The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

Tells a fascinating and unsettling true story, and does so well, without pretending to have all the answers.

A lot of perfectly good film show their cards early, establish a unique premise and let the audience explore a topic at a leisurely pace, without much in terms of surprise. this film is not one of those films.

Mostly, the movie is committed to the value of a good time.

If you read the books, this film version will not disappoint you nor fail you. First I was very sad that Michael Nyqvist passed on so early. Noomi Rapace fell into Hollywood's radar because of this trilogy when she played the barbarically abused Liesbeth Salander and avenged herself and the very few souls she cared for and when she could she did with pouncing brutality. This is the crowning glory of many Skandikrimi wherein the viewer is not only taken to the cold and isolated region of Sweden where only God knows what one truly does when no one is watching, no matter how rich or reputable a family is. This film is beyond-the-grave brutal and complex. The English version was only limited to Part One ( Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara) mind you that the story is not limited to that one and does not end there. To grind your teeth and self-induce a breakdown the viewer must watch until the end of the third, only then can one piece what happened and who did what in the criminal web. It is also saddening that the author, Stieg Larsson died before completing the fourth manuscript, there's surely still a lot to come from that brilliant mind of his. Any cinematista ( my own word invention) should possess a DVD -book collection of this monstrous masterpiece of a trilogy.

This is another movie that spoke to me from an unknown source. In 2009, I really didn't pay much attention to where certain movies came from and dove in head first. When I first watched this set of movies (before it was even thought of to be remade in a horrible fashion), I had zero idea what I was getting myself into and had no idea what to think. So I eventually checked this out from my local library and sat down to watch it.Lisbeth Salander (Noomi Rapace, who would later be in "Prometheus") is a devil-may-care computer hacker with her own mysterious past. Then she comes across a story by one Mikael Blomqvist, an editor for "Millennium" magazine, that has to deal with the mysterious disappearance of Harriet Vanger, the daughter of rich man Henrik Vanger. In the process, she runs across a number of interesting characters who try and block her progress.It is eventually revealed that she is a vigilante who takes great pride in what she does and establishes a makeshift friendship with Mikael by the time the movie is over, for he saves her life from the hands of a hulking brute and a lackey or two. The two eventually part company for the time being, of course, since Lisbeth is not the type of person who likes to stick around for too long.Forget about the subtitles and just enjoy the movie. Granted it has some seriously dark overtones, sit back and watch it. It has suspense, mystery, action, you name it. If you're into anti-hero female protagonists who have no problem throwing a few punches and defending themselves in rather ingenious ways, this movie is for you.

Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (Swedish)"Blow Up" meets "Silence of the Lambs." Who would have thought? Sweden has creepy sickos just like everywhere else. This is a who-done-it with a twist or two and main characters with issues. Interestingly, both lead actors are only part Swedish, Michael Nyqvist is half Italian and Noomi Rapace is half Spanish. Nyqvist plays a dogged reporter/detective with the personality of a teddy bear and not much common sense when it comes to opening closet doors without being prepared for what might be behind. With her Dragon tattoo and Goth persona, she still proves that a woman can be sexy even when trapped in a boy's body. Talk about a kick-ass persona!

"Män som hatar kvinnor" ("Men Who Hate Women") is an adaptation of Stieg Larsson's bestselling novel of the same name, which was posthumously published in 2005. Better known to the English-speaking public as "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo", it is the first entry in the Millennium trilogy.This Swedish production, which is set in Sweden, introduces heroine Lisbeth Salander (Noomi Rapace) to movie audiences. A young female hacker with a troubled past, she aids disgraced journalist Mikael Blomqvist (Michael Nyqvist) in his investigation into a forty year old missing persons case. The circumstances surrounding the disappearance are mysterious and the facts seem to point to a member of the girl's extensive family as the culprit.The title "Men Who Hate Women" is borne out in relation to the central mystery and also in Lisbeth's dealings with her legal guardian. The violence may be a bit much for some to take but it doesn't overshadow the well-constructed detective story that propels the movie's plot.The acting is unquestionably highlighted by Noomi Rapace's performance, which was justifiably nominated for a BAFTA award. She excelled in the demanding role of Lisbeth Salander, working well in tandem with male lead Michael Nyqvist. The supporting cast is uniformly convincing but largely unexceptional.In terms of production values, this fairly modest film can't really be expected to compete with the big budget American version. Nevertheless, it still manages to hold its own. Director Niels Arden Oplev may not have the visual flair of David Fincher but his work here is quite satisfactory on its own terms. Similarly, the music may not be as distinctive as the American version's but it gets the job done.Ultimately, I found that this adaptation of the novel seems to have the upper hand in terms of both casting and storytelling. Either way, both versions are well worth watching for any fan of mysteries or thrillers, not to mention for the stellar performances of their respective leading ladies.