The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo - US version

[APanbyanyothername]

Just seen it. Anyone else??

As much as I loved Noomi Rapace, I have to admit that this version is just..well....better. Massive amount of money, better acting, better editing from the book, more anti-social Salander, better-done rape scene ( boy is the revenge bit sweeter for it), just better all round, as much as it behoves to say.

No-one else then?

Okay - bit of drip feeding?
Language - only Craig has an English accent - all other characters speak English with a Swedish accent. It works really. Script is sharper ( and funnier) than the Swedish version, but the writer was responsible foro "The Social Network" and "Schindler's List".

Plot - sticks pretty much to the book other than a few small exceptions and one massive one, though none of these detract from the film.

Salander - the Bomqvist relationship reflects the book better, though also underlining her vulnerability and at one point she appears almost translucent. ( you'll see what I mean when you see it). She appears edgier here and her transformation into her other 'role' is startling.
Audios very good, tho' a weirdy choice of soundtrack in one of the tension-filled scenes.

I saw it yesterday. Was one of the most boring films I've ever seen. Haven't read the books or seen the other versions. I was prepared to leave the cinema if the rape was upsetting (sensitive to that subject, not for any particular reason, just find it very upsetting/difficult), not in this film though. Wooden, cold, unmoving and bland. Sorry.

No need to apologise. I am bemused by the 'boring' tag, but that's your opinion.

I liked it better than the Swedish version, too.

I think with all films-adapted-from-thrillers, the set-up to the story that's in the book is too condensed, so you don't get the feel for the Wennerström storyline. OTOH, that is without a doubt the most hard-slog part of the book, the fifty-odd pages which explain the intricacies of the financial misdealings

I did question whether or not I wanted to see the rape scenes - in the end I closed my eyes and tried to zone out. It's not a trigger for me, it's just not entertainment. [understatement]

The main thing I hated about the books was (secondary to the sexual violence) the way that Blomkvist was described as yet another middle-aged, hard-drinking, out-of-shape bloke, who, despite all that, was an expert lover and irresistible to women. However, by casting Daniel Craig, they have made this pretty much true and got rid of the out-of-shape idea. That worked well. [drool]

Yes, as I recall from all three books he 'beds' Salander, his publishing partner, 2 of the Wenger women, and a cop toward the end of 'the hornets nest'. Something of an indulgence for what is in many ways an auto-biog.

It really grossed me out towards the end of the books. I thought it was sad that he'd written a sexed-up version of himself into the stories. I suspect more responsive editing, if he'd lived, would have sorted it to some extent.

However, shallow alert: it's much more enjoyable watching Daniel Craig being craggy and twinkly, and occasionally semi-naked, than it is reading the books. Much.

Is Daniel Craig in it? I must have missed that.. Now, Noomi Rapace........

I am told that the other books are also planned to be done by the same 'team'. The Larsson industry is making a fortune out of me.

I loved it!!!

Was great from start to finish. Rape scene not comfortable, but apart from that thought it was fab! Thought it was "different" to other films.

Haven't read the book, but have a copy, will be reading now.

I haven't read the book, but loved the film. Accents bother me so it did seem odd that Daniel Craig had a english accent, other that found it thoroughly engrossing. I really didn't know what to expect as I had no idea what the story line was. At one stage i thought some of the back ground music/track was coming from the screen next door, but on the whole it did work.

For some reason I kept getting feeling of the 1970s film The Odessa File, I have no idea why!

Haven't read the book - my thoughts on the US-film:

rape scene - repulsive and titillating, didn't need to be shown in the extent it was to get across that she was being raped (same for forced blowjob)

revenge scene - as above. Where's the difference between that and snuff?

Salander - total cliche goth from the tattoos and piercings to her (of course, how couldn't she be?) bisexuality.

Her jumping (and of course! How couldn't she?) falling for Salander as cliched as her gothiness

Is that really the super duper cool character woman everyone's been raving on about?

Blomquist is not interesting in the slightest and there's no depth of character whatsoever.

Whodunnit - plot: Contrived as contrived can be.

Overall very long and boring. Maybe I'm missing back story for not having read the books, but not planning to.

Hmm WidowWadman-you do need to read the books.Lisbeth is FAR from a cliched goth.She is actually a very sad and vulnerable creature, who has a HUGE backstory that has made her the way she is. It is hinted at in the books,but not explored that she is actually ASD rather than some insane goth cliche. I think thats maybe why we like her so much.

I thought th movie was good actually-but like everything else the books are better.However IMO the Dragon tattoo book is NOT the best one.The other two are much better.

Swedish people speaking to each other in English with an English accent is no weirder than them speaking English with a Swedish accent.

I prefer the first book actually, it's a nice contained mystery. The Harriet Vanger part is actually very Agatha Christie. Girl disappears from an island, limited number of people around, no way off.

I tried reading the books - gave up after about 90 pages bored to tears. Really don't want to revisit.

Swedish people speaking to each other in English with an English accent is no weirder than them speaking English with a Swedish accent.

It's the mix of accents that slightly off putting. Everyone has a swedish accent including the other english/us/canadian actors except Daniel Craig who has an english accent even though he is supposed to be swedish.

It would be worse if the American actors were using English accents to pretend to be Swedish :o

I saw it at the weekend, didn't realise it was a US version , as there were mostly British / European actors .
I liked the film , especially as the characters looked their age , and I now have a severe case of Swedish house envy ( without the murder chamber obviously )

Just saw it and thoguht pretty good version of the very complex book.
Surprised they collapsed the end, making the person who in the book was the sister in Englad, into Harrit.
In the book she goes to Oz doesn't she and Blomkvist flies out to her.

I've read the books and I thought the film very good. Stieg Larsson created the character of Lisbeth as a kind of atonement. He witnessed a gang rape and never forgave himself for not intervening (don't know the full details) but the victim's name was Lisbeth.

It was chilly and bleak but very powerful. The actor who played Martin was truly terrifying and I also noticed a surprisingly large number of women over 40 in it - which in itself is rare for a Hollywood movie. Geraldine James and Joely Richardson - and a few others. My point is that the actresses looked beautiful but not a in a frozen 'I may be over 40 but I've been dipped in formaldehyde' way.

I thought the rape scene went on too long. Did we really need to have a good long look at him ripping off her trousers and let the camera linger on her manacled to the bed? And then a good view of him actually raping her? Because when she goes back and tasers him - we don't see her shoving the plug up his arse - it's implied.

I too have read all three books and I saw the film last night.
I loved it and thought it was a very good representation of the book.

Of course it lacked all the detail and many of the characters of the book, in order to fit it into a film length. I found myself filling the gaps in the film plot with my own memories from the book, so maybe people who haven't read it get a slightly less-fulfilling experience.

The plot is not perfect, but it's well acted and well produced.
I also thought that Trent Reznor's sound track fitted perfectly.

I liked the film despite struggling with the book. Daniel Craig was excellent and very watchable!
My only negative was the sound track, often it was louder than the dialogue and I was unable to hear everything (surround sound is not for me)

I've seen both the Swedish version and US version and thought both were really good despite expecting to hate the US version.