“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" (2011)

“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”, set in present day Sweden, is a gripping, twisting murder mystery that lays a very solid foundation for the remaining movies within the Millennium Trilogy. With a run time of 158 minutes, Rooney Mara has given Lizbeth Salander’s character a soft and childlike perspective, while still maintaining the intelligence of a world class computer hacker and kick ass demeanor of a mentally and physically scarred soul. If you could mix the dark and disturbing nature of “Silence of the Lambs” with the sexy and creative storyline of “Basic Instinct” then you would have “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”.

If you have never seen the original Swedish version of the movie then, “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” with Daniel Craig (Mikael Blomkvist) and Rooney Mara (Lizbeth Salander) has a unique Hollywood twist on the dark and intriguing draw that was the original film. Although,for an American audience who is mostly being introduced to Lizbeth Salander for the first time, this new perspective works.

The movie begins with the legal woes of Mikael Blomkvist (Craig) editor and director of Millennium Magazine. He has just been sued for libel and the judgment will empty out his savings account. Blomkvist credibility is completely gone and his magazine running on financial fumes; Blomkvist decides to distance himself from the magazine and is soon contacted by billionaire Henrik Vanger (Christopher Plummer). Vanger asks Blomkvist to investigate the 40 year old murder of Vangers beloved niece.  Should Blomkvist take on case, Vanger offers to reward Blomkvist financially, but to also give him back something invaluable to a journalist; his credibility.

Lizbeth Salander is different; a ward of the state, who has been deemed mentally incompetent and unable to manage her own affairs, walks into the apartment of her guardian to find that he has had a stroke. No longer able to serve as Lizbeths guardian, the state gives guardianship of Lizbeth to Bjurman, a deranged and sadistic man who demands that Lizbeth perform sexual favors for his cooperation in keeping her out of the mental institution. After being sexually violated in a scene that gives this film it’s “Serious R Rating”, and is almost too graphic to watch. Lizbeth takes matters into her own hands to ensure that something like this never happens to her or any other woman again.

The story runs a parallel path into the life of Blomkvist and Salander for about 45 minutes until Lizbeth (Mara) and Mikael (Craig), cross paths. “I want you to help me find a killer of women!” Lizbeth soon joins Blomkvist in his search to solve the murder of not one but 7 women.

If you are a fan of mysteries, a conspiracy theorist, or love movies that will keep you on the edge of your seat with anticipation. You will love, “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”. The movie is however 158 minutes and just incase you did not do the math that is 2 hours and 38 minutes.  And that will deter some, but the risk is well worth the reward.

***Be warned this movie is rated R for Violence, Nudity, Sexual situations, and very Graphic rape scene. This movie is not for Children and possible not suitable for young adults.

I rated this 8 of 10.

(This is my first review)

Please let me know what you think in the comments section below...