Film Review | Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter

There is something undeniably clever about pitting Abraham Lincoln as a vampire hunter. Is it his honest nature, his tall hat, his impressive beard? Have those qualities always been hiding a secret greater than what Dexter has happening in Miami? Well, that's how it should have been, but this film really dumbed down the storyline of Seth Grahame-Smith's enjoyable novel of the same name. Because this review will be rife with spoilers, I would suggest steering clear of the jump if you wanted to be surprised at the theater. Otherwise, hit the jump and we can continue.


Grade: C-


Image via Screen Crush
When I first started reading the novel Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter, I thought it was a bit strange. However, once I passed the introduction and the death of Lincoln's mother, I was completely hooked. On a much smaller scale than A Song of Ice and Fire, Grahame-Smith twisted a lot of different storylines into a nearly believable life story of Abraham Lincoln (minus the vampires, obviously).


The relationships in the book were very well-developed, so I am shocked that screenplay writer Grahame-Smith let those fall by the wayside so easily. In many ways, the resolve that Abraham gained after his mother's death was poorly explained in the film. The book had so many excellent points—a moment where Abe's father told him of vampires giving him the motivation to become strong, the fact that Abe knew Henry's true vampiric nature from the get-go, and so many other important developments.


Because the movie was so flat in its plot, it was very nicely redeemed by good graphics. To be honest with you, people (including me) often overlook the visuals as something expected. However, knowing the work that goes into filming and effects, I have to say that there were some nice scenes in this film. It was just unfortunate that the story wasn't a bit closer to the depth of the book. If it were, I would have been proud to give it an A, but it hit the mark. 


I wouldn't suggest that you see this film in theaters, but it won't be the worst decision you've made in your life. Has anyone else seen it? Your thoughts?