In the music world, mash-ups – where you take one artist's song and mix it with another artist's – are fairly common practice these days, as anyone who watches Glee can testify to. In the world of film however, mash-ups are less common.

What Russian director Timur Bekmanbetov has delivered is the curious cinematic cocktail of vampire flick mixed with a historical drama. As unbelievable as it sounds, he kind of pulls it off.

It's the early 1800's and a young Abraham Lincoln (Benjamin Walker) is coming to terms with the loss of his parents, both of whom's fate was decided by a rather unpleasant vampire.

As you would expect, nothing much more than revenge consumes his heart, so it's lucky his path crossed that of Henry (Dominic Cooper), who just so happens to know a lot about these deadly creatures; in particular, how to dispense of them.

Henry agrees to teach young Abe the secrets that he knows, but in exchange, he must only kill the vampires that Henry informs him to get rid of. Although Abe is frustrated by the fact he can't immediately avenge the death of both his parents, he agrees.

As time passes, and many vampires have died at his hands, Abe pursues a career in law; he does extremely well too, but it soon becomes apparent that his campaign against slavery isn't going to be the only fight on his hands, as he'll also have to take on the undead too, as he has to go head to head with Adam (Rufus Sewell), the original US vampire and creator of all subsequent American bloodsuckers.

Ladies and gentlemen, I ask you this: how much wood would a woodchuck chuck, if a woodchuck could chuck wood?

As absurd a concept as it is, it works, albeit in a warped, Horrible Histories kind of way, except for the fact that, well, the 16th President of the United States probably didn't moonlight as a hunter of vampires. One of the biggest concerns however, is that a large bulk of the gullible – and let's face it, that would include the majority of American citizens – are likely to believe this as gospel.

You couldn't really blame them though, as Bekmanbetov (directing only his second English language feature after 2008's Wanted) appeared keen to almost make an actual, factually accurate, historical drama, with some vampires thrown in for good measure, as he takes many of the dramatic scenes a little too seriously. So don't be surprised if the film finds its way onto a number of US schools curriculums.

Bekmanbetov knows a thing or two about vamps, considering his visually impressive Night Watch and Day Watch films, and his set pieces on this film are borderline spectacular. The film would have worked far better with a lighter touch though, as it suffers for taking its source material a little too seriously.

As performances go, Walker does well as the axe-wielding president, and Sewell plays the vampire baddie as if on auto-pilot.

It's enjoyable enough nonsense, with a concept that could possibly be extended to other political figures; who's up for Gorbachev: Werewolf Killer or even Thatcher: The Ghostbusting years?