Saw it last night. Really quite liked it. Would probably rate it an 8.5/10.0 on the MM Movie Scale if I had such a thing. If you read the trilogy it would make a lot more sense to the movie viewer… but for avid fans of the novels, note that some things were changed for more clarity I suppose, though they weren’t significant changes to the story. This movie wasn’t as gritty as the original film with Swedish actors, but this was gritty enough for Hollywood. A Daniel Craig fan, I actually thought that the actress Rooney Mara did an even more impressive job than Craig, and her nomination for an academy award is well-deserved and I hope she doesn’t lose out to Meryl Streep (who I love, but she wins everything!). What was interesting to me was Mr. Craig’s ability to bulk up for James Bond, only to go nearly emaciated looking for Cowboys & Aliens and then being told to gain some tummy fat for this movie (it didn’t show)… If the snapshot of Mr. Craig at the Manila airport a couple of weeks ago is any indication, he is still pretty thin. Amazing that a man in his early forties can change his physical appearance so readily… but then again for $10-20 million per movie, you and I could probably do that as well. :) Go see it in a theatre. It won’t have the same effect on your television screens. Besides, you wouldn’t want to be photographed next to some senior government official buying pirated/bootleg DVD’s, would you? :)
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I love the movie and the books as well MM….Rooney is good in this movie…..
“Besides, you wouldn’t want to be photographed next to some senior government official buying pirated/bootleg DVD’s, would you? :)”
Classic MM !! :-)))))))) this made my morning :-)
i knew it! i knew you wouldn’t be able to resist taking a jab, hahaha!
the not-so-funny part though is that i thought by now he’d be on hands and knees and hiding under the rug in shame. shame on me for expecting decency.
i love the books and swedish version of the movies! excited for the hollywood version after your review :)
Yes, Noomi Rapace was really good in the Swedish version. Looking forward to see Mara Rooney as Lisabeth Salander….
Love Millennium Trilogy. Will definitely watch this movie. Also looking forward to see the Hunger Games movie as I’ve read the book series too.
the movie deserves a wide applause.. naughty, gritty, suspenseful..
saw the original and liked it even if some scenes are “brutal”
hahaha! they’re now referring to him as MR. DIBIDI … it’s amazing how actors/actresses are able to manipulate their weight. isn’t it like magic when a new mother looks like she hasn’t given birth at all? how do they do that!?!
The original version by Niels Arden Oplev was, I thought, better. Still couldn’t figure out why another version had to be released. Perhaps to cater to lazy subtitle readers :)?
Saw it over the weekend. I thought they made the story more about Mikael than “The Girl”. I liked Noomi Rapace’s portrayal of Lisbeth, she was, for lack of a better phrase, less-expressive- and much more sinister in her silence.
Loved the books! Looking forward to seeing this…and not just because of Daniel ;) Although I can’t be trusted to think rationally when Daniel is involved so I probably wouldn’t be the best judge of this movie!
I loved the Swedish version of this trilogy. I am kind of on the fence whether to watch this version or not.
just an observation: while it is true that meryl streep has won many awards, she has not won an academy award since 1982.
D.B., thanks for that, I didn’t know that. So just goes to show how perception and fact are often mislaligned… thanks.
I was just reading about Meryl, according to the LA times supplement The Envelope she has the most acting nominations (17) in academy history and 2 wins for 1979’s Kramer vs. Kramer and 1982’s Sophies Choice
A fourth novel may be published depending on the outcome of a legal conflict between Larsson’s family and his widow.
MM, I prefer the Swedish version more. Noomi Rapace is still my standard when it comes to portraying Lisbeth Salander. However, I’ll give Rooney Mara a chance. At least in this version, Michael Blomkvist looks hotter. Lol.
flippinnyc- I have to agree :P
Hollywood LOVES to remake movies. I really think they cater to people who are lazy to read subtitles or really just wants to turn their brains off and just enjoy a movie.
Marketman, I just want to give a little correction. The Daniel Craig movie you mentioned is “Cowboys and Aliens”, not Cowboys and Indians. A terrible movie, by the way.
I don’t want to rain on your parade, but Rooney Mara isn’t winning the Oscar for Best Actress. The category is a contest between Viola Davis (The Help) and Meryl Streep. Many predict that Streep won’t win this year.
mdamm, you are absolutely correct, of course. Thank you for that, Cowboys and Aliens indeed, and I didn’t watch that movie… :) Boohoo for Rooney, but sometimes, the underdog pulls a surprise… :)
Just saw the Hollywood version…it’s slicker but I prefer the Swedish version, grittier, and Noomi’s sulky, sullen portrayal was more spot-on with the book. This one seems to be more Daniel Craig’s movie (admittedly he is such a hunk, so no complaints). Or maybe this one is just a bit anti-climactic after reading all the books and watching the entire Swedish trilogy.
All the same, still worth watching for Steig Larsson fans!
excited to watch it since i read all the books! this and the hunger games are some of my most awaited movies for the year. rooney mara’s transformation is staggering compared to how she looked like in the movie, the social network.
WSJ has an article on the Mara family tree – the owner of the NY Giants and at the bottom is Rooney Mara – his father Chris is the SVP of player personnel and her maternal grandfather is Steelers founder Arthur J. Rooney.
i liked reading the book, and can tolerate the “darkness” of it all. but i’m still deciding if i should really watch the movie. just reading the book gave me nightmares, what more with a full length movie!
to think i almost forgot to take a peek here again today! i almost missed the password! i love this game!
i think the Swedish original is better, i’ve seen it and to me versions of the original, almost always, is not as good. just my opinion though :)
got it.