
It is rated-R for blood, gore and violence. I think I heard one curse word in it the whole time. The action was fast paced and kept up the tension of the moment well. There are also some rocking guitar riffs to most of them, which is a style I actually love - the blending of historical and modern in a way that reaffirms what your eyes are telling you - that our 16th president wielded an axe like a badass! I have to say I walked out of the theatre jazzed and full of energy ready to take on the world, with an axe, which I may have then gone to a hardware store and purchased and then scrounged up a corset and combat boots and self-took a photo-shoot in my back yard, at midnight. Yeah, I might have done that. There might be pictures HERE. But, back to the movie...
Benjamin Walker played Abe Lincoln and I think wonderfully so. He completely filled his shoes - having a perfect frame to match our tall, dark and 16th. His voice and intonation sounded just as I'd like to remember Abe. He also kind of looks like Liam Neeson, but that is a compliment...yes, yes it is...mmm...add Abe Lincoln to the list of characters I wouldn't kick out of bed for eating crackers.
Well, Benjamin Walker, you have now faced vampires, welcome to Geekdom. It's a friendly land full of Conventions and fans giving you inexplicable gifts at random times, possibly tiny knitted Abes. Also be ready for the meme of your Abe Lincoln going after Edward Cullen.
Anytime there is a new vampire book/movie I am always curious how they chose to interpret their vampires. It is a wide field of numerous variations and it is always interesting to see what they stayed true to and where they set their vampires apart. A note - there might be a day-walking vampire trend - you also see it in the Sci-Fi show Being Human.
Here's some more observations on their take on Vampire lore
(these probably aren't spoilers, probably):
- Immortal;
- they consider themselves the dead
- drink human blood to survive (feeding off animals is not shown, so I don't know if they do or not.)
- silver and beheadings seem the only way to kill them;
- they have adapted to walk in the sun;
- some get kind of vein-y when excited/angry/turning, they also get a mouth full of pointy evil teeth (not just the elongated canines) this is kind of 30 Days of Night-ish;
- a single bite can turn someone, but it doesn't always work...something about "pure of heart not turning," maybe, I need to see the movie again to be clear
- they can disappear (veil their presence so that they are not seen - obfuscation or invisibility?)
- heightened strength, perception and occasionally mixed martial arts.