"I thought you were an honest man."

Rating: 7/10 (23 June 2012)

Every once in a while there comes a movie title that just screams out for recognition. The last one that grabbed me like this was "Snakes on a Plane", how do you NOT go to see what that's all about? So I have to admit, "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter" is just too bizarre a concept to pass up. The film actually does a pretty good job of keeping things in historical perspective, and I was surprised how a detail like the Emancipation Proclamation was woven into the story line. Also, considering the title once again, the film makers outdid themselves with the Civil War battle scenes produced on a grander scale than I would have expected for what nominally aspires to be a horror film. I don't know if I would have been as interested in seeing this picture if Spielberg's Lincoln movie were not scheduled for release this coming December, but after seeing the trailer for Vampire Hunter a couple of weeks ago, it wasn't a difficult decision to catch this one on opening day.
What I probably should have seen coming was the way the vampire concept was linked to the evils of slavery during the nation's history during this era. After an initial encounter with vampires masquerading as local town folk during his young adulthood, Lincoln (Benjamin Walker) is tutored in the fine art of vampire hunting by a mentor named Henry Sturgess (Dominic Cooper). Lincoln sets aside those skills for a time when he takes up the political life, but is drawn back into it when as President, it becomes apparent that the Southern Army is heavily manned with legions of vampires. Borrowing another page from vampire lore, the Northern army fashions artillery made from silver in order to defeat the vampire hordes. Curious thing about those vampires though, I got the impression they behaved more like zombies, but I'm no expert here.
So this isn't going to be on everyone's must see list, but if you have even the slightest interest in the life of the sixteenth president and the Civil War, this is a treatment that you can have some fun with. You'll need an open mind of course, and probably a quick reaction time, because I don't think this will stick around in theaters too long. It will probably be out on DVD by the time the 'real' Lincoln movie comes out, with screenings on cable channels soon to follow. Just don't look for it on the History Channel.