Great fun. Lots of humor. Historically accurate (mutatis mutandi).

Rating: 8/10 (1 December 2012)

What's not to like? -- not a lot. I enjoyed it very much from start to finish. It is a movie that keeps its tongue in its cheek at all times. The special effects rival those of Crouching Tiger H.D. and Titanic, while not as elegant as Avatar. Abe Lincoln was a working class president with a great sense of humor, something which the movie didn't quite capture, although the allusion is there. It is, after all, a comic book of a film, with both lots of comic book violence and some great movie mayhem. While the movie Abe is sweet and charming, the historic Abe's anecdotes and stories would keep people in thrall for hours. Ben Walker's Abe Lincoln is a bit too laid back to be very captivating. The real Abe was a vital, charming character, but not so pretty. I thought in general the movie version of Abe's life was rather flat and understated. Too kind, perhaps, to Mary Todd, who was a very difficult person. I loved how the movie linked slavery with the evils of vampires. These vampires are mean! Not like the gentle souls in the teenage vampire movies. No delicate puncture wounds here. In fact, these vampires come to be linked to slavery in several surprising ways, which I felt required a deft, light hand. Timur Bekmambetov caught that aspect just right and made the film both historically accurate as well as providing justification for movie Abe's eventual anti- slavery position. As a history buff I appreciated the research and attention to detail that went into the making of the film. The fight scenes are marvels of choreography. The cinematography is perfect. The acting was adequate, if understated. Tim Burton is a genius and his hand is evident throughout. I was expecting a B movie, but I give this movie a solid 8 stars. It is well worth watching and will delight on many levels.