Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter A Review

Being a reader of Author Seth Graehame-Smith's mashup novel (of the same name), I was very surprised when the film adaptation was announced and that Tim Burton would be producing and Timur Bekmambetov (of Wanted) directing.

Much like the book, all eyes are drawn to the silly title and the premise that America's 16th president were vampire-hunting to kill time.

Unlike the book, the film left out most of the stuff set during the present day and focuses immediately on Lincoln's journey of killing vampires. The biggest change had to be the addition of a villain, Old Vampire named Adam (played by Rufus Sewell).

Yes, the film is ridiculous in the way it turned the President into an axe wielding action hero (Man, what I would give to be that kind of President!) who kills without mercy in super cool slow mo and jumps from a burning train any other day.

However, it was exactly the ultra seriousness of the Book's treatment of the subject that was the centre of the humour of it all. Director Timur Bekmambetov had done a very fine job, attempting to get audiences to take this film seriously, but the man who could've captured the book's spirit perfectly was never a few feet away.

Yes, Tim Burton should've directed this film, but instead he went to Collingwood Manor to party with vampire from the Dark Shadows (sorry, I had to). That film interestingly involve vampires and writer Seth Graehame-Smith at the script (who also wrote this adaptation of his own novel). Is it a coincidence that a pair of sunglasses that Henri Sturges wore at the film's first half looks exactly like the pair Barnabas Collins wore during the montage in Dark Shadows?

Since the film's script was written by the author of the book, any arguments about straying from the source would be useless, because maybe this is what the author want. A silly entertaining action piece of an axe wielding president. It might not be what it could've been, but it does live up to its title, however half-heartedly.

3/5