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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 Critics

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 219 Ratings

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7.6

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7.6	Your Score
7.6	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 219 Ratings

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THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO

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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Awards & Rankings

61	#61 Best Movie of 2010
93	#93 Most Discussed Movie of 2010
90	#90 Most Shared Movie of 2010

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Metascore

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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

JerryC.

Mar 20, 2010

What an incredible movie. The acting is superb, the settings were perfect, and the story - holy crap - incredible. I hear that they're going to to a remake for American audiences. Why??? This movie really is close to perfect. What American actress is going to pull of that lead role?? What an incredible movie. The acting is superb, the settings were perfect, and the story - holy crap - incredible. I hear that they're going to to a remake for American audiences. Why??? This movie really is close to perfect. What American actress is going to pull of that lead role?? It's like La Femme Nikita all over again. Is Bridgette Fonda available anyone???… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful

MovieGuys

Nov 6, 2014

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo is a gripping, shocking thriller. It has amazing performances by Rapace and Nyqvist, a rich, superbly written script, and some of the most graphic torture and rape scenes you will ever see in mainstream cinema. This one of the best films to come out of SwedenThe Girl With the Dragon Tattoo is a gripping, shocking thriller. It has amazing performances by Rapace and Nyqvist, a rich, superbly written script, and some of the most graphic torture and rape scenes you will ever see in mainstream cinema. This one of the best films to come out of Sweden in the last 10 years.… 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

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

sailoraide

Jan 18, 2011

"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"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.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

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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