The trades have reviewed Benjamin Walker-starrer “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Slayer.” Here’s are some highlights:

VAR: “A Civil War-era actioner of questionable taste and historical accuracy but surprisingly consistent entertainment value.”

Director Timur Bekmambetov and writer Seth Grahame-Smith spin “an agreeably daft, fang-in-cheek tribute to America’s 16th president and his ax-wielding campaign to abolish a nationwide outbreak of vampirism.”

The movie’s “unexpected secret weapon is how effectively it often plays as straight drama.”

And, “there isn’t a trace of irony to the way Walker channels Lincoln… He and (Mary Elizabeth) Winstead (as  Mary Todd) strike remarkably poignant chords — no small achievement for a movie whose most memorably gratuitous action setpiece brings to mind a demented cross between a wuxia epic and a wild horse stampede.”
Bekmambetov “handles the violence in an arresting if flashily impersonal style.”

THR: “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter is a mishmash of styles that may leave viewers’ heads spinning. Genre enthusiasts will lap up the mixture of action and fantasy, while history buffs who don’t mind a bit of rewriting will dig into an alternative spin on the Civil War period.”

“The movie’s virtues and some of its miscues essentially originate with Grahame-Smith’s script. Taking the conceit that the institution of slavery was a vampire-motivated plot to provide the undead with fresh blood, Grahame-Smith adeptly connects Lincoln’s vampire vendetta with his anti-slavery crusade. Marrying this high-concept premise to a coherent narrative proves more challenging, however.”

Bekmambetov “effectively deploys the appropriate camera moves, pacing and special effects to craft an awesome action figure determined to rescue the country from a bloodsucker takeover.”

As for Walker, THR says “While he appears fairly capable… slower scenes opposite Winstead and other actors tend to drag with Walker’s restrained delivery and stiff demeanor. Winstead’s performance as Mary is far more spirited as she flirts with Lincoln in earlier scenes and later argues with him over the fate of their family and country.”

http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117947787?refcatid=31

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/abraham-lincoln-vampire-hunter-review-340333