Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

Theatrical Release Date: 2012 06 22 (USA - 3D) / 2012 06 22 (USA)

UPC: 024543826552

Studio: 20th Century Fox

MPAA Rating: R   Contains:[Violence, Sexual Situations]

Summary: Abraham Lincoln is reinvented as a vampire-killing president in this Timur Bekmambetov-directed action picture starring Benjamin Walker, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Rufus Sewell, and Dominic Cooper. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies author Seth Grahame-Smith adapts his own book for 20th Century Fox. Tim Burton produces alongside Bekmambetov and Jim Lemley. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi

Category: Fantasy

Features: cc
Disc 2 - The Great Calamity Graphic Novel
The Making of Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
Vampire Hunting: Fight Choreography
A Visual Feast: Timur Bekmambetov's Visual Style

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

Release Date: 10/23/2012

Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1 2.40:1

Audio: DHMA, DD5.1 Dolby Digital 5.1

Runtime: 105 Minutes

Sides: 3

Number of Discs: 3

Language(s) English,Spanish,French

Subtitles: English,Spanish

Chapters: Disc #1 -- Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
1. Scene 1 [3:48]
2. Scene 2 [3:03]
3. Scene 3 [4:13]
4. Scene 4 [4:03]
5. Scene 5 [4:56]
6. Scene 6 [6:38]
7. Scene 7 [2:35]
8. Scene 8 [4:50]
9. Scene 9 [4:51]
10. Scene 10 [3:37]
11. Scene 11 [4:42]
12. Scene 12 [5:25]
13. Scene 13 [6:18]
14. Scene 14 [1:29]
15. Scene 15 [4:37]
16. Scene 16 [5:16]
17. Scene 17 [2:48]
18. Scene 18 [3:19]
19. Scene 19 [2:05]
20. Scene 20 [3:54]
21. Scene 21 [2:46]
22. Scene 22 [3:32]
23. Scene 23 [3:22]
24. Scene 24 [5:31]

Jason Buchanan

As patently absurd as the title suggests, yet unflinchingly straight-faced to the bitter end, Timur Bekmambetov's Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter offers a revisionist fantasy spectacle served up in genuinely dazzling fashion, courtesy of five-time Oscar-nominated cinematographer Caleb Deschanel and a curious attention to detail capable of inducing cerebral hemorrhages in humorless historians. At the same time, for die-hard genre fans and curious moviegoers, it's a wild ride that's possibly just original, stylized, and entertaining enough to court a devoted cult following.

As a young boy, Abraham Lincoln watched his mother Nancy (Robin McLeavy) suffer an agonizing death following a midnight encounter with malevolent bloodsucker Jack Barts (Marton Csokas). Nine years later, a vengeful Lincoln (played as an adult by Benjamin Walker) attempts to vanquish Barts and has his first terrifying encounter with the creatures of the night. Fortunately for the future of the nation, the would-be assassin is saved by determined vampire hunter Henry Sturgess (Dominic Cooper) at the last possible moment, and he lives on to perfect his vampire-slaying skills under his rescuer. Flash forward to 1837, as Lincoln arrives in Springfield, IL, and quickly lands a job as a shopkeeper under Joshua Speed (Jimmi Simpson), while also dividing his personal time between studying law and slaughtering vampires. Shortly after falling under the spell of beautiful Mary Todd (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), Lincoln has a belated reunion with his childhood friend Will Johnson (Anthony Mackie), who reinvigorates his passion to fight for freedom. But a war is coming, and immortal plantation owner Adam (Rufus Sewell) is determined to use it as a means of gaining the upper hand against mankind. Years later, as the 16th president of the United States, Lincoln is joined by his old friends in a last-ditch effort to save not just the Union, but the very future of humanity.

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter was adapted from the novel of the same name by author Seth Grahame-Smith, who also served as an executive producer on the film and recently made an inauspicious splash in Hollywood as the sole credited screenwriter of Tim Burton's disastrous Dark Shadows. But don't be fooled -- save for some familiar incisors, Dark Shadows and Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter couldn't be more different. Unlike the stillborn melodrama of Burton's supernatural sudser, the focus here is largely on action, and few contemporary directors can match Bekmambetov when it comes to creating outrageous set pieces. Surprising as it may seem to some, there's a genuine artistry on display in Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter that even the most ardent critic would be hard-pressed to deny. A battle between young Lincoln and Barts amongst a herd of stampeding horses at dusk could be one of the most strikingly gorgeous sequences ever captured by a cinematographer with one of the best résumés in Hollywood, and even once Bekmambetov's severe overuse of slow motion starts to grate, Deschanel still manages to captivate with every painstakingly beautiful frame. Meanwhile, Grahame-Smith keeps the story moving at a satisfying pace, using some unexpected revelations to continually throw us off balance while occasionally weaving historically accurate details into his imaginative fiction.

As the president who would go on to deliver the Gettysburg Address (a speech cleverly re-created in a key sequence), Walker carries himself with an impressive mix of executive dignity and fiery determination. Frequently resembling a younger Liam Neeson (perhaps no surprise, since the actor made his feature debut as a younger version of Neeson in the 2004 biopic Kinsey), Walker inhabits his historical character wholeheartedly, whether pondering the future of the Union or fiercely separating a bloodsucker's head from its body. His energy is easily matched by co-stars Mackie, Cooper, and Simpson, each of whom also handle action and drama with equal conviction. Winstead is suitably regal and charming in the crucial role of Mary Todd, and Sewell uses his sharp features to distinct advantage as the serviceable villain presiding over an army of demonic vampires.

In the end, your enjoyment of Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter will likely depend on your willingness to accept the fact that the filmmakers are steadfast and determined to maintain an impenetrable poker face at all times. They know what they're doing is ridiculous, and we know it too. If they blink just once, the illusion is shattered and they've stumbled into comedic territory. If not, they've done their job, and every time you look at a $5 bill you'll get a little laugh of your own. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Cast and Crew: Tim Burton  Producer 
Timur Bekmambetov  Director 
Timur Bekmambetov  Producer 
Jim Lemley  Producer 
Simon Kinberg  Executive Producer 
Henry Jackman  Composer (Music Score) 
Seth Grahame-Smith  Executive Producer 
Seth Grahame-Smith  Screenwriter 
Michele Wolkoff  Executive Producer 
John J. Kelly  Executive Producer 
Benjamin Walker  Actor 
Dominic Cooper  Actor 
Anthony Mackie  Actor 
Mary Elizabeth Winstead  Actor 
Rufus Sewell  Actor 
Marton Csokas  Actor 
Jimmi Simpson  Actor 
Joseph Mawle  Actor 
Robin McLeavy  Actor 
Erin Wasson  Actor 
John Rothman  Actor 
Cameron M. Brown  Actor 
Frank Brennan  Actor 
Lux Haney-Jardine  Actor 
Curtis Harris  Actor 
Bill Martin Williams  Actor 
Alex Lombard  Actor 
Raevin Stinson  Actor 
Jacqueline Fleming  Actor 
John Neisler  Actor 
Aaron Toney  Actor 
Meade Patton  Actor 
Teri Wyble  Actor 
Lawrence Turner  Actor 
Jake LaBotz  Actor 
Dane Rhodes  Actor 
Earl Maddox  Actor 
John McConnell  Actor 
Bernard Hocke  Actor 

Country: USA