The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011)

Journalist Mikael Blomkvist is aided in his search for a woman who has been missing for forty years by Lisbeth Salander, a young computer hacker.

Director:

David Fincher

Writers:

Steven Zaillian (screenplay), Stieg Larsson (novel)

Stars:

Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara, Christopher Plummer

Won 1 Oscar. Another 14 wins & 33 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Daniel Craig	...	Mikael Blomkvist
Rooney Mara	...	Lisbeth Salander
Christopher Plummer	...	Henrik Vanger
Stellan Skarsgård	...	Martin Vanger
Steven Berkoff	...	Dirch Frode
Robin Wright	...	Erika Berger
Yorick van Wageningen	...	Nils Bjurman
Joely Richardson	...	Anita Vanger
Geraldine James	...	Cecilia Vanger
Goran Visnjic	...	Dragan Armansky
Donald Sumpter	...	Detective Inspector Gustaf Morell
Ulf Friberg	...	Hans-Erik Wennerström
Bengt C.W. Carlsson	...	Holger Palmgren
Tony Way	...	Plague
Per Myrberg	...	Harald Vanger

Storyline

This English-language adaptation of the Swedish novel by Stieg Larsson follows a disgraced journalist, Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig), as he investigates the disappearance of a wealthy patriarch's niece from 40 years ago. He is aided by the pierced, tattooed, punk computer hacker named Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara). As they work together in the investigation, Blomkvist and Salander uncover immense corruption beyond anything they have ever imagined.

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Plot Keywords:

journalist | computer hacker | background check | disappearance | libel | 

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Taglines:

She's Coming

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for brutal violent content including rape and torture, strong sexuality, graphic nudity, and language

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA Sweden Norway

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 December 2011 (USA)

Also Known As:

La chica del dragón tatuado

Filming Locations:

Flughafen Zürich Kloten, Kloten, Kanton Zürich, Switzerland

Box Office

Budget:

$90,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$12,750,000 (USA) (23 December 2011)

Gross:

$102,515,793 (USA) (16 March 2012)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), Scott Rudin Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

158 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital Datasat SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The security office is actually the office building of Digital Illusions Creative Entertainment (DICE), the company which created the Battlefield computer games.

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Goofs

Blomkvist's MacBook Pro magically downgraded itself from Mac OS X Lion to Mac OS X Tiger during the movie. Even if he did want to downgrade the OS himself, that would be entirely impossible due to the fact that Tiger cannot run on the hardware present in the Macbook Pro displayed.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Detective Inspector Gustaf Morell: What kind is it?
Henrik Vanger: I don't know. White?
Detective Inspector Gustaf Morell: And the frame?
Henrik Vanger: Dark.
Detective Inspector Gustaf Morell: Postmark?
Henrik Vanger: Same as last time.
Detective Inspector Gustaf Morell: And no note.
Henrik Vanger: No.
Detective Inspector Gustaf Morell: I'm so sorry, Henrik.

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Crazy Credits

At the beginning of the film's opening studio intros of Columbia and MGM, Leo, the MGM mascot's roar is silenced.

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Connections

Referenced in More One Life to Live: Episode #1.1 (2013)

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Soundtracks

"A New Chance"
Written By Eric Berglund And Henning Furst
Performed By The Tough Alliance
Courtesy of Modular Records and Universal Music Australia
Under License From Universal Music Enterprises

User Reviews

Quick Comparison of both versions - both excellent in their own right

Here is a rundown of the differences in the two movies:

-MIKAEL BLOMKVIST-

American - Blomkvist is played as more of a tough guy and not a good guy. His flaws are laid bare and he shows himself to be much more detached than emotional.

Swedish - This is the "good guy" side of Mikael. He is sensitive, caring, and smart. He shows a protective side when it comes to Lisbeth. Physically speaking the Swedish Blomkvist doesn't look as sturdy as his American counterpart. He has a gut and appears to be quite a bit older than Lisbeth which can make the relationship between them more shudder inducing and probably accounts for why there are fewer sex scenes between them in the Swedish version.

-LISBETH SALANDER-

American - Perhaps because Blomkvist was made into such a strong character Lisbeth was then morphed into a more withdrawn and vulnerable girl so as to complement the new Blomkvist. She still has attitude, aggression, and rage but she also exhibits a quiet shy side that was not in the original as well as more of a romantic side.

Swedish - In this version Lisbeth is not shy, not gentle, and not nice. She doesn't chase Blomkvist - he chases her. She perfectly embodies everything you think of when you think of a strong female lead and has an unpredictability and edge to her that is exciting to watch. Her dragon tattoo is much, much better.

-OVERALL-

I liked the American Mikael and the Swedish Lisbeth.

While I may prefer a scene or two from the Swedish version, such as the ending, overall I enjoyed the American version more.

On the flip side, I can understand why some may hate this version because Lisbeth was their favorite character and she's been changed into something they don't like. For me, the modifications to Lisbeth's character weren't severe enough to put me off.

The Swedish version captured a cult following for a reason and I would recommend both to anyone who has an interest in darker gritty movies that have a raw intensity to them. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo isn't for the faint of heart and that's what I love about it!