Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter

Horror movies can easily get stuck in the same pattern. If you think about it, how many sequels look just like the original movie ? Thankfully some directors try to make a different combination of classic characters. Remember Freddy VS Jason ? It may not be fantastic, but a fun mix of old school horror characters, brought together on the big screen, to please both fans of A Nightmare On Elm Street and Friday The 13th. So, when i read about Abraham Lincoln fighting vampires, my first thought was....brilliant. Here we have a fun idea, let´s just hope it works on paper. So the question is, does Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter feel like a real movie, or is this just a big mess?

In the year 1818, a young boy named Abraham Lincoln ( Benjamin Walker ), works at a plantation with his parents. The owner Jack Barts ( Marton Csokas ) is a cruel man, who decide to beat a young african boy William Johnson ( Anthony Mackie ). But Abraham tries to stop Jack from the abuse. Because Abraham choosed to interfere, Jack Barts fires Abrahams dad from his job. That night, as Abraham is lying awake, he watches Jack Barts enter their home, attacking his mother. It turns out he is a vampire. Abraham wants revenge, as he waits for a moment 9 years later, things still don´t go right. He is almost killed by Jack, until Henry Sturges ( Dominic Cooper ) saves his life. Henry himself is a vampire, who also seeks revenge on those who killed his wife, but....a vampire can not kill his own kind, there for he needs Abrahams help. Armed with a special designed axe, Abraham begins to slay vampires , hoping to kill his mothers murderer one day.

First thing that comes to mind while watching Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter, is how well the time area is captured in the 1800´s. The axe is a fun combination of classic weapon, but also a shotgun indeed, that gives you a good laugh. Director Timur Bekmambetov made the russian vampire movies Night Watch and Day Watch, that became big hits in Russia for a good reason. They had a fresh perspective on the vampire genre, still with some classic ingredients. When he takes on Abraham Lincoln, a historical president as a vampire hunter, he actually find a good balance between history and the vampire genre. We both get to laugh, and enjoy some really bloody scenes. Sure there are flaws, like some of the cgi effects look a bit sloppy sometimes, but overall i enjoyed this combination. Great to see some still try a different aproach in a genre that´s been stuck in a long time.

Rating: DDD