There’s a famous saying that goes, “A patriot must be ready to defend his country against its Government.” But, apparently, a patriot must also be ready to defend his country against its vampires. Timur Bekmambetov’s Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter brings to life every American geek's dream of witnessing his own President as a super hero. And there are very few Presidents who can pull it off with conviction. And the 16th president, Abraham Lincoln, is the foremost option.
On the surface, the film has adequate drama to keep you glued to your seat at first. But as the plot thickens, which it doesn't, you tend to see the fantastic as the ridiculous. Every significant event in Lincoln’s life has been shown to have a cause-effect relationship with his vampire hunting including the death of his third son, Willie. The overall premise of the film itself is that it is the vampires that rebelled against the ‘Emancipation Proclamation’ as the slaves were their preferred prey.
The protagonist is shown to manage his political career as a part time profession whilst he is busy accomplishing the missions of slaying vampires that exist among us. The idea that someone like Lincoln juggled the affairs of the state, while chopping necks of the undead, is quite a fantasy to buy into. And once you begin to question the credibility of the plot, you begin to lose interest in it.The film has very few positives. The production design is state-of-the-art and the 3D graphics are a treat to watch. The vampires are ferocious unlike the variants we have been made to witness in cheap popular fiction lately, and there are a few moments when you want to hold on to your arm rest. The performances are satisfactory; however, a beard, a hat and some prosthetics aren't enough to make Benjamin Walker look like Lincoln.
If you are a thriller junkie or a fan of vampire fiction, watch it. If you are looking for a good Hollywood movie, wait for The Dark Knight Rises next week. If you are a Twilight fan, well, wait for the next Twilight film.
Rating: 1.5 out of 5
Published in DNA After Hrs (Pune) on July 14, 2012
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