Movie Muncher

Based upon the successful novel from the “Millenium Series” by Stieg Larsson, the English movie version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo follows the awkward and heavily neglected Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara) and disgraced journalist Mikael Bloomkvist as they attempt to solve the mysterious disappearance of Harriet Vanger, a member of the extremely successful but broken Vanger Family.
I was extremely excited to watch this film after viewing the original Swedish version of it, which featured Michael Nyqvist as Bloomkvist and Noomi Rapace as Salander, especially as I could watch it without having to use English subtitles to understand it. I found the Swedish version absolutely fantastic and a very commendable effort at bringing the Stieg Larsson novel to life, and the key issue of sadistic behavior and violence towards women was addressed very appropriately within the movie also. Although I had never heard of Nyqvist and Rapace before, they certainly in my eyes made a name for themselves, and the chemistry between the two made them perfect to play the leading roles expected of them.
The English version sees “James Bond” actor Daniel Craig take the roll of the disgraced Bloomkvist, and although I was unsure of this casting at first, I now am willing to say he does a fantastic job of portraying the character. It was also nice to see him moving away from the character of James Bond and into an entirely different one for a significantly different themed film entirely. Mara also makes a good attempt at portraying Lisbeth Salander, the most important character of all, who is shown both in the novels and films to be an extremely complex character. I do feel, however, that Noomi Rapace gave a more convincing performance at presenting the complexity of the character in the Swedish version that Mara; however I do believe it always would have been difficult to beat her performance either way. Though both Craig and Mara do a fantastic job of playing their characters, however, the actors of the Swedish version of the movie are a lot stronger in terms of chemistry than the two of the English version, though they are very close to perfecting it.
The story is presented fantastically, and ensures the movie makes a name for itself and not simply be a “Rookie” version of the Swedish masterpiece. It has a certain feel that makes it notably unique, perhaps due to the presence of the legendary Daniel Craig. The darkness of the story, particularly its sensitive key issues as mentioned are also presented to a commendable extent, and does indeed make you think about the danger some people (particularly women) can go through when the country they are in fails to help them and give them the rights they deserve.
The English version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo has pleased me immensely, and the director has really made the film individually special. Though it isn’t quite as excellent as the Swedish version, it comes very close to doing so.
If you are looking for a dark but well-made movie with a complex but intelligent storyline, then The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is without a doubt a high contender. A must watch movie based on a spectacular author.
Rating: 9.5/10
Review by Mac.