Metascore

Generally favorable reviews - based on 36 Critics What's this?

User Score

Generally favorable reviews- based on 165 Ratings

  • Starring: Ewa Fröling, Michael Nyqvist, Noomi Rapace
  • Summary: Forty years ago, Harriet Vanger disappeared from a family gathering on the island owned and inhabited by the powerful Vanger clan. Her body was never found, yet her uncle is convinced it was murder and that the killer is a member of his own tightly knit but dysfunctional family. He employs disgraced financial journalist Mikael Blomkvist and the tattooed, ruthless computer hacker Lisbeth Salander to investigate. When the pair link Harriet's disappearance to a number of grotesque murders from almost forty years ago, they begin to unravel a dark and appalling family history. But the Vanger's are a secretive clan, and Blomkvist and Salander are about to find out just how far they are prepared to go to protect themselves. "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo" is based on the trilogy of books by Stieg Larsson and has sold over 7 million copies worldwide. Tragically, Larsson did not live to see the phenomenon his work has become as he died suddenly in 2004 soon after delivering the manuscripts to his Swedish publisher. (Music Box Films) Expand
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 31 out of 36
  2. Negative: 0 out of 36
  1. 100
    A compelling thriller to begin with, but it adds the rare quality of having a heroine more fascinating than the story.
  2. 80
    Every so often, you get the gift of watching an under-the-radar actor bloom into a critical-mass phenomenon before your bloodshot eyes: Franka Potente in "Run Lola Run," or Christoph Waltz in "Inglourious Basterds." Add Noomi Rapace to the list; what she does with the title character of this Swedish thriller-cum-pop-lit-adaptation will spawn cults of swooning Rapacephiles stat.
  3. Reviewed by: Kerry Lengel
    80
    The feminist subtext should come as no surprise given Larsson's lifelong advocacy on social-justice issues, but it also is a refreshing slant on the familiar character dynamics of crime fiction.
  4. Director Niels Arden Oplev keeps the action relatively tight. But he revels in the story’s sadism to an uncomfortable degree, especially in a needlessly vile rape scene. Two more sequels are coming. Here’s hoping there’s just a little less hate in each.

See all 36 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 30 out of 35
  2. Negative: 4 out of 35
  1. JimE.
    10
    The film is a tribute to the author, screen-writer, and the difficult task of turning a compelling work of literature into film-art. I am please to see that the northern European artists (director, screenwriter, etc.) are nuanced and understated, as opposed to an American production which would have prescribed 1) a "hottie", 2) a "hunk", 3) the seeroe-typical narcissistic attorney, and 4) a Daddy Warbucks business executive. Bottom line; I enjoyed it. Expand
  2. It was great to see a well made movie from Sweden with original memorable characters and a good story. Although I did find the English version more entertaining with a better/ deeper version of Lisbeth, this movie is still well made and has some deeper plot points. Recommended. Expand
  3. "They sure don't make 'em like this in Hollywood." That was my thought after I had calmly settled into the film, only to be jolted awake at the sight of what could be the most graphic rape/sexual violence scene I've witnessed in major cinema. It wasn't enough to make my stomach turn, but my female companion certainly wasn't too comfortable with what was going on. Later in the film, I got my own taste of that feeling. Because if The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo offers anything, sexual/graphic violence are at the top of the list.

    Okay, if you're still reading, this could be a film you would enjoy. The movie is a Swedish production (English subtitles) and is an adaptation of the first book in author Stieg Larsson's award-winning series. From what I gather, the film remains extremely faithful to the book, all the way to a nearly two and a half hour run time. The story is quite twisted and is rather well woven with many layers. The main plot revolves around a hot-shot reporter who has fallen on hard times (read: going to prison because he's been found guilty of libel) and is now hired by a dying old man to find his niece that has been missing for 40 years. Pretty standard stuff, until the pieces begin falling into place, and we learn that the main suspects are all family members. Then all bets are off and The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo steams ahead as disturbing details are discovered one after another. As far as the story goes, it's a little better than your average mystery. It keeps you guessing and there are plenty of suspects to choose from. The real gem of the film is in the character of Lisbeth Salander (played by Noomi Rapace), she of "girl with the dragon tattoo" fame. Lisbeth has been spying on Mikael Blomkvist (our unfortunate reporter) and unintentionally ends up getting herself involved in his latest project. Her character is a very complicated one. She's a hacker, covered in piercings, smokes like a chimney to calm herself down, has a very hidden and dark past including criminal activity, is withdrawn and stand-offish and yet she ends up being almost lovable. Rapace's performance is definitely a highlight of the movie. She manages Lisbeth's facial expressions and moods with ease and gives us exactly what Larsson wanted the character to be. Unfortunately, her supporting cast and the general low-budget feel of the film don't do her any favors... she can't save it on her own.

    The "book vs. movie" debate is alive and well here. Despite being a cinema lover, I usually prefer the book, and The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo did nothing to change my mind. It's a decent thriller, but the unnecessarily violent sex scenes and nature of the crimes act as shock value and don't add much meaningful to the story. However, I commend the director for staying true to the book and being unafraid to depict these same scenes as they were written. If that sounds like a bit of a contradiction, it is. And that is where I am left when it comes to my thoughts on the film - confused.

    I enjoyed it well enough, but was not blown away or inspired or emotionally riveted. I will definitely be viewing the sequels if for no other reason than to see more of Rapace, but the movie did offer up a solid crime mystery and for that I'll consider it slightly above average.
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  4. I haven't read the book so I can't tell if that was also such not thrilling. You've got a foreboding but there comes a ending that absolutely doesn't live up to expectations. Seems like Niels Arden Oplev was very unmotivated to make this movie. Noomi Rapace shows what a great actress she is, but the minor actors were hardly ignored in the film. You don't know how the both main actors feel, which may be a clever trick to get you to watch the two sequels. But TGWTDT is a disappointing criminal film with a lame story. Expand

See all 35 User Reviews

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