Admittedly, I didn't hold out much hope for this movie.
Expecting a cheesy, camp, B-grade bloodfest, I have to say
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter is not only
entertaining, but extremely well made.
Starring: Benjamin Walker (The War Boys),
Dominic Cooper (Captain America), Rufus Sewell (The
Holiday).
Director: Timur Bekmambetov (Wanted).
Screening: Reading Cinemas Queenstown daily 1.45pm,
4.45pm, 9.15pm.
4 stars (out of 5)
The art direction, score, special effects and the actors come
together to make the ludicrous premise of a blood-spattered,
axe-wielding 16th president of the United States thoroughly
good fun.
I couldn't help but keep thinking of Liam Neeson every time I
saw Lincoln (Walker). It didn't surprise me that he played
the young Kinsey in Neeson's 2004 film of the same title. And
when he adopts the iconic hat and beard, the similarity to
the real Lincoln is unbelievable.
British actor Sewell plays our vampiric bad guy whose mission
is to keep America a pro-slavery nation to feed his undead
army. The future of the country depends on the outcome of the
Civil War and Lincoln's fight to abolish slavery using truth,
justice - and an axe dipped in silver.
The visual flair from director Bekmambetov, however, is what
impressed me the most.
The laws of gravity don't apply to many of the outlandish
action sequences, one of which sees our eponymous hero
jumping across and over a stampede of horses to confront one
of the snarly villains.
So if you'd like an alternative history lesson about one of
the greatest US presidents and don't mind a bit of
head-chopping, neck-slashing and gravity-defying snarly
beasties, this is the film for you.
Now roll on JFK: The Zombie Years.
- Sally Burgess.
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