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It started in much the same way that the book did with an introduction to the fifty year old crime of Harriet Vanger’s disappearance. The niece of Vanger Corporation’s aging mogul went missing after a tragic accident near the family estate. Her absence haunted Henrik, and it’s his hope to use the wounded Mikael Blomkvist to give one more effort into the mystery of her demise. The similarly named Michael Nyqvist portrays the journalist for the liberal economic rag known as Millennium. He and part-time lover, all-time coworker Erika Berger are barely developed in their business history so the haggard-faced Lena Endre is out of place in the necessary scenes that develop the journalistic backdrop. Nyqvist is no looker, either. Blomkvist will be much better cast by America’s Hollywood when Daniel Craig or another sage face takes over the role this year. Berger’s role as Blomkvist’s lover and best friend should not have been dropped but accentuated to draw the contrast between her and Lisbeth.

The mentally deranged and excessively withdrawn Lisbeth Salander is portrayed by Noomi Rapace. She’s spot on as the sexually ambiguous troubled woman who uses her Asberger’s traits to uncover conspiracy and sexual crimes. Rapace is punked out, gothed up, and borderline crazy in her depiction of the prodigy. Her presence makes this film worth watching after feeling let down by the great expectations of the book. The sequence of events are not in order and are of varying levels of violence. The sexual attacks on Lisbeth by her guardian are both true to the book and undersold by the director.

Director Niels Arden Oplev cut many corners but still managed to drag it out for nearly two and a half hours. He omitted some majorly aggressive and offensive acts in the interaction between Salander and her guardian Bjurman (Peter Andersson), thus saving Kroner on the sex toy department. Oplev had enough to worry about with finding the appropriate mansion to serve as the Vanger estate. Henrik and Martin are adequately cast with Peter Haber and Sven-Bertil Taube.

The Vanger family is the source of the most deviation from Larsson’s original book. Cecilia, Anita, Harriet and Harald are all altered to suit the director’s need, and key aspects of their roles in the family secret are changed, as well. Combined with the excessive run time, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo drags on and on. The conclusion of duel victims is virtually dropped and the villain meets a demise rather different from the intended one in the book.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is not a complete letdown and has some pretty strong moments that will explain why so many were drawn into the dead man’s trilogy.

Points Earned: Three for Noomi Rapace’s role as Lisbeth and two for the loyalties to the writer’s intent.

Disclaimer: No werewolves were harmed in the making of this film.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
5/10

Tags: 2009, crime thriller, foreign, foreign drama, foreign thriller, latest movie reviews, michael nyqvist, niels arden opley, noomi rapace, rape, scandinavian, sexual abuse, sexual assault, swedish drama, swedish thriller, thriller