The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Daniel Craig
Rooney Mara

Another book adaptation I am grateful for is The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.  It is adapted from a novel written by Steig Larsson with the same title and which is the first one of the ‘Millennium series’ triology.  

In this Movie, journalist Mikael Blomkvist loses a libel case against a wealthy industrialist and his credibility is torn to pieces. Another wealthy titan, Vagner, hires Blomkvist to, overtly write his biography, but his real intentions are to make the journalist investigate his grandaughter's murder from 50 years ago. We see Blomkvist work his way through the little clues that remain, and come across eccentric, reclusive and extremely malevolent members of the Vagner family. He is helped by Lisbeth, a sociopath who is also an ingenious researcher, computer hacker, and combatant. Blomkvist discovers that many members of the Vagner clan are avowed Nazis and his investigation takes a bad turn when Vagner has a stroke. This gizmo-centric take on a classic investigation story is ultimately refreshing.

In The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, the details of Stieg Larsson’s storyline are so particular that most changes are either barely noticeable blemishes or are changes that work for the better.

Overall, I would argue The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo makes for a superior film than a book. But if you are into minute details, you might prefer the book over the movie. :)