Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

We know all about Abraham Lincoln (Walker), the 16th President of the United States of America, abolisher of slavery and all round great guy. But what about Abraham Lincoln, the person? What if the exterior was a mask for the real Lincoln, the vampire hunter?

After his mother is killed by vampires, Lincoln vows to destroy all the vampires he can. Aided by his mentor, Henry Sturges (Cooper), Lincoln becomes the ultimate slayer, and the only thing standing between Adam (Sewell), a ruthless, megalomaniacal vampire, and his dream of a vampire-only nation. Forget north versus south, it’s people of the light versus creatures of the night.

Based on the novel by Seth Grahame-Smith and brought to the big screen by the director of Wanted, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter is not a movie for the Twihard; the vampires are ruthless, bloodthirsty (blood in a vampire movie? Shock, horror!) and don’t sparkle in the light, and the hero doesn’t love them, he loathes them with a passion. But apart from being the 'Anti-Twilight', the film also stands out in its own right, being an incredibly dark, but still slightly ridiculous tale that has some tell-tale hallmarks of producer Tim Burton’s finer works.

The acting is also top notch, especially for what is essentially a big-budget B-movie. Walker is great as both the younger and older Lincoln, and Cooper does well as his mentor with a secret, Henry Sturges. The standout though is Rufus Sewell, who continues his tradition of portraying smarmy, awesome British villains here and runs away with every scene he appears in.

Overall, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter is more than likely going to be one of the year’s big sleeper hits, and horror and film fans alike ought to be slayed by this monster.

Tom Freeman