Customer Ratings & Reviews

If you like history, great acting then this movie is for you.

This is a very narrow documentary about a small portion of Lincoln's life. I hadn't heard much about it prior to watching but overall I thought it was average, too long and I'd had like to have seen more of Lincoln's life.

you can get the dvd solo, but when purchasing the blu ray it includes the dvd. Why would I want a 2nd dvd copy of the film when purchasing a blu ray.

If your a history buff then this movie is for you. However if your looking for an exciting movie, Do NOT waste your money, like I did.

The movie was darker than I was lead to believe from the commercials I had seen about it. Not one of my favorites.

film could have been not as in-depth and could have been more emphasis on the civil war

I would buy it again. It's long but enriched with history

I watched it once and forgot that I had watched it before and made a terrible mistake in purchasing it. I think I may donate it to the local library so you can save your money

Even though the movie portrays a pivotal moment in history the movie does little to convey the mood.

Can't write a review when I didn't get the movie to do so.

Long boring movie. Too many parts of the movie with long talks and no action.

You make it your mission to rid your nation of its most shameful human rights violation. While fighting a war to achieve that goal, you’re simultaneously trying to pass legislation in furtherance of that goal. What if you fail? Abraham Lincoln (played by Daniel Day-Lewis) has brought the south to the edge of defeat in The Civil War but has yet to pass the thirteenth amendment which will outlaw slavery and involuntary servitude. He feels that he can’t end the war without first passing the amendment. His cabinet, in contrast, feels they will not be able to pass the amendment if they are not trying to end the war. His Secretary of State, William Seward (played by David Strathairn) tells him that peace and the amendment are mutually exclusive. Debates among congressmen rage on the floor on a constant basis with arguments in favor of abolition being voiced by Republican congressman Thaddeus Stevens (played by Tommy Lee Jones) and arguments opposing abolition coming from Fernando Wood (played by Lee Pace) and George H. Pendleton (played by Peter McRobbie). Behind the scenes, operative William N. Bilbo (played by James Spader) is constructing backroom, and in some cases backwoods, deals that will ensure anyone who may vote for the amendment will and anyone who won’t will abstain. As far as any struggles Abraham Lincoln is dealing with in his home life, his son, Robert Todd Lincoln (portrayed by Joseph Gordon-Leavitt), has abandoned studies at Harvard to join the Union army. His mother, First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln (portrayed by Sally Field) is foursquare against the idea of her son going to war, as she is still dealing with the loss of two sons. Edward Baker Lincoln who died in 1850 and William Wallace Lincoln who succumbed to typhoid fever one year prior to the Emancipation Proclamation. I cannot overstate how much I enjoyed this movie. Some actors simply play themselves while answering to different names and others disappear into a role. Where Bruce Willis is the former, Daniel Day-Lewis is most definitely the latter. Makeup or no, this is not an actor’s portrayal of Abraham Lincoln, this is a brilliant man transforming himself into the most courageous politician this country’s ever known. Likewise, Tommy Lee Jones as Thaddeus Stevens, a man even more devoted to the cause of abolishing slavery but far less concerned with matters such as tact and courtesy steals every scene he is in. There is no justification for foregoing this movie for this long but, if you haven’t seen it yet, you should. It is brilliant.

Great history movie. If you like civil war history

I was surprised to see some professional critics remark that the film was nothing but a dry historical lesson. When I went to the theater, I found myself fully immersed in the film for all of its 150 minutes. Like any great movie, it tells a story very much worth telling in a fashion that's completely absorbing and gripping even if we know the outcome. Daniel Day-Lewis' performance is as terrific and deserving of all the awards he won for the part. He creates a performance that feels so lived in and real that he completely embodies our 16th President for all of the film's running time. His Lincoln is a sort mischievous storyteller who has both a folksy charm and a commanding presence, and it's easy to see why the nation loved him. Supporting performances are equally strong, and include Sally Field as Mary Todd Lincoln, Tommy Lee Jones as abolitionist Thaddeus Stevens, David Strathairn as Lincoln's secretary of state, and Joseph Gordon Levitt as Robert Todd Lincoln. The cast is filled with one remarkable performer after another. Scene stealers include Lee Pace, Michael Stuhlbarg, Walton Goggins, and of course, James Spader who creates a remarkably funny character. Spielberg doesn't get enough credit for his masterful direction and Tony Kushner's screenplay is a fascinatingly well constructed work. I could go on discussing the wonderful jobs by all of the film's crew but I won't. Needless to say, each of the film's 12 Academy Award nominations were well deserved and the film deserved more wins that it had on Oscar night. The Blu-ray looks amazing, as should any recent production. Janusz Kaminski's cinematography is perfectly replicated on this Blu-ray disc which is sharp, detailed, and very film-like. The film's soundtrack is equally well replicated in 7.1-channel DTS-HD Master Audio. As you can probably tell, I loved the film enough to spring for the pricier 4-disc edition which includes a bonus disc of special features. In total, they run about 80-minutes. As always, the supplements on Spielberg's films are well produced, but I was disappointed there wasn't more. For a film dealing with such great historical significance and what I imagine was a huge production, the extras could and probably should've gone on for another two hours. They could have explored the real life Lincoln and passing of the 13th Amendment, and taken a more detailed approach to documenting the film's production. But what we get is great stuff and worth the purchase for fans of the film. In summation, an excellent film. One of the very finest of 2012 and an excellent Blu-ray.

A bit of a lengthy movie, but very good, with beautiful visuals.

You'll either love this movie or you'll find it boring. I fall into the former camp because the dialogue is magnificent and intriguing (as is the historical subject matter#, and the way the Oscar-winning production design by Rick Carter is delivered I was swept away to another time. I felt like I was in Lincoln's chambers or in the House of Representatives or in the White House as a fly on the wall. Lewis nearly disappears into the role of Lincoln, and what remains of him perfectly compliments the man I've always envisioned Abe Lincoln to be. Spielberg has never been this restrained and cerebral and this film is just another feather in his varied cap. Chances are, it will feel like every bit of its 2 hr and 20 min running time, but that's okay. We can afford to set aside that much time for a film this important and skillfully-made. I have docked this some points on the special features disc (I am reviewing the edition that comes with the extra BD bonus disc) because it doesn't deliver all that it should for a film this important, from a studio this resourceful, and for the surcharge it carries with it. What's on disc is great material and not too repetitive, but it lacks one of those big 60-minute+ catch-all features that you can just sit back and enjoy without fiddling with the remote to play 10 different small featurettes. It also lacks an audio commentary. I realize Spielberg does not do these, but I'd bet anything that source author Doris Kearns Goodwin and Oscar-nominated scribe Tony Kushner would have done a tremendous one. And Rick Carter probably as well. Oh well. It wouldn't surprise me to see another edition of this released somewhere down the line with more thorough special features.

This review will concentrate on the merits of the Blu-ray rather than the movie itself. Lincoln is a first rate transfer, consistent with director Steven Spielberg's artistic intent. Color and contrast are dialed in perfectly. And although there are moments of diffuse softness (which is not a flaw but the filmmakers intent), detail is excellent throughout. Lincoln's DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 surround track is detailed and articulate, but not bombastic by any means. Great restraint was used here. Since this is a dialog heavy film, much of the sound occurs though the center channel. LFE and surround channel, though active, are rightfully reigned in. Special features on this 4-disc edition are mostly short featurettes. The stand out is undoubtedly the "Living with Lincoln" featurette, which happens to be the longest at nearly 30 minutes. Overall this is a great presentation. Only the most nitpicky will find issue here.

Well, Spielberg has definitely made up for War Horse here. An actors' movie for sure; Day-Lewis deserves yet another Oscar (even if he doesn't receive one - he has so many), for he again disappears into his role as Lincoln. And the quality character actors in this movie is endless, even figures with a few lines are cast with great character actors; I'm surprised Spielberg didn't win out. Tommy Lee Jones and David Strathairn are the major standouts, as they are given the most to do. Although I said it's an actors movie, the script is top notch and Spielberg's direction is pretty good (especially like that shot of Lincoln and his son at the window near the end). There may be a scene or two too many where the movie stops to sermonize "Spielberg-ian" style, but truthfully it's forgivable because Day-Lewis is electric as Lincoln.

This was a really great movie. Everything from the cinematography to the acting was amazing. Danial Day Lewis is wonderful as Lincoln, but Tommy Lee Jones seems to steal every scene he's in. I would recommend this to anyone that's willing to watch a very intelligent, beautiful movie that contains the best dialogue this side of a Tarantino movie. Enjoy and pass on to the next person!

I was one of the lucky ones to see a screening of Lincoln prior to it's release. This is one of those movies that is destined to becoming a classic. Daniel Day-Lewis was nothing short of amazing ,he didn't portray Lincoln ,he was Lincoln. The supporting cast turned in some outstanding performances and it was Tommy Lee Jones that led the pack.The only issue I had was, for the first 30 minutes or so of this 2 1/2 hour epic, was slow and due to the language of the day, I had a bit of trouble following what was going on. As things progressed ,I began really getting into it and by the part in the movie where the votes on slavery began tallying, it was both stellar and stirring . Whether you are a history buff, student in school, general movie goer or new to this country , This ones for you.