Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter2012

79/100 This feels like the movie I would've written when I was younger, or one I would write now if I cared less about quality, and I think that's the best thing about it. The main thing I love about this movie is that it takes an absurd premise and plays it 100% straight, and it's an amazing premise too: the best US President made even more badass than he already was. Lesser films might be tempted to slide in a few jokes, but the fact this premise is taken so seriously is a strength of the film. The cast is also doing a great job here. This film's emotional beats aren't particularly strong, relying mostly on tropes, but I still like the characters themselves (which is weird to say about real people) due to the performances here. Benjamin Walker, for one, does great as Abraham Lincoln himself, making him a likeable protagonist yet also realizing his flaws well. Mary Elizabeth Winstead is also great here, acting way too hard for a popcorn flick. The side cast is also great here, and I especially loved Rufus Sewell as the villainous vampire slaver. However, I consider the action here a mixed bag. For the most part, the action scenes are great and over-the-top, with very energetic movement and direction helping make most of them feel really fun. My favourite of these sequences is the railway battle near the end just for the sheer ridiculousness. However, there are points where it goes too far even for me, and starts to feel like a cartoon as a result. There's also some stuff that doesn't make sense, such as a small stable opening up to reveal enough horses for an army in the scene where Abraham kills Jack Barts. There's also an overreliance on CGI which can look goofy at times and adds a lack of weight. Overall, there are enough issues with this movie that I can't call it perfect popcorn fun, but it's still an entertaining and creative movie in its own right, and I'd consider it good overall.