This past June, many moviegoers saw a unique title displayed in theaters: Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. The unique title, intended to entice the moviegoers to go see something new and exciting, didn’t work out so well simply because those moviegoers were scared. They were scared of spending their hard-earned cash on a movie that looked like a joke, as they should be.
However, the unique title was fitting to its unique story, which made the movie well-worth moviegoer’s time and money. After all, what director would spend 69 million dollars on a bad joke?
The movie was based on a book by Seth Grahame-Smith, which was first published in March of 2010. Contrary to popular belief, the book is not about a conspiracy, but merely a fictional novel written for young adults. The book contains hardly any relevant information that the movie doesn’t, which makes the film adaptation even more successful.
The movie itself features a young Abraham Lincoln that learns of the existence of vampires when a “man” known simply as Barts, brutally attacks and kills his mother. Lincoln swears his mother will be avenged, and thus begins his journey.
The film’s plot alone is simply brilliant. Not only does it include action and fantasy, but it contains romance, certain aspects of horror, and intricate details.
The romance aspect, of course, is based on Lincoln’s marriage to Mary Todd and includes how they met. Todd is portrayed as a rich and beautiful but realistic character. Although Todd is considered a main character in the film, romance-haters can breathe a sigh of relief because it is not the focus of the film.
The horror aspect, as you may have guessed, comes into play anytime Lincoln is in a vampire battle. The vampires look astoundingly realistic, meaning they don’t sparkle in the sun, which contributes to the marvelous suspense developed in those scenes, along with Lincoln’s axe and his graceful ability to decapitate a vampire with it.
Last, but not least, the film touched on race relations to accommodate the setting. The central character used for this is William Johnson, an African American boy who grows up with Lincoln. He eventually becomes Lincoln’s best friend, and it is implied that he is the one who influenced Lincoln to become an abolitionist.
The film also plays upon much of the history of Lincoln, including his presidency. In fact, one of the main elements of the plot uses his position as president to present the vampire’s plot to run the world and enslave the human race. While very cliche, it makes for a good twist on history. The only downside to the magnificent twists is the fact that the whole thing is quite complex and requires the watcher to pay close attention. I myself have had to watch it multiple times to really get it.
In short, if you’re looking for a fun, wild, and rare movie to see, this is it. And if you think that the build-up sounds good, just wait until the ending.
Check it out on Netflix or Redbox which will release it Nov. 20, or buy it for DVD or Blu-Ray.
