraham Lincoln on History Channel.