Movie Review: Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter

Synopsis: Young Abraham Lincoln (Ben Walker) is out to avenge the death of his mother when he discovers she was in fact murdered by vampires. He is trained by a mysterious man (Dominic Cooper) in the skills he needs to kill vampires, as well as the equipment (a silver plated ax). Henry charges Abraham to kill the vampires he finds, and also warns him not to create any attachments. When Abraham marries the vivacious Mary Todd (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), a rift is created between Lincoln and his teacher, and Lincoln begins to get involved in politics as a way to stop vampires, who use slaves as a food source. He faces off against the head vampire Adam (Rufus Sewell) and his cronies along the way, only to meet them again after he becomes president. Can Lincoln stop the vampires from destroying the Union? Can he still wield his ax with the skill of a homicidal majorette?


Historical Accuracy:
With a name like Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter, I didn't expect much in terms of historical accuracy from this movie. That being said, even if you edited out the vampires, this movie was riddled with inaccuracies. I found myself thinking: what about Lincoln's older sister Sarah? Why is everyone clapping when the Gettysburg Address was poorly received? Ultimately, these critiques seem nitpicky considering the main goal of the movie, but it was distracting for me.
Grade: C


Period Detail:
In a movie like this, the sets and costumes are the straight men that make the premise funny. In general, they do a good job of setting the scene without distracting from the action, with one exception. The one lady vampire was riding in around in pants, which bothered me since a woman walking around in pants at that time would have at least raised a few eyebrows. Still, overall, it was a fine job.
Grade: B+


Casting:
Ben Walker is no Henry Fonda, but he does a good job playing Lincoln through different periods of his life. Dominic Cooper gives Henry some flair, but Rufus Sewell really steals the show as Adam, playing up his natural creepiness for all its worth. The weak link is Mary Elizabeth Winstead, whose Mary Todd is a bit too modern, but she improves as the movie progresses. All in all, a fine job by the cast.
Grade: A-


Quality of the Film:
I did not have high expectations for this movie, but I was very pleasantly surprised. It's not exactly high art, but it is a lot of fun. 
Grade: B