The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Name: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Crime
Released: March 19, 2010
Duration: 152 min
Rating: 76
Cast: Ewa Fröling, Michael Nyqvist, Noomi Rapace

2010

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 36 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 235 Ratings

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7.6

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7.6	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 235 Ratings

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The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

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Movie Details & Credits

Music Box Films | Release Date: March 19, 2010

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 andForty 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

Director: Niels Arden Oplev

Genre(s): Mystery, Thriller, Crime

Runtime: 152 min

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Critic Reviews

100

Roger Ebert

A compelling thriller to begin with, but it adds the rare quality of having a heroine more fascinating than the story. Read full review

Steve Persall

Rapace is a magnetic presence in a far-ranging mystery requiring such a solid character to orbit around. Read full review

Rene Rodriguez

The biggest compliment you can pay the much-anticipated film adaptation of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is that you can't imagine Stieg Larsson's corker of a story ever having existed in book form. Read full review

Lawrence Toppman

Here’s a paradox: The millions of people who have read Stieg Larsson’s The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo are the panting target audience for the Swedish-language film adaptation. Yet they’re also likeliest to be disappointed by this carefully crafted drama, while people who haven’t read the book are likely to enjoy the movie and wonder what the literary fuss is about. Read full review

Wesley Morris

The movies rarely gives us a woman as fascinatingly complex as Lisbeth Salander, and the happiest news about the two sequels is that she’ll be back. Read full review

Bob Mondello

Lisbeth, pierced, tattooed and played by Rapace with a sometimes uncontrolled ferocity, qualifies as both a victim of male violence and a violent avenger of it. This makes her a lot more compelling than her comparatively passive partner -- something that Hollywood will doubtless find it necessary to "remedy" when Girl With the Dragon Tattoo is remade in English. Read full review

Manohla Dargis

Though Ms. Rapace is a fine professional scowler, with cheekbones that thrust like knives and a pout that’s mostly pucker, she tends to register as an intriguing idea instead of a thoroughly realized character. She more or less looks the part that the filmmakers don’t let her fully play. Read full review

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User Reviews

SaraSurgo

Feb 14, 2013

The Swedish film, based off of the late Steig Larsson's first book in his Millennium series, is a wonderful beginning to a trilogy of cinema. It is easily seen as a successful task of turning a work of literature into film. It has done Larsson's books a great justice!

It is dark, curious,The Swedish film, based off of the late Steig Larsson's first book in his Millennium series, is a wonderful beginning to a trilogy of cinema. It is easily seen as a successful task of turning a work of literature into film. It has done Larsson's books a great justice!

It is dark, curious, brooding, violent, and thrilling. The settings of the film's scenes were unimaginably dead-on from the book. The character casting and cinematography are astonishing.

The financial journalist Mikael Blomkvist, played by Michael Nyqvist, is a mix of wit, steadfastness, and even a edge of humor. He is intelligent, and pairs well with the bright and dynamic Lisbeth.

Lisbeth Salander, played by Noomi Rapace, was casted wonderfully if not perfectly. Her edge, look, and body language really brought life to the character of Lisbeth. Lisbeth's past has set her present and maybe even future in the unsteady hands of the corrupt. The two stories of Blomkvist and Salander stand aside, overlap, intertwine, and come together in a wonderful pace. A 40-year old crime is dropped in the lap of Blomkvist to decipher once and for all contending with his own battles in the eyes of politics and financial journalism. Salander, the reserved technology-driven hacker, whom is assigned cases by a security company, is researching Blomkvist. Her life, ruled by her hard past and difficult present, draws you in and doesn't let you go. The two characters come to work together and take on a heavy journey of murders, misogyny, mental illness, revenge, and corruption.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

JimE.

Apr 25, 2010

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 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

5 of 5 users found this helpful

FredR.

Mar 27, 2010

Compelling thriller. Could have lost the business of the journo's opening conviction and closing redemption against the evil industrialist. The main story, about the Vanger's is all that really matters. Losing the subplot would have cut 20min. or so from run time and made it a Compelling thriller. Could have lost the business of the journo's opening conviction and closing redemption against the evil industrialist. The main story, about the Vanger's is all that really matters. Losing the subplot would have cut 20min. or so from run time and made it a bigger hit, which it deserves to be. I loved Rapace as Lisbeth. There should be more female characters like hers. Smart, sexy, powerful.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful

FilipeNeto

Oct 24, 2020

I certainly must not have been the only one to discover this film via it's American "twin brother". I did not read the book to judge how the adaptation did it justice, but I have faith that it would have been excellent. Skillfully directed by Neil Arden Oplev, this Swedish film was also myI certainly must not have been the only one to discover this film via it's American "twin brother". I did not read the book to judge how the adaptation did it justice, but I have faith that it would have been excellent. Skillfully directed by Neil Arden Oplev, this Swedish film was also my first contact with Scandinavian cinema.

I do not know if it's worthwhile to dwell on the plot, which begins with the investigation of a disappearance in a very rich and powerful family to give rise to a tense and appealing story of mystery surrounding a murderer of women. It is a dense film, with a lot of tension and characters full of personality and easy to like. Of course, the leading role goes entirely to the unfortunate journalist Mikael Blomkvist and his occasional collaborator Lisbeth Salander, a punk hacker with a past of violence and delinquency. The film knows perfectly how to build a tense and mysterious environment, and play with it to keep the audience watching.

The cast has several names in Swedish cinema that are naturally unknown to me because I am far from being a minimal connoisseur of this cinematic universe. Anyway, I really liked Michael Nyqvist's performance, but the extraordinary Noomi Rapace steals all the attention whenever she appears. She is truly talented and has grasped her character with determination, willing to show value. And so it was!

Technically, I would like to highlight the excellent quality of cinematography and the work of filming and editing. The film is long, almost three hours long and in some versions (perhaps the most dedicated to TV) it appears divided in two halves ... but it is totally worth it and if the audience is carried away, they will not even feel the time passing. The effects are minimal, but they fulfill their role, the dialogues are excellent and the lines work very well. The sets and costumes, as well as the Swedish landscapes (with or without snow) increase the visual beauty of the whole ensemble. The soundtrack does its job well.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

jarc

Mar 24, 2011

I recently finished the book and upon completion, I just had to see the movie. I thought it was an excellent adaptation considering the amount of material. The cast was superb and the setting was beautiful. I am not sure why America has to remake it, but David Fincher is an excellentI recently finished the book and upon completion, I just had to see the movie. I thought it was an excellent adaptation considering the amount of material. The cast was superb and the setting was beautiful. I am not sure why America has to remake it, but David Fincher is an excellent director and he can of course change certain elements of the film by adding material that were left out of the Swedish version. Now casting the role of Lisbeth will be challenging because Noonmi Rapace's performance was superb. I do have one HUGE complaint, however. We rented the film from Netflix and watched the previews. Well, to my shock and dismay, the preview began for the SEQUEL, The Girl Who Played With Fire. Before I could react quick enough to locate the remote and hit the menu button, I heard/saw info about one of the major characters. Talk about a spoiler. I am currently reading TGWPWF and am only on about page 160-170. I was sooo disappointed and angry. Why on earth would anyone show the preview for a SEQUEL in the first part of the series??????? Imagine if when The Godfather premiered, the trailer for The Godfather II was shown before the movie. Unbelievable.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

nascent

Jan 29, 2012

Girl With Dragon Tattoo (2009): Better pacing and editing than Fincher's film, more interesting. The relationship is better developed, otherwise the remake is a shot-for-shot clone of the original.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

aics119

Mar 18, 2012

This movie is nothing compared to the American remake. I was thoroughly disappointed with the acting, writing, directing, and the quality of this film.

0 of 9 users found this helpful09

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61	#61 Best Movie of 2010
92	#92 Most Discussed Movie of 2010
90	#90 Most Shared Movie of 2010