Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (2012)

Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States, discovers vampires are planning to take over the United States. He makes it his mission to eliminate them.

Director:

Timur Bekmambetov

Writers:

Seth Grahame-Smith (screenplay), Seth Grahame-Smith (based on the novel by)

Stars:

Benjamin Walker, Dominic Cooper, Anthony Mackie

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Benjamin Walker	...	Abraham Lincoln
Dominic Cooper	...	Henry Sturges
Anthony Mackie	...	Will Johnson
Mary Elizabeth Winstead	...	Mary Todd Lincoln
Rufus Sewell	...	Adam
Marton Csokas	...	Jack Barts
Jimmi Simpson	...	Joshua Speed
Joseph Mawle	...	Thomas Lincoln
Robin McLeavy	...	Nancy Lincoln
Erin Wasson	...	Vadoma
John Rothman	...	Jefferson Davis
Cameron M. Brown	...	Willie Lincoln
Frank Brennan	...	Senator Jeb Nolan
Lux Haney-Jardine	...	Young Abraham Lincoln
Curtis Harris	...	Young Will

Storyline

At the age of 9, Abraham Lincoln witnesses his mother being killed by a vampire, Jack Barts. Some 10 years later, he unsuccessfully tries to eliminate Barts but in the process makes the acquaintance of Henry Sturgess who teaches him how to fight and what is required to kill a vampire. The quid pro quo is that Abe will kill only those vampires that Henry directs him to. Abe relocates to Springfield where he gets a job as a store clerk while he studies the law and kills vampires by night. He also meets and eventually marries the pretty Mary Todd. Many years later as President of the United States, he comes to realize that vampires are fighting with the Confederate forces. As a result he mounts his own campaign to defeat them.

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Plot Keywords:

vampire | president | lawyer | vampire hunter | revenge | 

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Taglines:

President by day. Hunter by night.

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Genres:

Action | Fantasy | Horror | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence throughout and brief sexuality

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site [es]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 June 2012 (USA)

Also Known As:

Abraham Lincoln: Cazador de vampiros

Filming Locations:

Second Line Stages, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$69,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$16,306,974 (USA) (22 June 2012)

Gross:

$37,516,013 (USA) (14 September 2012)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Abraham Productions, Bazelevs Production, Tim Burton Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Datasat Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Shipped to the cinema with codename "Bloody Honest".

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Goofs

When Lincoln's son is playing with his toy fort, there are flags with 15 stars. This flag was being used till 1818 but he is playing with it during the civil war - 1861-1865. It is very unlikely that he has more than 50 years old toy and his father Abraham Lincoln doesn't want him to have the right flag.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Abraham Lincoln: [voice-over] History prefers legends to men.

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Crazy Credits

During the closing credits there are drops of blood seen racing and zigzagging across white fabric, until the camera zooms out and the trails of blood are seen to have formed a map of America divided into states.

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Connections

Referenced in The Wendy Williams Show: Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (2012)

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Soundtracks

"Quartet for Strings in B Flat Major 'La Chasse' Op. 1/1 - Minuet"
Written by Joseph Haydn
Arranged by Jim Long
Courtesy of Crucial Music Corporation and Point Classics

User Reviews

Different Ridiculous

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter sounds like a strange silly title. Some might find it stupid while some will find it peculiarly interesting. People would expect it as a ridiculously fun bloody action film starring one of America's greatest Presidents. Since it's directed by Timur Bekmambetov, one of the most insane action movie directors ever, it suppose to be enjoyably crazy throughout. The film is fun when Abe is killing vampires with his axe, but it gets really different to the biography moments. While everybody is expecting for some awesome ridiculousness, we instead get a lot of serious biography that would take a lot of time to get to the vampire killing. It's entertaining but it could have been a lot more fun.

With that kind of title, people would expect it as a campy horror action film with a different version of Abraham Lincoln that has a potential to be a movie icon. It sounds absurd, but that is acceptable to its title. Unfortunately, its absurdity is limited by the seriousness of the biographical parts. Both elements are strangely mismatch. Made this film a lot more awkward than you would thought. There is nothing wrong with having an accurate history to it. It just feels a lot different when you compare Lincoln's rise to Presidency to the whole vampire slaying sequences. It gets interesting when Henry Strugess distracts at Lincoln's personal life. Every time he appears, it makes you ready for some vampire action.

Thankfully, it has Timur Bekmambetov as the director. He's also a vampire movie expert by his Night Watch films. He can make his action scenes impossibly crazy that makes the whole experience a none stop entertainment. Too bad there isn't any glass for him to break in a ridiculously stylish way like he did in his other films. At least we still get to see something interesting, like Abe's axe spinning, throwing a vampire up to the sky, and turning that horse stampede chase into a large scale sequence. The rest is not quite inspired, but it still makes a pretty awesome action film. Like I wish it has more that. It's still entertaining for some reason. The WETA visuals look obvious. It fits well to the director's crazy vision.

It's hard to recommend Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. It's not as ridiculous as the title. It connects to Lincoln's life in a serious way. They could have at least give a bit more campier and sillier tone to make this alternate version of Lincoln iconic. Even with an awesome director, energetic cast, and vampires that look scary and kill horrifyingly, it's still not a satisfying vampiric onslaught. It's not horrible or boring either. It just needs to be an endless crazy action movie.