Avoid at all costs

Rating: 5/10 (5 January 2012)

If you have read the books (which I highly recommend you do), you will most likely hate this film. Major aspects of the story are changed, including the ending which is entirely different (for seemingly no reason other than to reduce length of the film) to the book - and this itself causes a huge plot inaccuracy. Also, we are given a significant clue as to who is the murderer very early on in the film. What is the point!? The character of Salander is destroyed by the director. She opens up way too much and shows a significant amount of emotional weakness, which we shouldn't see until the next film at least. The film artistry itself is hugely lacking. We are under the illusion that it is a film of incredible beauty and depth. I'm afraid not, this is just the Swedish countryside - possibly the only good thing about this film. We are soon met by lack-lustre screenplay writing and subsequently unnatural and contrived scenes with every character. I'm not easily offended but the unnecessary use of swear words (where no normal person would use them) and lengthy portrayal of rape and sex in this film was just not called for. It is awkward and a huge indulgence on the director's part. Stick with the original Swedish version if you want good, solid, artistic film making. And please stop praising this blasphemous nightmare of a film.