The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (2011)

**Coddfish** · 01-18-2012, 05:42 PM

Now, here's the other film that I went to see at the theatre. This time, I went with just my Dad in town, before New Years.

Before I begin this post, I have to be honest. Before I had even heard that there was going to be an American adaptation of this thriller, I didn't think that there would be too much to see at the theatre. Yes, I know I'm preaching to the choir, but in the past couple of years and with countless and nameless films to choose from, I had felt that there has been nothing to see at the movies, as of late.

That is...until this title came around.

When I finally heard about the film and when it was going to be released, I was pumped. And for me to be interested in a film being shown at the theatres really meant something. Hell, the last time I was ever pumped to go see a movie was when I went to see Slumdog Millionaire (2008) with a friend of mine. (And while I haven't seen it in a while, it was a damn good film!)

I guess the real reason why I was so pumped over it was because of a few factors.

1. I love the book, (Hell, I love the whole trilogy!)

And 2. The Swedish adaptations were too expensive to get on iTunes.

So, with those things in mind, I finally went to see this adaptation with my Dad, who has not even read the books. (I was a little worried about that, since he had no clue of what he was going to be getting into...)

And my verdict on this? Wow, am I glad to have seen this!

Yes folks, I loved this adaptation! Ever since I really got into reading, I have started to become a little bit critical on book to movie adaptations, though I have had a few exceptions like Carrie (1976), which I thought was a lot better than the book.

For this film, I thought it was mostly equal to the novel. It stayed pretty much faithful to the source material as it still had the same level of mystery and suspense that kept on building up and up until the end. Hell, when the mystery was about to end, I still had myself on the edge of my seat, and this is coming from a person who has read the book!

The direction was great, the score was great, the opening intro was incredible and the actors were great in their respected roles, too. Danial Craig was a great Mikael as was Rooney Mara as our little punk goth favourite, Lisbeth. While I don't think that she will win Best Actress at the Oscars, (Though, it is a pipe dream of mine!), she does deserve a nod, as she pretty much had a very accurate portrayal of Salander.

If I ever did have a complaint towards this film, it would probably be the casting decision of Erika. When we first got to see her in the beginning of the film, I actually mouthed out "THAT's Erika?". Honestly, I thought the actress who played Erika was a little bit too old to be playing her. Yes, yes, I'm picky as hell but while she wasn't bad in her role, (In fact, she was good in her portrayal as Erika), I just didn't think that she was the right choice. I guess I always envisioned that Erika was supposed to be in the middle for Mikael. Not too young, but not too old. A balance, if you will.

But, whatever. Would I ever see this film again? Of course, I would!

Would I recommend it to everyone? Maybe not everyone, (It's not for the faint of heart, as it is pretty violent), but if you're in the mood for a dark, stylish, smart and edgy thriller, you really can't go wrong with this one!

Hell, even my Dad loved it, which was a huge surprise for me! I felt so bad for him, especially during some of the nasty bits in this. I even said "Sorry" to him, a couple of times! You know he said? "For what?" *laugh*

Anyway, if you're a fan of the book, watch it! If you've seen the Swedish adaptation, leave the 'remake' remarks at the door and watch it. For folks who love a good and dark thriller...just watch it! You won't regret it!