I saw the original Swedish version of this film almost five years ago and before reading the book by Stieg Larsson. I thought it was a stunning movie for which I gave it the highest IMDb rating. I got my hands on the novel within the past year, and it was so compelling, I read the second two books that round out the trilogy, and then moved on to the next set of three by author David Lagercrantz, all dealing with the two principal characters, Mikael Blomkvist and Lisbeth Salander. While it's not strictly necessary to read the novel first, it does offer a lot more detail and nuance that would have been hard to incorporate into a film, especially given it's length. But what you do have here is a first class treatment of the original material by screenwriter Steven Zaillian and director David Fincher. Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara deftly capture the essence of their respective characters (Blomkvist and Salander),while the story flows with the expected twists and turns provided by the intriguing plot. There are also a lot less names to keep track of than in the novel, which is a welcome relief given the preponderance of names and relationships within and without the Vanger family. You also don't have to deal with the tongue twisting Swedish street names and Stockholm locations that the story throws at you. There is one rather significant change versus the original novel, in as much as the 'dead' woman Blomqvist was attempting to track down was found in London using an alias, rather than running a ranch in Australia. However if you didn't know that, there's really no impact that changes the outcome of the story. It's been so long now since I've seen the 2009 movie of the same name, so to be fair, I couldn't recommend one over the other. But this adaptation is superb, and I can't rate it any less than the one directed by Niels Arden Oplev in Sweden. Best bet - watch both and buckle up for a great ride.

David Fincher's adaptation of the intensely popular Scandinavian crime novel is quite exemplary in many respects. The sprawling story of the novel is condensed and brought to life on the screen by a very skilled scriptwriter; the cast of seasoned performers bring the various characters from the page to life very well; and Fincher's direction is as ever very, very good, which makes this a stylish and easy watch.

However, there's one huge caveat to go with this review: a prior adaptation of the novel already exists, namely the 2009 Swedish version featuring Noomi Rapace. The problem with this Hollywood version is that it's not as good as the Swedish one, even though it has a bigger budget. The Swedish version already did everything perfectly and can't, honestly, be improved upon; take Rooney Mara, who tries very hard as Salander, but who can't match Rapace's embodiment of the role. And Daniel Craig is Daniel Craig; he's no Michael Nykqvist. So as good as this version of THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO is, it was already done in a more authentic way, so there's little reason to watch.

Not quite in the top 5 of David Fincher's best films ('Se7en', 'The Social Network', 'Fight Club', 'Gone Girl' and 'Zodiac') but it does come close. And this is somebody who found a lot to like about all his films, including his lesser ones like 'Alien 3' and 'Panic Room'.

Despite being often considered a remake, personally prefer to call it a second adaptation of the book. The book is a fantastic read, and as an adaptation while it is condensed and has some changes Fincher's film still adheres to the basic tone of the book as does the Swedish version. Of the two versions, the Swedish version just gets the edge for its incredible atmosphere complete with bleakness, chills, shocks and is more authentic, with Noomi Rapace burning the screen enigmatically with her presence.

Where Fincher's film improves over the previous version are in four areas. One is the production values, which are far more audacious here. The cinematography, both bleakly moody and exquisite to look at, is more cinematic and perfectly captures the frozen landscape which is like a character in itself. The film is very tightly edited too in a way that is distinctively Fincher. Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross' music score is another winner of theirs, it is haunting and gives a really unnerving vibe, combined with some clever sound mixing. The script, even when condensed, is more polished and tighter and also has more flow. While Lisbeth is a fascinating and complex character in the Swedish film, the Lisbeth in Fincher's film has even more complexity and more variation of emotions.

Fincher's direction is exemplary, showing a mastery of visual style and mood setting, ensuring that the film stays intriguing throughout the length. In lesser hands and with less assured pacing, with the long running time 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo' could have been a long haul but had plenty of intrigue. Much of the storytelling is gripping, and while not as authentic or quite as masterful in atmosphere like the Swedish counterpart was it has its fair share of chills, twists and turns (without being convoluted or illogical) and shock value as well as a murky bleakness. Contrary to what some believe, this second adaptation did have point (was fearing it wouldn't),as it made the story more accessible and gave it more exposure.

Good acting helps. Daniel Craig is very wisely restrained, the character should have a quiet determination and dignity which Craig handles very well. Christopher Plummer is simply terrific as well, one of his best performances in recent years, while Stellan Skasgard is frighteningly demented and Yorick van Wageningen is unsettlingly sadistic. Robin Wright does her best with a shallow character. Best of all is a magnificent Rooney Mara, such a multi-layered performance and sees Mara not just playing the role but disappearing into it. See her appearance for example, so committed that when you see her in other films you would not believe that it's the same person.

There are faults however. Did not think much of the Gothic James Bond-like opening sequence that just felt jarring and out of place. Nor with the accents, which were a mix for some of the actors of having one too heavy or thick (Wright) or not attempting one at all (Craig). The decision to use both English and Swedish in some scenes did have a tendency to confuse, while the central relationship (mostly successfully done) did feel underdeveloped and, even for characters that are the heart of the story, takes over the story a little too much somewhat.

All in all, almost as good as the Swedish version and better than both of that film's heavily flawed but still worthy sequels. 8/10 Bethany Cox