Weekend Movie Trailers & Reviews: Abraham Lincoln Fights Vampires?

Vampire-hunting presidents, world-ending cataclysms and even more archery all hit theaters this weekend, making for an interesting mix of movies. But which one is worth your while? Read on for reviews and trailers for all of this weekend's big openers.

"Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter"

Rated R, 1 hr 45 mins

Abraham Lincoln is remembered more than a century later as one of our nation's greatest presidents. Also, he hunted vampires. That's basically the plot of this movie, which is based on author Seth Grahame-Smith's genre-bending historical novel.

In the vein of Grahame-Smith's other novel, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, "AL:VH" takes an existing story, text or historical figure and adds a supernatural element. In this case, it means our nation's 16th president slicing through vampires with his trusty axe.

Critics have not been fond of the movie's genre-bending premise thus far, as the movie stands at about 33% on Rotten Tomatoes. However, most of the critics agree that there's at least some fun to be found in the action sequences: Roger Ebert called it "a more entertaining movie than I remotely expected."

See it if: You don't mind some historical inaccuracies as long as there are monsters involved.

"Brave"

Rated PG, 1 hr 33 mins

Finally, a new Pixar movie (that isn't a sequel to "Cars")! "Brave" tells the story of Merida, a Scottish princess who wants freedom instead of her current fate, which is to be married off to the eligible bachelor who wins an archery contest. Merida, being quite the archer herself, wins her own freedom, but finds more than she bargained for with it.

"Brave" may be the most Disney-esque Pixar movie made since the merger of the studios, what with the independent princess act and the animal sidekicks. Sure enough, critics are noting that "Brave" isn't quite up to Pixar's usual standards, and the creative genius of the innovative "Toy Story," "Monsters Inc." or "The Incredibles" isn't quite there with this one. However, the movie still has a fine story and a fun narrative ride, and currently stands at 77% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Notably, "Brave" will be the first release to use Dolby's new sound system, which creates true surround sound for a more immersive experience.

See it if: You want to see what 1500 animated curls looks like (yep, that's how many are in Merida's hair)

"Seeking a Friend for the End of the World"

Rated R, 1 hr 40 mins

What would you do if the world was about to end? That's the question that "Seeking a Friend for the End of the World" asks, as it follows a middle-aged man named Dodge (Steve Carell) who befriends a young woman named Penny (Keira Knightley) in a world that will soon see the apocalypse at the hands of a meteor.

What you end up with is a sort-of romantic comedy, set in the field of the disaster movie, with strange characters and immediate danger at every turn. Critics have been a little less than kind in the early going with just 59% positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, but the top critics are standing more around 77% thus far. The movie might lose steam a bit as it goes, but there are still heartfelt moments and some comedy to be found.

See it if: You would choose Keira Knightley as your companion if the world was ending.