ABRAHAM LINCOLN: VAMPIRE HUNTER

CAROLINE: …or Vampire Slayer.  But it’s Hunter, nonetheless.  I didn’t get to attend the screening with you.  How was it?

RYAN: This movie is very cool.  It’s a really great blend of scary vampire movie with a dash of history.  It’s an excellent R-rated summer blockbuster.

CAROLINE: Well okay then.  How was the star, Benjamin Walker?  This is is first major leading role.

RYAN: He’s great.  He reminds me of, like, a young Liam Neeson – very tall, charismatic and engaging.  He has terrific eyes and is really likable.  And his transformation into the iconic looking Abe Lincoln was terrif.

CAROLINE: Yeah looks like they did a good job.

RYAN: That being said, the makeup is the one major drawback in this film.  You can see the pancake on the actors – Dominic Cooper, Benjamin, others…  You can see where some of the prosthetic face pieces and beards were applied.  It’s good makeup but not seamless.

RYAN: Totally.  But the effects in this movie are beyond!  It’s very exciting, very interesting and I like the mix of history and fantasy.  And just when there’s such an over-saturation of vampires – Twilight, True Blood, Vampire Diaries, etc… this gets thrown onto the heap and still manages to seem fresh – while set in the 1800s.  It’s crazy cool.

CAROLINE: I’ll take your word for it, honey.  I imagine the costumes and set design are all good too.

RYAN: Def.  But listen, the action and fight scenes were outstanding.  There’s this one chase scene on a stampede of horses that is so freaking awesome and unlike anything I’ve ever seen on screen… it’s just a phenomenal moment.

CAROLINE: That’s cool.  I love it in Die Hard and Mission Impossible movies where they come up with truly original action and chase scenes.  It can’t be easy to reinvent the wheel that way too often.  How’s the 3D?

RYAN: Very good; really dynamic.  It’s provides both depth and some more aggressive moments that pop out.  I liked it in 3D. There’s one scene during the climax of the film that looked like a cutscene from video game but it didn’t bother me because it was still exciting.

RYAN: They’re, like, little movie scenes that further the plot of the game cut in between actual game play.

CAROLINE: Oh ok.

RYAN: Some of the action is quite bloody.  Not that realistic-bloody but kinda gory nonetheless.

CAROLINE: Well it is a vampire movie.

RYAN: You know Ben Walker is married to Mamie Gummer.

CAROLINE: I didn’t know that.  That must be helpful to his career.

RYAN: Exactly – you could do worse in Hollywood than having Meryl Streep as your mother-in-law.

CAROLINE: Indeed.  Well I’m glad you liked it.

RYAN: Me too.  It’s the perfect length, under two hours; great effects, story, acting.  I thought the premise might be hokey but all the fantasy meets Americana gave it a really unique, antique yet modern feel.  It was cool seeing Abe Lincoln in action like a comic book hero.  It just works.

— RATING —