Ambitious American project misses the mark yet again

Rating: 2/10 (4 June 2012)

Spoilers:
While the film itself is beautiful and the performance by Craig is strong, there are a number of critical mistakes that alienate this film from the heart of The Millennium Series.
While Rooney Mara is compelling, she and Fincher simplified Salander's character extensively by allowing Mara to be an emotional performer. One of Salander's most important traits is that she is externally made of stone. She reveals no emotion for she embraces a simple lesson from her stroke-stricken Guardian to weigh risks and consequences. This is one reason that people assume her to be retarded or crazy. Being underestimated is one of Lisbeth's strengths. Mara provides too much seething. She gives in to the melodrama of her Method approach and the writers revealed entirely too much about Lisbeth. It's unfortunate, but it's definitely gotten Mara attention.
As for the rest of the film, the producers, studio, writers, whoever, have butchered the true heart of the book by excising all of the politics. The word "left" never enters the film even though Blomkvist is a leftist journalist and Millennium Magazine is concerned with matters of the left. The film is also an indictment of the Swedish Welfare system, as is expressed by Lisbeth's violent rape and torture -- which is offensively whitewashed if you ask me. (The word "Sadist" is left out of his tattoo. Why? I don't know.)
This film has reduced a brilliant story to yet another serial-killer mystery. Who cares. They're a dime a dozen. But The Millennium Series is unique in its success of blending stark political arguments against Capitalism and the failings of the Swedish Government with mystery and character study.
This film simplified and made banal a brilliant story and brilliant characters. Why? Perhaps they felt that American audiences would be turned off or confused by issues plaguing the Swedish government and political system. Perhaps they felt minimizing Salander's brutal rape wasn't minimizing of how exploitable the Swedish Welfare system is by predators or minimizing international rape culture. Perhaps they felt it was fine eliminating Larsen's larger points in favor of hand-holding the audience through the mystery because it would make them more money.
Seems that they were right.
Do yourself a favor and read the books. Do yourself a favor and legitimately examine Larsen's indictments of his government (and then extend that to every government) and the corrupt. After you do that, enjoy the Swedish film trilogy for its performances, and view this film as something you'd find on adultfanfiction.net.