Brilliant film - I've seen it twice already and may go a third

Rating: 10/10 (3 January 2012)

Firstly I want to say that prior to seeing this film I had not read the book or seen the original film, so I can't be too much of a judge on how it relates to either. However, I have now seen the original film.
I want to quickly say that it appears that most of the negative reviews are coming from die-hard fans of the original film, or people seemingly offended or upset by some of the harder-hitting scenes in the film. I would advise that if you are easily distressed by graphic/violent scenes then this film may not be for you.
As for the die-hard fans of the Swedish version, by all means go and watch the film, but think about what you expect from it and also think before you share your bias opinion in a review which may influence whether a reader watches a great film.
The big issue with the remake for many is the matter of Rooney Mara versus Noomi Rapace. I personally prefer the way Rooney Mara portrays Lisbeth. I like how she doesn't give a f*** about what people think about her. Excuse the language, but in relation to the character there really is no other way to put it! I like her insane side, which is obviously a consequence of her difficult life. I like her appearance more than I like Noomi's. Mara's Lisbeth is less conventionally attractive which helps to give the effect that she is not a socially "normal" person.
Overall she seems more ruthless in this version, I don't care if this doesn't ring true to the original or to the book, it's the type of character I prefer. I love when revenge is at the heart of the plot, some of my favourite films are Taken, Man on Fire and the 24 series. While the main plot isn't focused entirely on this, there are moments where getting "justice" is prominent. Fans of the original may hate me for this, but Lisbeth is a bad-ass and makes a great character this way.
Craig also makes a better Blomkvist in my opinion. The interaction between Mikael and Lisbeth is clearly an effort for the both of them, but in this version there are moments of dry humour which I think improves the relationship between the characters. Again, this may not be true to the book or the original, but I think by now you will have gathered that I do not care much for the differences with either, just that this is a great adaptation.
Another reason I liked the film is that it definitely didn't pull any punches. Although both films are given a 18 certificate in the UK, the remake is much harder-hitting. I think this is because if you put a rape scene in any film it is likely to warrant an 18 certificate. The remake just took it further and made several scenes more graphic. Now before you brand me as some kind of sadist, I did not get any pleasure from the rape scene in either of the films. However, it is much much much more powerful in the remake than it is the in first, which just enhances the tone of the film and also makes you consider more the effect it has on Lisbeth. She doesn't sit around and cry for the rest of the film, which understandably would seem to be the "normal" reaction, but Lisbeth isn't normal. She goes out, gets a tattoo (presumably to remind her of the incident, which makes you think even more about her past and her other tattoos) then gets cold-blooded revenge.
What helps to make the scene so effective is the music. The soundtrack to this film is brilliant in my opinion, it helps to build the atmosphere of the film so much, which I feel it didn't do in the original. The exception to this of course being the opening credits, which where hugely out of place considering the tone and pace of the opening of the film.
A lot of criticism seems to be coming from the direction that there are differences in the plot that don't make sense for fans of the original, such as why Henrik doesn't explain to Mikael that he knew Harriet from his childhood. In the original it gives him a reason to stay, he has a prison sentence to be serving in 6 months, without that personal element to the assignment it may not seem plausible for him to stay, as the only rewards for him would be financial and satisfying his own curiosity. But of course in the remake he only needs to pay compensation, so the money he would receive from Henrik and also the information on Wennerstrom are ample incentive for him. Any inclusion of a personal matter would have affected the character that Fincher was trying to create in Blomkvist.
At this point I will recognise that I do not speak Swedish, so a certain amount of the chemistry and interaction between the characters from the original would have been lost on me. However, that for me is reason enough for there to be a remake in the first place. That is also the reason that I prefer this film, the language issue is too large to be ignored, and the remake was naturally going to be my favourite because it makes the film and the characters so much more accessible. I'm not denying that the original is a great film, I will be buying it soon and without a doubt watching it several times, but I just preferred the remake much more.
So in conclusion, the film is brilliant and if certain people can't see past the differences to the original then that's on them, I'm sorry they couldn't enjoy the film.