Posted by Boo
As some of you may know, I have been looking forward to the
movie rendition of Abraham Lincoln:
Vampire Hunter. Especially once it was tagged with an R rating. I recently
read the book, and while a charming tale, I did find myself a bit wanting. Specifically,
wanting a bit more action and gore. I wouldn’t be opposed to some flashy
explosions, either. In my book review
(click here to read the entire review), I pointed out that I’m already
accepting the ridiculousness that Abraham Lincoln, one of the greatest
Presidents of the United States, hunts vampires. The concept is over the top.
So why not give me some over the top fun to go with it? I’m so happy to report
that the makers of this flick clearly felt the same way!
Not only did Abraham
Lincoln get the Tim Burton producer stamp of approval, but it was directed
by Timur Bekmambetov. If you’re left scratching your head at that name, I’ll
enlighten you. Bekmambetov, a Russian director, gave us Night Watch and Day Watch.
If you haven’t seen, I particularly recommend Night Watch with the subtitles. One of the most inventive uses of
subtitles I have ever seen. Bekmambetov made them a part of the movie, using
different colors, textures, and placement to transform them into an art form,
something to enhance the dialogue, rather than just recycle it.
Note: The Watch books, by Sergei Lukyanenko, upon
which those movies are based, are also high on my recommended reading list. They are
a bit different, the supernatural and magical concepts a bit more abstract, but
I easily found myself drawn into Lukyanenko’s world.
What the Watch
movies and Abraham Lincoln have in
common is their heavy use of digital effects. However, Bekmambetov isn’t
interested in the typical uses of the technology. He’s not just using it to enhance
a bloody scene or remove a limb. He’s using it to transform the entire fucking
world as you know it. He is the perfect director to give me the over the top
action that I want from this story.
My favorite action sequence involved Lincoln and a vampire
fighting amongst a stampede of wild horses, while TD was awestruck by a
sequence involving a brawl on a train (think Back to the Future 3 on steroids). Both scenes are filled with intricately
choreographed fight sequences that kept us on the edge of our seats.
The action aside, this movie could have failed if put into
the wrong actor’s hands, particularly the Abraham Lincoln character. Benjamin
Walker, a relatively unknown actor, did a fantastic job as our Honest Abe. His
demeanor captured the perfect combination of poise and balls-out fearlessness
that Lincoln’s character needed for this story. And it didn’t hurt that he
looked exactly like our 16th President in his iconic beard and
stovepipe hat.
Also noteworthy was Rufus Sewell as our head villain, Adam.
Sewell has been on the acting scene since the 90’s, popping up in various TV
and movie roles. His most popular role being from The Illusionist (haven’t seen it – I saw the other one, The Prestige, because the Hugh Jackman/Christian
Bale sandwich was just too good to resist). Sewell clearly had a ball playing
this character, and that energy translated well onto the big screen.
I won’t give anything away, but I just have to say the
ending in the flick far exceeded the book’s ending, which was predictable and
flat. The movie’s ending, however, warranted a solid fist pump, followed by an
audible “Fuck yeah!”
If you were looking for Abraham
Lincoln: Vampire Hunter to be a verbatim retelling of the book, you’ll be
sorely disappointed. The movie has made several plot changes, and the end
result is something vastly different from the book. However, keep in mind that Seth
Graham-Smith, the author of the book, also penned our screenplay. The spirit and intent of the book has
not been lost within this cinema adaptation.
I am looking forward to this movie becoming a solid part of
the TD and Boo movie collection, one that will be revisited often.
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