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.
