The original 2009 Millennium trilogy was great and held up on every level. When they decided to do an American remake, there were a lot of people that just found it unnecessary. The originals featured great performances by stars Noomi Rapace and Michael Nqyvist that few thought could be outmatched. With the attachment of director David Fincher and stars Daniel Craig and relative unknown Rooney Mara, the high bar that was set by the originals seemed to possible be within reach, but could it even come close?
Dragon Tattoo follows a reporter who has been disgraced and an unusual but brilliant investigator as they team up to try and solve the long-ago disappearance of a wealthy industrials niece. While trying to solve this past crime, they are dragged into a modern savage crime that unearths even more questions. After seeing the originals, going into this movie it’s hard not to be jaded, but you will be in for a treat. Not only does this movie live up to the quality of the original, it actually surpasses it on some levels. There are some differences here and there, but also seems to add more to the story that helps it move more smoothly. The performances are awesome by everyone involved. Noomi Rapace had big shoes to fill with her performance of Lisabeth and Rooney Mara nailed it. She didn’t try to mimic Rapace’s version, but instead just went with her own take on the character, which eerily came off almost identical in some aspects. These two ladies took the same character and made their own mark, while maintaining quite similar performances. Craig gave a strong performance, easily one of the best of his career. The most surprising aspect was the take on the more graphic nature of the film. Typically American films get watered down, but not here. Fincher’s version seemed to be a bit darker on some levels than the original and graphic beyond expectations.
If you’ve never read the books or seen any of the films, be warned these are dark films. There are some pretty graphic rape aspects in both versions that could be hard to watch by some people, but are necessary for the bigger picture of the series. This might be one of the best remakes of a film out there and will not only ease the mind of those concerned, it will also make you eager for the next installment.
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