Mikael Blomkvist is an investigative journalist set up by a big corporation for libel and he is sentenced to jail for three months.   He will go to jail in six months and he is hired by Mr. Vanger who wants to know what happened to his niece, Harriet Vanger, who disappeared during a gathering of the powerful Vanger clan.   Mikael uncovers murders, which may be linked to religion, with the help of a young computer hacker named Lisbeth Slander (Noomi Rapace) who is troubled and has a dragon tattoo on her back.    The pair unravels the dark and appalling history of the Vanger family.

Lisbeth Salander is one of the most powerful and interesting female characters in fiction.  She is plagued by her past, but you better not mess with her because she will get her revenge.   THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO is based on a popular novel by the late Steig Larsson.   Larsson wrote three books with Lisbeth and Mikael before his untimely death due to heart attack.   The books were filmed back to back as a movie trilogy.  The first book is primed for a new adaptation to be directed by David Fincher (director of SE7EN and ZODIAC). 

THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO is one of the best films of this year.    Noomi Rapace steals the film as Lisbeth (a role she lived for 1 1/2 years).    The movie sucks you in from start to finish.   It takes you on an unpredictable trip full of surprises and doesn’t flinch from the sadistic nature of what some men do to women.   I don’t know why this book needs to be remade again as a movie.  This adaptation nails it.   It is a spellbinding trip that captures the landscape of Sweden under great direction by Niels Arden Oplev.   The movie is one part pyschodrama and one part thriller.   This movie makes me want to read the books (which I’m doing now).

SPECIAL FEATURES:

I wish the DVD had more extras.  The Vanger Family Tree shows the family line as one screen (I wish it was interactive).   The interview with Noomi Rapace is a good promotional interview as the actress says how she was a fan of the books and was glad to be done with the movies (she doesn’t want to be involved in the remake).   The theatrical trailer for this film and the sequel, THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE, are included on this DVD in addition to previews for NORTHFACE, OSS 117:  LOST IN RIO, and MESRINE.

FINAL ANALYSIS:   THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO is an electrifying thriller that is a must-see.   See the movie and read the books.

This DVD review is ©7-10-2010 David Blackwell and cannot be reprinted without permission.  Send all comments to lord_pragmagtic@hotmail.com