Fun, but Hard to Watch With an Historical Eye

Rating: 7/10 (27 June 2012)

When I first heard this title advertised, I had a VERY skeptical response. But as the film neared its premiere I began to get more and more curious. And once I found out that Tim Burton was producing, and I saw a few previews, I had to see it.
As expected, the special effects were great. The 3-D was particularly good. The story was exciting and kept my attention. I also thought the make-up effects were very good (Mary Todd didn't age well, but Lincoln was awesome). But I found my mind wandering so much, that I had trouble just enjoying the movie.
The problem I have is that I have always been critical of "historical" films. They are NEVER accurate, and it drives me crazy. Now, I know that this is not a historical film, but I found myself thinking through my knowledge, as limited as it is, of the history around the story--and I was being critical! I kept having to remind myself that this was FICTION!!! Well, this was my loss--I was unable to enjoy this movie, even with the exciting action and story. I think it may have been a better story with a less recognizable historical personality--but then the story wouldn't have been the same at all. Catch 22.