Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (2012): Somebody had to put down those Confederate blood-suckers

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, 2012, directed by Timur Bekmambetov, 20th Century Fox blu-ray (2012), 3 stars.

I'm thinking the historical accuracy might be a little iffy ...

I was surprised to learn that this Tim Burton-produced gothic-horror flick was not an original concept but was adapted from a 2010 novel. It's an interesting concept, a sort of fantasy-action biopic mashup.

The ruse is that Abe, at about 8 years old, witnessed his mother being killed by a vampiric plantation owner and grew up vowing to get revenge. He trains as a young law student in the vocation of vampire hunting and becomes fairly proficient. He eventually gets himself elected president with a mandate to put down the confederacy of slave-owning vampires rising up in the South.

It's a slow-burner of a story that explodes with some spectacular, stylish CGI action sequences. I found the tale interesting enough and the set pieces glorious enough to stay entertained, though the movie did have its dead spots and felt a little long sometimes at 105 minutes.

Tim Burton is credited only as a producer, but it's definitely got his signature gloomy vibe. I can see myself revisiting this at some point to sort through the goodies. 

 

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