The Girl With The Dragoon Tattoo (***1/2 out of ****)

Murder, rape, abuse, sodomy, religious crimes, deceit, nazis and wild eroticism are all carried out in The Girl With The Dragoon Tattoo.  It has the best elements a story needs to succeed. A world where good and evil are not necessarily defined by typical standards. Instead let us dive into a new world where what might disturbs us also gets us thrills. Themes in films that may have turned you off before may excite you like never before here.

I won't give a plot summary because it will be a lengthy process that seems unnecessary. If you don't know anything about Lisbeth Salander by now I can't help you. Just take my word that if you have not read the books or seen the swedish films run to the theater now. You are missing out on a worldwide phenomenal. Instead I feel like reexamining Lisbeth as a character and talking about how this film was successful with living up to it's universe.

Rooney Mara plays Lisbeth in this adaption. She had a scene stealing scene at the beginning of The Social Network that showed to me (any most the world) she would have the gaul to play this heroine. Mara plays the role like a frightened animal ready to pounce. It's grade A work on her part. Lisbeth is small and dresses as punk as you can get. She is not the classic image or personality most female heroes have shared throughout history. No, instead she is defined by character. Lisbeth is strong in mind, spirit and courage. She is both imaginative and intelligent in procedure. She is not a classic sex symbol but has a sensuality that is oddly alluring. Maybe not so strange as people have a desire for new and darker styles of life. Lisbeth as a hero in a story is the best thing to make it interesting. A strong character can make this good but somewhat confusing story mesmerizing.

This version is very strong as it is not a classic remake. It's a remaining. David Fincher has made a dark and more electric world. It is not as brutally threatening as the Swedish version though. There is no better version of this film. They are both equally fine. They just tackle the story in a slightly different style. I can say I preferred Noomi Rapace to Rooney Mara. Both are truly great in the role but Rapace felt more uneasy in her skin and ready attack at any moment. Daniel Craig as Mikael Blomkvist keeps the character alive and fresh. However he brings a confidence and strength in presence to the role. Michael Nyqvist doesn't seem so confident in attitude and thus a bit more likely to fail. The idea if failure is possible can make any story so much more entertaining. Predictability is thrown out the window in that sense. The film is very strongly made but the story isn't perfect. That is more of the source material's problem though. You can bring up the question "how many times will we see this story?" I say if they are all this good this story can continue as long as it's possible.

***1/2 out of  ****