Incredibly chilling yet beautiful movie

Rating: 10/10 (13 June 2012)

If you've seen the Swedish adaptation, you might think this is just an American attempt to get money out of a good franchise. Well, think again. This movie does what the Swedish one could not: it provided a chilling, dark, and isolated atmosphere that pervades throughout the movie, mostly thanks to Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross' incredible, gripping score.
Rooney Mara also gives the performance of a lifetime. She is so dedicated to this role, and it shows. Just the face she makes in the end after getting her heart broken by Blomkvist should've won her an Oscar. Throughout the entire movie, she brings that quiet power and determination that Salander is known for, yet she also manages to convey a longing for someone to recognize her for who she is rather than how she looks.
Daniel Craig was also very good as Blomkvist, especially in the end sequence when he is being held by Martin, portrayed by a slyly evil Stellan Skarsgård. Craig was able to bring Blomkvist's desperation and determination alive on the screen. You want to root for him, but deep down you know he is not a wholly good person, as he is unable to commit himself to any woman.
Now, it would be impossible to review this without comparing it to the book or the Swedish version. It is obviously impossible to fit the entire book into one movie, and I'd say Steven Zaillian did the best job he could. As for the Swedish film, I never liked it, and I thought Noomi Repace looked and acted nothing like how I imagined Salander.
This movie, in short, is a quiet masterpiece. It got noticed, but in my opinion, not enough. Sure, it might be sexual and violent, but I was able to sit through it without flinching, although the scenes definitely do leave an impact on you.
If you loved the book, go see this movie--it's now one of my absolute favorites.