A review from someone who did not read the book/see the original

Rating: 3/10 (6 January 2012)

I had no idea what this movie was about. I remember seeing a short preview, and thought it looked interesting. My family saw this on Christmas Eve, instead of watching Tom Cruise in MI4. I seriously wish I had voted for Tom Cruise. At the end, there was the most awkward walk out of at the end, because everyone shuffled out in total silence.
This movie only has an R-rating, but that should be put into perspective.
The first R-rated movie I ever saw was 'The Faculty'. My cousin and I were 12, and we convinced our Grandma that our parents totally said we could watch it (they didn't). It was a little scary, and I think there was some shadowed nudity and decapitation. We had so much fun!
'Dragon Tattoo' is way more intense. Way more. I'm 24 now, and I was incredibly uncomfortable watching many of the scenes in this movie. The content is challenging as a topic, but the gruesome depiction is so much worse to deal with. You can't just turn it off and walk away. If some of it had been left to the imagination, I would have been much happier, and the story would not have suffered, in my opinion.
To sum up:
1) This movie is not going to be enjoyable for children (and some adults).
2) If you can get past that, the acting is good and the story is interesting.
3) If you can't get past that, but you still really want to see it, wait for it to come out on DVD/netflix/redbox, and just fast-forward!