The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

I tend to disagree with Common Sense's "No Kids" ratings (especially with regard to Mature-rated games), but here it's as well-deserved as it gets. No one under 16-18 should see this movie (or read the books/see the Swedish movies, for that matter), as this story is very dark and disturbing. If the laundry list of MPAA rating descriptors won't turn sensitive people off (brutal violent content including rape and torture, strong sexuality, graphic nudity, and language), then the bizarre opening sequence will. If you're a prude, stay 39-and-a-half feet away from this. However, if you loved Stieg Larsson's trilogy and/or its Swedish adaptation, there's little doubt that you'll love David Fincher's excellent vision of it. For the uninitiated, the story goes like this: in Sweden, an investigator named Mikael Blomkvist, fresh off of a libel case against a corrupt billionaire, is hired by Henrik Vanger, chairman of the family-owned Vanger conglomerate, to figure out the whereabouts of his niece Harriet, who mysteriously disappeared from the family's private island over forty years prior. Blomkvist is aided by Lisbeth Salander, a hacker/genius who is excellent at investigations, but has problems of her own with regard to her placement in the Swedish welfare system. Together, they uncover a series of shocking murders, and the race to find their perpetrator begins. The fantastic film feels much faster than its 2.5-hour runtime would suggest. David Fincher still hasn't disappointed me with his directing, Rooney Mara is just as good as Noomi Rapace was in the Swedish version (and actually deserves the Oscar/Golden Globe), and the script stays true to the storyline, except for some slight changes in the ending. Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross' amazing score is also worth mention. Despite the film's litany of good qualities, there is a ton of offensive content. Rape and revenge factor heavily in several brutal scenes, and some graphic consensual sex comes in as well. There are also some shocking crime scene photos, an image of an eviscerated cat, and a lengthy scene of torture. Language is pretty raw, with about 10 f-bombs (three on Lisbeth's shirt in a few scenes), there are a few noticeable brands, and there is tons of smoking. However, there actually is a point to it all (like in Fincher's other films, such as Se7en and Fight Club), because one simply cannot tell the story without said images. There is a deeper, grittier side to life, and Stieg Larsson's entire trilogy is devoted to finding meaning in it. He also promotes female empowerment, a refreshing viewpoint these days. Overall, I recommend this adaptation to fans of the book series or Swedish films, and even for the uninitiated viewer, especially if they like really dark crime dramas. However, no one under upper high school age (about 16-18) should see this movie, because of the content described above.

I loved the books and the movies in Swedish. I was very excited to see the movie, and for the most part I was not disappointed. Yes, it was very disturbing and violent, but I knew that going in. The acting is amazing. The only disappointment was the "music" which was too loud, very dissonant,and distracting. The ending doesn't quite follow the book, and I don't know why.

This movie has lots of innapropriate scenes involving sex and violence. I am 21 and this is a no go

Honestly, I believe everybody is going too hard on this film. Yes, there are two graphic sex scenes, which are really too much for younger kids, but in a real world case, most teenagers are already very familiar with the scenes depicted. Not to mention the lanuage, which is really only used a handful of times. I personally loved the books, and found everything Fincher did, did it justice. However, there is a fairly disturbing rape scene, which I saw many folks cover their eyes and leave the theatre, but it really wasn't as bad as advertised. There are a few instances of blatent commercialism-Lisbeth eating McDonalds and drinking Coke, and Mikel using a Mac and smoking Malboros. And I do believe there was a 7-Eleven box somewhere. And Plague (the fat guy) was wearing a Nine Inch Nails shirt, which was most likely a shout-out to Trent Reznor, the composer for the film. I think if you've read the series and are mature enough to handle the themes, then by all means, go for it. But parents, don't go with your teen...I don't think this was a movie I could watch with my mother!