This dragon doesn't soar

Rating: 6/10 (21 December 2011)

For starters, why did they have remake this one? I would have loved to see the reactions to a remake of "Casablanca" in 1945, or what about "Gone With The Wind" with another beautiful actress who lacked the fire Leigh brought to the role. Could I even picture "Titanic" with another Kate? There was something iconic about the way Rapace's performance in the original "Dragon". She raised the bar to the point she might never be able to match the complexity of that performance, an organic, complete, involving role that consumed her and hypnotized the audience. The new film tries very hard to recreate the experience, and it does a decent job in some aspects, but the first film was more than just a performance. It emanated from troubled relationships, from flawed nature, from the way expectations were toppled one after another. In the recent film, changing the ending doesn't quite work; in fact, it hurts the film quite a bit.
There are some very good elements in the new film, especially the score, something that permeates the film with much needed energy, and there is something fresh about the way some of the scenes were opened up, particularly near the end. However, it is what has been done to the main character that is painful to watch. In the novel and the first film our protagonist has a troubled background. It interferes with the way she develops her relationships, and it makes her a survivor. She has enough scars and pain in her past to be alert and in a defensive mode. She doesn't trust others, and it is not a good idea to challenge her intellectually. She could be an impressive adversary. Fincher's Lisbeth is mostly style and pouts very well. There are flashes of her strength, but it is not consistent with the source material. Additionally, Fincher has added some touches to the movie that emphasize the ugliness of her world, sometimes it tips the feel of the movie, going a little too far. It becomes too graphic, too lurid, and it cheapens the story.
There is also an issue with the way the film is a little too long with the way some of the characters are introduced, and some situations are detailed to the point that it seems to question the audience's ability to make deductions. Did we need to go into a shopping spree to set up the big scene near the end?
Once again, I'd love to hear an explanation for the ending? Why?