Worthy adaptation with a fantastic Lisbeth Salander

Rating: 8/10 (29 June 2017)

As a reader of the original novel, I wondered if I should not watch the Swedish adaptation first, rather than what I figured would be an Americanized, dumbed-down, and sanitized remake, the likes of which we've seen all too often in the past with other foreign movies. I was very pleased to see my concerns were completely unfounded.
Rather than a remake, this is more like a new adaptation of the modern thriller classic. A faithful one it is, too, set in the original Swedish locations of the novel and with characters speaking and acting much like their original literary counterparts. Even the controversial decision to speak in pseudo-Nordic accents is one I actually approve of. I liked the results.
Particularly great is the talented Rooney Mara, who looks a little like Natalie Portman but, while not having the same fame or level of recognition, may be just as good an actress. Her Lisbeth Salander is probably *the* character that was going to make of break this film and thankfully, it is a resounding success: she is very much the blunt, complex, riveting girl you picture when you read the book.
Though Mara's magnetic performance in many ways supports the film just fine on her own, she is helped by a strong cast in which Plummer and Wright, in particular, shine, while Skarsgård, Richardson, and Craig also more than hold their own. The music sets the tone wonderfully, while the pacing and editing are also strong points, with 2,5 hours flying by.
As for the story, as I said, it remains faithful to the original while trimming down some of the excess baggage and taking a couple of actually satisfying shortcuts, improving on some of the slightly groan-inducing aspects of the book. However, some of the richness, depth, and mood of the novel inevitably get lost when translated to film, preventing this very good adaptation from becoming a classic.
(+) The story is faithfully adapted to the screen. Good pacing, editing, music. Mara nails it as Lisbeth Salander
(-) Some of the finer points and subtleties of the novel get lost in the silver screen, especially in regards to the Hedestad part of the story.