For those who didn't read the book or see the Swedish version

Rating: 10/10 (6 January 2012)

OK it may be sacrilege but what ever, sue me! I have never read the book(s) or watched the Swedish version of this movie. My review is from the point of view of, "I wonder what movies are playing, ooh that one looked decent in previews, lets check it out." OK now that that's out of the way.
The opening of the movie is in my opinion, just plain awesome! Good music and an interesting visual sequence of dark fluid forming/reforming into/over human form. I enjoyed it and it really got me interested into the movie before it had started.
The movie opens up basically telling us that the main character just lost a case as a journalist for writing bad things about some big time hot shot and it cost him his entire life savings. That's it in a nutshell, so he's pretty much down and out. He eventually gets a job opportunity from a rich old guy that wants to find his niece whom went missing like 40yrs ago.
We then get introduced to Lisbeth who is straight up rough cut and looks like the type of chick you stay away from. I'm a motorcycle guy so she scored huge points with the motorcycle and her helmet was awesome!(though I don't see how she could have a perfect mo-hawk after taking off a helmet..). We find out at this point that she's a VERY good investigator type that watches people and gets information.
Lisbeth to me is amazing. She shows this rough outer edge and you can tell she's always "scheming" in her head, always in control, always 2 steps ahead. Even during the most cruel scene in the movie, she still had the guy, even though it didn't seem that way at the time. you'll read other reviews where people say she was too soft, I don't know where they get that from. Lisbeth DESTROYS a guy that tries to take her purse, Lisbeth is the one that dominates our main character through the entire movie, she calls the shots, directs him and even saves him. The man who violates her, nearly urinates himself every time he saw her after that, not a strong woman?? My Butt!! I really enjoyed this movie, it was nice for once to have a different plot and a entirely different flow to a movie. I have to say the ending surprised me but the more I thought of it, the more it made sense, it's reality and that's all. I felt bad, but it definitely made me want to see a sequel.
Go see this, it's an awesome movie! Unless you're like a die hard original person and you only like the Swedish version.