Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (2012).
Despite having one of those exploitative and very daft sounding titles I once again really enjoyed this tale of the secret life of America's 16th and most famous President. The secret being of course, as the title says that Abraham Lincoln is a vampire hunter. The film takes place across decades, from Lincoln being a young store clerk studying law to the end of the American Civil War some forty years later in 1865.
Russian director Timur Bekmambetov, he of Nightwatch / Daywatch fame, shows a good hand for fantastical action set pieces - i find the final train escape quite gripping - as well as large scale battles which were very well staged, although i don't recall there being mention of Vampires during the battle of Gettysburg in the history books.
Thankfully the script has just the right tone, making Abraham Lincoln a fun, action packed film that doesn't take itself too seriously and has an enjoyable cast that follow suit. Having said that the film doesn't simply stick to vampire slaying and does rightly look at Lincoln's role in issuing the Emancipation Proclamation that declared freedom to slaves in Confederate states.
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter is an enjoyable slice of action horror and and a far better film than it's hokey title might suggest.
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