Now, I'm not saying that in a Oh-He's-Hot kind of way; he brings a sense of emotional awareness to a lot of his characters, and okay, sure, he really does a great job of filling out his pants. Anyway ...
We went to the big corporate movie theater to see this movie. And since I had just enough money--yeah, I'm self-employed, so sue me--I sneaked snacks into it. Hey, even the people with me, who weren't financially doomed, brought in goodies.
So, armed with a bottle of Jones Soda, Pringles Original chips, and my very own chocolate hemp seed macaroon cookies--wait, what? Yes, my cookies, made with cane sugar, unsweetened organic coconut and cocoa. No popcorn. Sigh.
What? Oh, the movie, right ... I haven't seen the original movies, so I can't compare, but I can offer my thoughts on this one. Right from the start, it was clear that the creators put a lot of effort into pulling it off; it was like they knew they were in competition with the first movie and that audiences would be using it as a marker.
For the first time ever, I actually enjoyed a cover of Led Zeppelin, with Trent Reznor's version of "Immigrant Song," used in the intro. That's just me, though. Although they were quite visually stunning, the graphics for it seemed to fit the style of a James Bond movie rather than the presentation of Lisbeth's story.
Onto the actors, with Daniel Craig playing a quiet Mikael Blomkvist, Rooney Mara as frustrated Lisbeth Salander, Stellan Skarsgard as the charmingly slippery Martin Vanger and Christopher Plummer appearing here and there as likable Henrik Vanger.
First off, I'd never seen Skarsgard play the villain, but his creep was spot on, especially when he toyed with Craig in the basement scene. Mara pulled off Salander's look and reached a wide range of her emotions. She pulled all the right strings, especially in the cringe-worthy scenes and in the end, when she ditched the jacket and road off on her bike. Yes, me and my fellow movie pals ducked and stared at the floor during the grim rape scenes. Could they have left those out? No.
Craig downplayed his charismatic energy, which worked, since the audience needed to connect with Lisbeth's suffering, not his. Although I have to note, as Vanger worked him over in the basement, it reminded me of his Bond in Casino Royale. Ooops.
I agreed with the overall cinematography, which solidified the tone of a gritty, modern Sweden in winter against the backdrop of post-WWII Vanger family history. And even though I already knew the outcome, which was unbelievable in the book too (Salander hacks her way into a mountain of money), I wanted to see how this film would play out.
It brought contenment. In fact, I think I'll go see it again, on cheap night, and bring more cookies. But we'll do popcorn this time.
Rating:
The Girl w t Dragon Tattoo: 8 / 10 - Well put together, with the right amount of action and grit. Avert eyes for disturbing rape scenes.
Pringles Original: 8 / 10 - You can't go wrong with these chips. Salty goodness, but they just ain't movie popcorn.
My Own Chocolate Cookies: 9 / 10 - Filled with coconut, hemp seed, and chocolate yum, everybody thought they tasted good.
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