Abraham Lincoln - Better president than fictional character.

[lunik_the_bard]

So, I went to see Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter today, on the basis that it was too awesome a concept to not see. I was going to review it, because apparently that's now what I do on this journal. I wanted to, but couldn't quite manage it.

Comments

[queenkerosene]

I haven't seen the movie, but I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the book. Unfortunately, from the trailer, it didn't look like the movie was going to be follow the book all that closely.

[lunik_the_bard]

I did actually come away with the impression that the book must have been better. I hadn't read it before I went in, so I couldn't tell you how similar the stories were, but a lot of what stopped me from enjoying the movie was the lacklustre staging, poor pacing and the actors who clearly had no clue what was going on in their characters' heads. It was all stuff that could have been fixed by a strong narrative voice if it was on paper.

Same goes for the montages. There were two rubbish montages in the film, "Abe becomes president," and "civil war happens". On paper that could have been as deep as it needed to be, but on screen? It didn't so much speak to the writers not knowing how politics or war works, as them not caring.

(The courtship between Abe and Mary might have been montage'd too. I think the fact that I can't say for sure is telling.)