Many people had great expectations for the new movie “Lincoln.” If you are a patient movie viewer, interested in history, or a fan of cold cut dramatic movies, this could be the perfect movie for you. Otherwise, this movie can be slow going.

As a big Steven Spielberg fan, I went into this movie with my hopes high. The opening scene features Lincoln listening to some Union soldier’s stories and complaints and it makes him out to be a very caring president. I was expecting him to offer some kind words or advice such as leaders do, but the scene just kind of fizzled out.

The movie is the story of the end of President Lincoln’s first term, right before his second term begins. The main conflict of the movie is that Lincoln is trying to get the 13th amendment to the Constitution ratified.

The story idea is a good one and has some potential, but the movie made me feel like I was in eighth grade U.S. History, learning the same stuff over again. I would have liked to see the actors bring something to the material that made it come alive. The movie made it feel like reading a book rather than witnessing events really happening.

Daniel Day-Lewis did a fairly good job as Lincoln, being British. I was impressed at his portrayal of such a famous American. His American accent wasn’t too bad either. The only thing that bothered me about the character of Lincoln was that he seemed so soft-spoken and timid. Lincoln was a really interesting and captivating man, but with Day-Lewis almost whispering some of the lines, he just seemed sad.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt may have drawn in many people into this movie because they are fans of his work. I was excited to see him as Lincoln’s son in the movie, but honestly his role seemed rather insignificant. His only purpose to the plot was to get Lincoln to let him sign up to be a soldier. Other than that, his character was basically as flat as a pancake.

One aspect of the movie that I really enjoyed was James Spader, who some might remember as Steff from the 1980s hit “Pretty In Pink.” Spader played the role of W.N. Bilbo, a lobbyist trying to convince representatives to approve the amendment. His character was eccentric and how he dealt with representatives’ reactions was amusing. He provided some much needed comic relief and I only wished that he could have been on screen a little more.

The ending started to move fast and it felt as if they crammed all the really interesting parts in at the last moment. I wasn’t expecting some kind of chase scene or shootout, but I just thought they could have livened a few scenes up with more enthusiasm in the acting.

I really enjoy movies that are based on history because they can make real historical events as interesting as fiction. However, “Lincoln” didn’t quite cut it for me.

If you’re thinking about seeing it, I wouldn’t discourage you, but make sure that you’re ready to listen to quite a bit of dialogue. If you’re not sure you’d be interested in that, it might be a good Redbox pick.