The plot is the same as the book and the foreign film. To recap: some dude (Blomkvist) is hired to research the disappearance/murder of a very rich old man's favorite niece. The dude works with Lisbeth, a freaky smart goth chick/hacker with anger management issues.
Opening credits firmly establish this is a departure from the Swedish version. It's like a Bond movie open.
The entire movie is a mix of familiar and new. Blomkvist discovers information in different ways, has a daughter, has a much more serious relationship with his editor. Instead of Lisbeth inserting herself into the story by reading Blomkvist's email, Blomkvist has to recruit her. And, as I noticed in the previews, the American Lisbeth is a bit more vulnerable, less of a bad ass.
But at least they kept the unnecessarily graphic rape scenes intact. #sarcasm
I'm always fascinated when an American movie using all American or British actors decides everyone should have an accent. Why does everyone have an accent? It makes no sense. I get that the movie is set in Sweden or wherever, but that doesn't mean everyone would go around speaking English with a Swedish accent. Everyone except Danial Craig that is. He speaks like Daniel Craig.
Cal from the OC!
There's a major plot point in this story that kinda ruins it. This mailing of the flower. Why would you do that and not provide a letter?
Not sure how the end of this version works in the greater scheme of the Lisbeth Salander novels. The Swedish version clearly sets up a sequel. American version, not so much.
First Viewing: 3+2+2+2+3 = 12