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The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

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The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo - 13/12/2011 7:17:33 PM   
Empire Admin

 

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Post #: 1
Saw this coming.. - 13/12/2011 7:17:33 PM   
ingloriouslanda


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From: Glasgow
 The Swedish adaptation got a five star review, and rightly so it's one of the best adaptations I've ever seen. I knew that this one would get 4 stars because the same happened with Let The Right One In and it's re-imagining Let Me In. Not saying that's a bad thing I liked Let Me In, but not as much as the Swedish version, I can see my opinion being the same with this.

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Post #: 2
4 star review - 13/12/2011 9:36:30 PM  1 votes
naveed

 

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I thought this would get a 4 star review but I'll put money on it that when the DVD/blu ray comes around his will be changed to 5stars. See The Social Network.

I'm really looking forward to this. Fincher could direct an episode of "The only way is Essex" and I would be fucking tempted to check it out.

I'm pre rating it 5 stars as that's what I think it will get.

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Post #: 3
Noomi Rapace was a revelation. - 13/12/2011 11:49:29 PM   
stevos


Posts: 165
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Surely anything less than 5 stars and 'Rooney Mara is a revelation' has got to be deemed a disappointment- so therefore what has been the point! Should have just dubbed the foreign language original...

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Post #: 4
EXCITED! - 14/12/2011 10:47:56 AM   
megank13

 

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Well I for one am excited about this film. I decided to read the books because of the teaser trailer for the film from the god that is Fincher. I LOVE HIM! I finished the second book only the other day, I only decided to be as some hard core fans might say lazy, because you must be if you don't want to read subtitles on the original films, but I'm a sucker for something big, decent & from Fincher, so if he's gonna make an adaptation of it I wanna see it, also I might do the exact opposite & watch this first then rent the original & compare how I feel as a fresh fan of the books.

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Post #: 5
- 14/12/2011 7:31:28 PM   
BabsyBuck


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From: Brighton.
 I'm currently reading the book, and I definitely want to see it at the cinema. BUT I know there will be a lot of scenes where I'll be sliding down in my seat to avoid watching. Me + violence/rape = not a good combo..c'mon fincher.

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Post #: 6
Hmmm... - 15/12/2011 1:05:40 PM   
Paddy100

 

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"2009 original should be left alone — not because it was any kind of cinematic masterpiece"

versus

http://www.empireonline.com/reviews/review.asp?DVDID=118414

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Post #: 7
RE: Hmmm... - 18/12/2011 4:29:00 PM   
sskywatcher

 

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Different reviewer, of course.

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Re: - 19/12/2011 12:37:08 PM   
Evil_Bob


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From: GGGAAAHHH!!!
quote:

"2009 original should be left alone — not because it was any kind of cinematic masterpiece"

versus

http://www.empireonline.com/reviews/review.asp?DVDID=118414


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RE: Re: - 19/12/2011 1:00:13 PM   
OrganicLifeform

 

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Too bad the reviewer didn't do any research and is misinforming others: it's not a remake, it's simply a new adaptation of the book...like not every adaptation of Dracula is a remake of the one that came before. Get your facts straight.

Aside from that: good review!

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Post #: 10
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011) Review - 19/12/2011 9:52:08 PM   
the film man

 

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Brutal yet captivating, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo is the result of David Fincher working at his lurid best with total role commitment from star Rooney Mara.

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RE: Re: - 20/12/2011 3:36:54 PM   
idavid

 

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quote:

ORIGINAL: OrganicLifeform

Too bad the reviewer didn't do any research and is misinforming others: it's not a remake, it's simply a new adaptation of the book...like not every adaptation of Dracula is a remake of the one that came before. Get your facts straight.

Aside from that: good review!


Glad I'm not the only one who gets annoyed with people calling it a remake.

I absolutely love the books but I thought the Swedish version was mediocre and Noomi Rapace's played Lisbeth in a simplistic manner with too much emphasis on aggression and not enough vulnerability. I've been following the production of this new adaptation closely and really excited to see it. From what I have seen so far I think Rooney Mara is far closer to the Lisbeth of the book, however I believe Craig is not right at all. I'm sure he will do a good job but physically he does not look right to me, how many finacial journalists look like Daniel Craig? All the other casting is excellent. Another failing of the Swedish version is that it doesn't explore many of the side characters in the book which include the various Vanger family members who are all suspects. The Berger/Blomkvist relationship is also not shown as well as the Cecilia/Blomkvist relationship, these are important aspects of the book as they reveal alot about Blomkvists character. ...I could go on and on about the many issues I have with the Swedish film, one of the main ones is Lisbeth's reason for not wanting to see Blomkvist again at the end.

One good thing about having another version so soon after the Swedish one is that we can put the two side by side and compare them while they are fresh in our minds. Given Fincher's track record ,I'm pretty sure the difference will be like night and day.

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RE: Re: - 21/12/2011 10:10:08 PM   
Super Hans


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quote:

ORIGINAL: OrganicLifeform

Too bad the reviewer didn't do any research and is misinforming others: it's not a remake, it's simply a new adaptation of the book...like not every adaptation of Dracula is a remake of the one that came before. Get your facts straight.

Aside from that: good review!


I'm not sure how much he's misinforming people exactly - there can't be too many people out there now (especially ones reading Empire reviews) who aren't aware that it was a novel originally - it's everywhere!

I think one man's remake is another man's "new adaption of the book".  I think in case like this, where it's a "new adaption" following in such quick succession the initial adaption  of a recent book, it's definitely arguable either way.  With Let The Right One In for example - never read or watched it, but would the Americans honestly have adapted it if Sweden hadn't done so succesfully already?




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RE: The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo - 22/12/2011 1:41:33 AM   
frankieJ

 

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Have to agree that the Swedish film deserved more stars. I love Noomi (perhaps that's why) but really like Fincher's stamp on the promotional stuff for his version. Put together a mash up video of the US teaser cut from the Swedish footage. What do you think?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ur0hqcYNYvs

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Post #: 14
Good movie if removed from book/swedish version - 23/12/2011 5:27:20 AM   
claire_demner

 

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I honestly have to say after seeing this movie I am disappointed. Not because it wasn't a good movie, It definitely had moments of greatness, but I think I was expecting more. After reading the review above and multiple others on the internet I was expecting an exceptional performance from Rooney Mara and a movie that was at least on par with the Swedish versions. Unfortunately I did not experience any of that. I believe Rooney Mara's Lisbeth was much more one dimensional than her character in the book. I felt no fragility from her up until the last 5 minutes where (SPOILERS) we were lead to believe that the only thing that could actually hurt Lisbeth was a man with his arm around someone else. I truly think that this scene completely ruined this character in this movie. Lisbeth is the epitome of a strong complicated character and making it seem that a guy could be the only thing that hurts her is truly dumbing down her feelings.
As for the rest of the movie, I felt that it was far too much of an overload. It is impossible to include everything in the book in the movie and yet Fincher (or the script writers) decided to try and do that but also add in extra scenes. This 2 and a half hour movie truly felt it's length.
It is unfortunate that this was not a movie standing on it's own two feet. It is plagued with the much more captivating Swedish version and absolutely crushed by the exceptional book. If this movie was an original idea with no branches it would have been much more amazing.
I will probably have to watch this movie again to see if my mind changes, but I do think that it was correct not to give this movie 5 stars.

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RE: Re: - 23/12/2011 11:22:17 AM   
OrganicLifeform

 

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Super Hans

quote:

ORIGINAL: OrganicLifeform

Too bad the reviewer didn't do any research and is misinforming others: it's not a remake, it's simply a new adaptation of the book...like not every adaptation of Dracula is a remake of the one that came before. Get your facts straight.

Aside from that: good review!


I'm not sure how much he's misinforming people exactly - there can't be too many people out there now (especially ones reading Empire reviews) who aren't aware that it was a novel originally - it's everywhere!

I think one man's remake is another man's "new adaption of the book".  I think in case like this, where it's a "new adaption" following in such quick succession the initial adaption  of a recent book, it's definitely arguable either way.  With Let The Right One In for example - never read or watched it, but would the Americans honestly have adapted it if Sweden hadn't done so succesfully already?





That's a valid point, but it doesn't change the fact that, with TGWTDT, Fincher and company have stated multiple times that they went back to the book and adapted that, which would make it a new adaptation of the book. When you call it a remake you are saying that they did not base it on the book, but on the Swedish film, and that's simply not the case. The words 'adaptation' and 'remake' have clear definitions and it's a journalist's job to know these things and to know what you write in your review is actually correct.

So, in the end, when a writer is calling it a remake and readers read it and think it is indeed a remake, it's misinforming people. As a reporter/journalist/reviewer you always have to get your facts straight. And really, it's not that hard to find out these things. And even if it was...it's your job to do so.

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Post #: 16
RE: Re: - 23/12/2011 11:50:30 AM   
Gator

 

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What a bizarre debate. The first paragraph clearly states that this is Fincher's adaptation of the novel. The word remake appears as a verb and refers to a perceived intention. All seems pretty clear to me.

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Post #: 17
meh, pretty cool - 27/12/2011 1:17:23 AM   
tysmuse

 

Posts: 256
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Not as good as I was perhaps hoping. Thought Craig and Mara make a better engaging pair of leads, and naturally the whole thing looks amazing. But the changes to the ending did not go down well. I'm torn between 3 and 4 stars.

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Post #: 18
RE: The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo - 27/12/2011 1:43:40 PM  1 votes
knutwolf2002

 

Posts: 2
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Since I can understand (but not speak) Swedish, have read the novel, and have seen both movie versions I think I have a valid voice here:

Cons: One thing has to be said about the accents: The accents were a bit all over the place (Rooney Mara's and Stellan Skaarsgård being two of the best, Geraldine James' being the ABSOLUTE WORST) and is somewhat distracting at times. Not to mention muddling up the dialogue. With a largely English-speaking cast they should have opted for a neutral british accent. I think Daniel Craig's and Moa Garpendal's decision to just play it straight in terms of accent (e.i. british) was fine, and should have been done with the rest of the cast as well. Would have been a lot less annoying.

As for the film? Brilliant, elaborate, dark, complex, straight-forward. I have to say that David Fincher did a solid job. I was worried that cultural aspects of Scandinavia would be over-explained/emphasised/mocked, but apart from one - maybe two - IKEA references this was adapted in a very, well, straight-forward manner. Perhaps a little bit _too_ straight-forward? Do not see this film expecting stylish Fincher work a la Fight Club or Se7en. As a matter of fact: do not expect any noticeable Fincher fingerprints at all. As the movie rolls on I caught myself thinking "Wait! I'm watching a Fincher film! ...right?" This did smack of director-for-hire.

But this restrained approach did serve the story well. A lot of information has to be processed in the 2hr30min span of this film (and still a lot was skipped from the novel). There are moments in the Swedish version that had more of an edge to it: the climax in Martin's basement, Lisbet's encounter with the thugs at the subway station, Mikael's realization of Lisbet's savant abilities. Although dealt with here the Fincher version is more of a rat-tat-tat-tat stream of info/cuts/expositions leaving the audience somewhat indifferent/uninvolved. This version is somewhat... colder, lacking the atmosphere, build-up, and gradual reveals of the original.

Pros: In an era where Hollywood remakes are re-adapted to be set in the US, it is a bold move for Sony/Columbia to stick with the Scandinavian location. This was a brave move. This film also assumes its audience is intelligent. That we actually care about Swedes killing each other. It is an elaborate plot, and rewards that you pay attention to detail.

Rooney Mara does an amazing job. Different from Rapace, but somewhat closer to what I imagined when reading the novel. It was easy to forget Rapace as the film moved along. Craig was a somewhat odd choice. Still not sure what to say about the casting of him. He does a solid job, but is he Mikael Blomkvist?

I think EMPIRE is correct: ***** for the original Swedish version, **** for the Fincher version.

< Message edited by knutwolf2002 -- 27/12/2011 1:45:17 PM >

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RE: The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo - 27/12/2011 10:17:57 PM   
Rgirvan44


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 As someone who hasn't read the books or watched the Rapace films I will say that I really liked this film. Bit flabby, but very well made. Will post longer review when not so ill. 

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- 28/12/2011 9:10:34 AM   
sarah1276

 

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"it addresses the nay-sayers who thought Niels Arden Oplev’s 2009 original should be left alone — not because it was any kind of cinematic masterpiece [...]"

Man, Empire can be infuriating. Not because it's any kind of cinematic masterpiece, indeed. Except you gave the bloody thing 5 stars. A little consistency sometimes is all I ask.

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Girl With Dragon Tattoo US v Sweden - 28/12/2011 6:14:22 PM   
thewordthe

 

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Iv'e seen the original twice and today the US version, which is clearly inferior imo 7/10 versus 9/10 to be precise. Question, which of the two Vanger cousins meets Christopher Plummer in re-uniting scene towards the end of the US version. The original book and film has Harriet back from Australia, but I thought in this US film version it was Anita not Harriet. Wikipedia thinks it was Harriet who took over Anita's identity when Anita died in the 1970s, which is pretty hard to believe, as Harriet was desperately trying to hide from Martin Vanger as he had seen her kill his father and knew he could blackmail her into accepting any kind of suffering and torment, so any other identity would have been better. Fincher misses a number of tricks in the remake, not enough emphasis on the past killings, poorly remade scenes, e.g. no trophy photographs in Martin's basement, not enough emphasis on the de-coding of Harriet's bible references, poor depiction of the investigation of the photo montage from the parade as well as not makng it clear who it was, Anita or Harriet, who met her uncle. Come on you lot, who was it!??

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RE: Girl With Dragon Tattoo US v Sweden - 28/12/2011 6:55:29 PM   
adambatman82

 

Posts: 11156
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quote:

ORIGINAL: thewordthe

Iv'e seen the original twice and today the US version, which is clearly inferior imo 7/10 versus 9/10 to be precise. Question, which of the two Vanger cousins meets Christopher Plummer in re-uniting scene towards the end of the US version. The original book and film has Harriet back from Australia, but I thought in this US film version it was Anita not Harriet. Wikipedia thinks it was Harriet who took over Anita's identity when Anita died in the 1970s, which is pretty hard to believe, as Harriet was desperately trying to hide from Martin Vanger as he had seen her kill his father and knew he could blackmail her into accepting any kind of suffering and torment, so any other identity would have been better. Fincher misses a number of tricks in the remake, not enough emphasis on the past killings, poorly remade scenes, e.g. no trophy photographs in Martin's basement, not enough emphasis on the de-coding of Harriet's bible references, poor depiction of the investigation of the photo montage from the parade as well as not makng it clear who it was, Anita or Harriet, who met her uncle. Come on you lot, who was it!??


SPOILERS

It was Harriet, who had taken on the identity of the other girl.

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RE: Girl With Dragon Tattoo US v Sweden - 28/12/2011 7:12:00 PM   
thewordthe

 

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adambatman82 thanks for that chap, yeah you must be right. So then they didn't change the ending too much then, just that Harriet was in London, not Australia. I can concentrate really hard when watching films and I just thought it was not clear enough. All Plummer had to say was "Hello Harriet". All of us thought it was Anita that met Plummer in that scene, with Harriet dead years before in an accident, rather than Anita. I need to see that scene in the London park again to be certain, where Craig talks to the rather gorgeous Joely Richardson. TT4N

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RE: - 28/12/2011 7:54:33 PM   
garvielloken


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quote:

ORIGINAL: sarah1276

"it addresses the nay-sayers who thought Niels Arden Oplev’s 2009 original should be left alone — not because it was any kind of cinematic masterpiece [...]"

Man, Empire can be infuriating. Not because it's any kind of cinematic masterpiece, indeed. Except you gave the bloody thing 5 stars. A little consistency sometimes is all I ask.



Different reviewers. Different opinions


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RE: The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo - 29/12/2011 3:46:59 AM   
MonsterCat


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 Saw this on Boxing Day and had a good time with it. Well, apart from that really horrible rape scene.

Essentially it's just a pulpy crime thriller, and if you go into it with that mindset you may just enjoy it. Just don't expect a Oscar calibre flick. It's good, but its not the best film that Fincher has made.

Also - I think I prefer Rooney Mara's Salander over Rapace's. Even though Rapace was terrific, I think Mara crushed it and brought a little bit more warmth to the character without spoiling things.

< Message edited by MonsterCat -- 29/12/2011 3:49:42 AM >

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RE: The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo - 29/12/2011 10:32:28 AM   
TrendMeUp


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Where on Earth did this reverence of the original film come from? It's an utterly dull, entirely average affair. I found Fincher's version to be superior on every level. More interesting to look at, tighter, better acted, more emotionally engaging and featured better casting. Like the story itself it is by no means flawless, but certainly the definitive adaptation to my mind and certainly NOT a remake.

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RE: The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo - 29/12/2011 3:52:58 PM   
Rusty James

 

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The fact that Empire gave the original a five star review for both it's theatrical and home media releases, and included it in their "5 star 500" special issue last year surely clarifies their opinion of that movie?

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Post #: 28
- 29/12/2011 5:51:35 PM   
n13roy

 

Posts: 81
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Absolutely brilliant Film from start to finish, with an absorbing storyline and plenty of twists and turns to keep you in suspense. The acting is superb too, and the chemistry between Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara's certainly works here, even if her character is a little bit OTT at times, but it never comes close to spoiling the Film, some disturbing scenes in here certainly justifies it 18 certifcate as well. Highly recommended Film IMHO though.........

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RE: - 29/12/2011 8:59:15 PM   
Dr Lenera

 

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Being extremely disappointed with the Swedish original when I finally got round to seeing it a couple of weeks ago, I wasn’t expecting much from this American remake by David Fincher, a director I used to love but has really gone downhill with his last two movies in my opinion.  Well, it does improve on the original film somewhat; Fincher’s tight direction makes for a much more cinematic experience and Steven Zaillian’s script gives the material more shape, though he can’t prevent the film from seeming to end at least twice before it actually does. Again, far too much of the story consists of the hero alone in his shack looking at pictures, while tension is sorely lacking until over half way through.  The rape and revenge subplot is just as pointless, though admittedly does liven things up for a bit. The characters are far more engaging, though I couldn’t stop getting irritated by the fact that Daniel Craig is the only cast member who doesn’t attempt something approaching a Swedish accent.  Trent Reznor’s and Atticus Ross’s strange and unnerving soundscapes do give the film a powerful atmosphere, and it’s all quite convincing. I think it’s possible that a nice, tense, dark thriller could be made from this material with about an hour removed; however with now two average films made from it, I doubt that will happen. Very well made, but distinctly mediocre.

5.5/10

 

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