This movie has a silly name. But at least you know what you're in for - without a doubt, Abraham Lincoln will be killing a plethora of vampires. There will be more black blood in this film than you can poke a wooden stake at.
The story begins with Abe as but a young lad. After he protects an African-American friend from an evil man, and his parents intervene, Abe's mother ends up dead. Filled with a fiery vengeance, the young Abe grows up, meets a vampire hunter, becomes President and wins the Civil War.
Alright, that may be breezing over things a little, but in essence, that's what you're in for. This is actual history with fights against vampires thrown in. It's not to be taken seriously - as it certainly doesn't do that itself.
'ABRAHAM LINCOLN: VAMPIRE HUNTER' TRAILER
It's actually a fairly respectable cast - Benjamin Walker plays a thoroughly enjoyable Abraham Lincoln, pulling out all the stops in his first major role on film. Dominic Cooper ('Captain America') is fun to watch as vampire hunter Henry Sturges. But even with such a limited role, it's hard not pay attention to Mary Elizabeth Winstead's ('Scott Pilgrim vs the World') performance as Mary Todd Lincoln. She's cheeky and boisterous throughout, inarguably stealing the show.
'Abe' is directed with flair by Timur Bekmambetov ('Wanted'). It's a dark film, showing a very different kind of vampire. There's the usual amount of 3D trickery and slo-mo fights for an action film, but there are some really impressive shots also - the scene on the train is superb (before it starts getting too ridiculous). Most fortunately, we're not overwhelmed with a Tim Burton-esque style, who acted as a producer on this film.
This film is an oddity. It's a dark film, showing a very different kind of vampire.
This film is an oddity. You can never quite be sure what to make of it - sometimes it's trying to be serious, sometimes it's quite unbelievable, other times it makes you laugh - but mostly, there's a lot of kicking of vampire arse. It tries to be a lot of things... and it kind of gets away with it too. There is a lot of violence. There is a lot of gore. There is a lot of silliness - and if all of those things appeal to you, I highly recommend this movie. If not, chances are you'll still find it more enjoyable than you think.