“Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter” Rakes in Negative Reviews

By Althea Benloss | Jun 22, 2012 04:48 PM EDT

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"Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter" is an action fantasy horror film based on the 2010 mashup novel of the same name. As action-packed as the trailer was and how riveting the plot seemed, numerous critics don't have much positive reviews.

The plot of the movie surrounds Abraham Lincoln and his secret life before and after becoming the 16 President of the United States. After witnessing a vampire kill his mother by a vampire, he is dedicated to slaying vampires who are determined to take over the United States.

The script could have been more developed. Michael Philips from the Chicago Tribune said, "Adapting his own richly embroidered novel, which is a lot more fun than the movie, Seth Grahame-Smith (who also wrote 'Pride and Prejudice and Zombies') strips his book for parts and ditches the most interesting cockamamie detail and context." 

The movie opened to mixed negative reviews. Rotten Tomatoes reported a "rotten approval score of 38%, based on 109 reviews. The consensus reads that the film "has visual style to spare, but its overly serious tone doesn't jibe with its decidedly silly central premise, leaving filmgoers with an unfulfilling blend of clashing ingredients."

Joe Neumaler of New York Daily News gives the film a rating of 1 out of 5, writing, "This insipid mashup of history lesson and monster flick takes itself semi-seriously, which is truly deadly."

Although there were some positive reviews, it wasn't overly significant. For example, USA Today reviewer Scott Bowles remarks, "A stylish slasher of a movie, a monster flick that does its vampires right, if not their real-life counterparts," giving the film 2.5 out of 4

Overall, "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter" could have been a lot better based on the majority of reviews reported.

"Unfortunately, director Timur Bekmambetov and writer Seth Grahame-Smith, adapting his own best-selling novel, take this concept entirely too seriously," Christy Lemire from The Associated Press said, "What ideally might have been playful and knowing is instead uptight and dreary, with a visual scheme that's so fake and cartoony, it depletes the film of any sense of danger."

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