Metascore

Mixed or average reviews - based on 35 Critics What's this?

User Score

Generally favorable reviews- based on 190 Ratings

  • Starring: Benjamin Walker, Dominic Cooper, Rufus Sewell
  • Summary: President Lincoln's mother is killed by a supernatural creature, which fuels his passion to crush vampires and their slave-owning helpers.
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 35
  2. Negative: 9 out of 35
  1. Reviewed by: Joe Williams
    Jun 21, 2012
    88
    A blast, the best action movie of the summer.
  2. Reviewed by: Marc Savlov
    Jun 20, 2012
    78
    Benjamin Walker, as Lincoln, may not have the gangly gravitas of Raymond Massey's "Abe Lincoln in Illinois" – he looks like a young Liam Neeson doing a younger Bruce Campbell, frankly – but he does have a sly, self-effacing sense of humor that feels ever so Lincoln-esque
  3. Reviewed by: Peter Bradshaw
    Jun 25, 2012
    60
    Bekmambetov directs with gusto, and the forthright absurdity of the story, combined with its weirdly heartfelt self-belief is winning.
  4. Reviewed by: James Adams
    Jun 21, 2012
    38
    The biggest high comes from the images evoked by the title alone, or the title in tandem with the movie poster, doesn't it?

See all 35 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 46 out of 70
  2. Negative: 14 out of 70
  1. An amazing action flick composed of fictional history and vampire ass-kicking! Even though the film has its flaws, the over all win is the action. If you're yearning for amazing fight scenes, excellent set designs and a skilled president, this is your movie. Expand
  2. When one attends a film about a former United States President slaying unholy creatures of the night, one does not expect a beautifully written, tear-jerking, dramatic masterpiece. One expects awesomeness, which Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter delivers.

    It is, first and foremost, an action film so the quality of the action seems the logical starting place for this review.
    The fight scenes are glorious testaments to ingenuity, shining with the kind of creative violence normally presented by serial killers. Every single battle is perfectly choreographed so as to be visually impressive and, at the same time, believable and in keeping with Lincoln's go-to fighting style of "Desperate Brutality".
    Expect to see Mr. Lincoln kill many vampires with the closest sharp/heavy object or piece of scenery to hand. My personal favourite moment is when a panicked vampire, fleeing through a field, frantically picks up a passing horse and attempts to club Lincoln to death with it.

    Which is not to diminish the non-violent aspects of the film. In a story featuring The Great Emancipator as the lead protagonist, the issue of slavery and the Civil War between the Union (anti-slavery) and the Confederacy (pro-slavery) were bound to rise up out of the setting and into the plot, something that AL:VH takes perfectly in it's stride and uses to bridge the gap from angry, young Lincoln who hates vampires to wise, experienced Lincoln who loves freedom, a progression that fits perfectly into the narrative.

    Which is essentially the plot of the story. Like a video-game character, Lincoln goes from fighting one vampire to fighting a dozen of them to fighting an army (the confederacy being conveniently run by vampires) until, eventually, his crusade against vampires becomes a crusade against evil (specifically the evil of Racial Inequality) culminating, in true Action-Film mentality, with Abraham and his black BFF fighting vampires side by side atop a moving train.

    Lincoln is portrayed by Benjamin Walker, a relative newcomer to the industry, but he excels in the role, performing a youthful and elderly Lincoln with the same degree of believability. He is backed up by his vampire-hunting posse of Dominic Cooper (The Devil's Double), Anthony Mackie (The Hurt Locker) and Jimmi Simpson (Breakout Kings), all of whom perform excellently.

    To conclude, AL:VH has no illusions of grandeur. It's an action film, and a bloody good one.
    Expand
  3. I actually laughed at some of the action in this movie. Not because it was bad, but because it was so over the top ridiculous I couldn't help but be amused. By the same director who did the bullet-bending "Wanted," and if you liked that one you'll probably have fun with this. If not, or if the trailer and concept of a revenge seeking, vampire-killing Abraham Lincoln doesn't put a smile on your face, go ahead and skip. High art and drama is no where to be found here. If you love a good bad action movie, you'll love it. Expand
  4. Jumped around from part to part way too fast and the plot in the movie deviated from the book wayy too much. Even with these flaws there were parts that I found funny and exciting but i think with a better director and if the plot was more in line with the book it could have been a great movie Expand

See all 70 User Reviews

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