The David Fincher one is very, very good, but the Swedish original is just a little bit better. The Fincher version has a better ending, though both versions go on waaaaaaaay too long after the climax. Bring on The Girl Who Played with Fire...the ending of that one rocks.
Eh, if something is good, runtime don't bother me. Shit, the Nightmare On Elm Street doc "Never Sleep Again", is 8 hours when you watch all the bonus stuff, and I still wanted more!
I think Tattoo is best, Fire is second, and Hornet is third (the same order as their release), although, like I said, the ending of Fire rocks. I hope Fincher will get to do the sequels; I really thought his take was worthwhile, even if I still think the Swedish version is slightly superior.
Watched the entire Swedish(?) trilogy in one continuous marathon on Netflix, which may have aggravated the perception that they really started to drag after awhile, and could've stood some tightening up. Otherwise pretty well-told and entertaining. And yeah, I mentioned this in someone's thread about the US version, but I could've done without such graphic rape scenes. Would've served the plot just as well to allude to it having happened.
I've tried to watch the remake. The opening just didn't get me to continue. So I bought the book and put it down after 10 pages. I got the original movie and didn't get more than 10 minutes in before I lost interest. Nope. No sir. I don't like it.
Re-watched the American version over the weekend and maintain it is very, very good, though I agree the Swedish version is better (though I think only slightly so, and both have their strengths and weaknesses). I listened to the Finchner commentary on the Blu-Ray and he shared an absolutely amazing coincidence that occurred in the filming. The producers found a coffee shop (it's the one Blomkvist--Daniel Craig--goes into near the beginning) and, instead of getting a professional actress to play the waitress, they had the lady that worked there just play the role herself. What's amazing is this: by sheer coincidence, the waitress in the coffee shop is Ellen Nyqvist, daughter of Michael Nyqvist, who played the Blomkvist role in the Swedish original!
Fire finally landed in the mailbox, just watched it, excellent, the ones who say the sequels taper off are knuckleheads. Taking a brief internet break, and then I'll fire up Hornets.
I'll try not to take that personally. I still think 1 was better than 2, though 2 had a faster-moving plot and had a great ending. I will be SURPRISED, however, if you think 3 is better than either 1 or 2.
Okay... Hornets was weaker, but in the inevitable "Return Of The Jedi", 3rd act sense. But, I thought Fire had enough tension, and action, and Salander coolness to recommend it. It just couldn't recapture the magic of seeing this universe of characters the first time, but, that's also inevitable. Like "Hannibal", is a great horror flick, but nothing can re-create "Silence Of The Lambs". Y'know? I wasn't even expecting it. Nah, the knuckleheads were the ones that flat out said the sequels "sucked". There's no fucking way. This is as solid a trilogy of flicks as one can humanly ask for. IMHO.
I truly hope that Fincher gets a shot at making Fire, if for nothing else than just to see how he'd do the final 30 minutes.
