AMAZING THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO LONG-FORM TRAILER

My major issue with this is that after seeing the Swedish version, i know every beat and plot point that Trailer has.

Rooney Mara looks on point as Lisbeth though. Judging from that Trailer, Noomi Rapace is "Angry" Lisbeth, while Mara is playing it as "Weird distant" Lisbeth.

Looks shot-for-shot but predictably, it still seems like Fincher's version will eclipse the original. Still, I'll be quite amazed if Rooney turns out to be as good as Rapace was.

Read the first two books and got a kick out of them.

What bothered me about the Swedish adaptations was the mundane depiction of Lisbeth's hacking. This comic strip sums up my feelings pretty well, http://www.comicsalliance.com/2011/09/21/cartoon-technology-tom-pappalardo/, but typing fast and staring at screens is neither dynamic nor engaging. 

I have faith in Fincher. This versions looks incredibly atmospheric and desolate, like I like it. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Evi 

Still, I'll be quite amazed if Rooney turns out to be as good as Rapace was.

I don't know, Mara's interpretation seems to have more layers of humanity than Rapace's somewhat one-note take did. Even though the books are terribly written, the characters (in the first) are generally well fleshed out and intriguing in their complexities, something the Swedish version failed miserably at with the horrific casting of the lead actor (Daniel Craig merely has to register some kind of presence on screen for him to top Nyqvist's wooden and uncharismatic turn) and Rapace unwilling/unable to do anything on screen other than CBB (Christian Bale Brood). I guess I just wasn't a fan of her performance.

This looks exactly like the Swedish version only with non-Swedish actors pretending to be Swedes and some added arty film wankery. I have a sinking feeling that the teaser trailer is going to be my preferred cut of this film.

Arty film wankery?

Bring it the fuck on.

Normally I'd be all "How dare they remake a new movie only because Americans are too dumb to read subtitles!" But it's Fincher. So I have to watch it yesterday. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Renn Brown 

Arty film wankery?

I'm probably getting that more from the editing. I should say " more stylized". The point is that it doesn't seem like Fincher's bringing much to the table if you've seen the original, which isn't that great to begin with. Why is it still set in Sweden for instance? This seems like a straightforward Americanization with the only added plus being Fincher's directorial skills and Daniel Craig. I guess that's enough for some people though.

Considering that the things you said this brings to the table are the things I had the biggest trouble with in the original, they are indeed enough.

Well, cool, I don't have a problem with that. It is funny to me though that everyone dogged the LET THE RIGHT ONE IN remake mercilessly for being redundant , but then Fincher comes along and seems to add even less to the material and everyone is psyched about it.

While this does seem very close to the original film, what I really hope comes out of the exercise is two much better follow ups than the Swedish versions. The Girl Who Played with Fire was my favorite of the books, but the film version was truly lacking.

Besides my already admitted (superficial) hypocrisy, the context is very different.

Let The Right One In was a superb, best of kind, vampire movie being remade by the director of Cloverfield with the controversial stuff partly ommited.

This one was a pretty good, but flawed thriller being remade by probably the best director working today with the controversial stuff supposedly pushed even harder.

Love Fincher but I don't think the guy who made Benjamin Button is even close to being the best director working today.

As great of a technical director as Fincher is, he can't elevate a bad story, as ALIEN 3, THE GAME, PANIC ROOM and BENJAMIN FUCKING BUTTON prove. THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO is a mediocre story that could be elevated to a good or even great story, but there is no evidence thus far that Fincher is doing that. It comes down to story, at least for me anyway, and story has always been Fincher's weakness.

You have your opinions, I have mine. I cannot think of a director better suited for this. 

I'd be just as psyched as anybody if this looked like a different movie than the Swedish one. If the setting were different, if the plot seemed to be tweaked, anything. But it looks like pretty much the same movie, which I didn't think was that great to begin with. So this will end up being the slightly better version of THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO. Which by my math is still not that great.

It's always fascinating to see people staking a seat on the hate-train a few months before a film releases. Just trying to set themselves up for a nice big 'told ya'.

I actually had a few similar issues to Sebastian and actively went hhrmm when I realised that these American and British actors were playing Swedes and Danes. It's a detail which I guess makes the plot work, but it's just kind of an odd choice. I already like Mara's version of Lisbeth more than Rapace's Terminator take on the character and I think the story is interesting enough to be really given a pop by Fincher's aesthetic. It's if he decides to push the stuff that was largely ommited from the Swedish version that has me interested, because there are elements to the book which could be fascinating on-screen with a director willing to push those boundaries.

The score sounds great too.

From the sound of things, it looks like I made the better choice in stopping myself from watching the original once I heard Fincher was on board to make this. This is probably my most anticipated movie of the year, and I know nothing of the books (other than it's a trilogy and RAPE). I've always loved Fincher but recently ignited a new-found appreciation of him after becoming mesmerized with Zodiac, despite having seen it twice and not really seeing what the big deal was. Can't wait!

I'm having mixed feelings about them apparently keeping the Swedish setting.  On the one hand, it would have been difficult transplanting a lot of the novel's situations to another location.  For example, Lisbeth's guardianship just wouldn't work if the film were set in the US.  On the other hand, not changing the setting just draws attention to the fact that it looks like a pretty straightforward remake, except everyone's speaking English now for some reason.  Sure, it's Fincher, so it will probably be the superior version, but there's still going to be that disconnect.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spike Marshall 

It's always fascinating to see people staking a seat on the hate-train a few months before a film releases. Just trying to set themselves up for a nice big 'told ya'.

 

I'm glad my reasoned opinion on the trailer can enable you to reduce me to a stereotype, Spike.

Honestly? I would say, as good as some of his movies are, David Fincher hasn't earned the benefit of the doubt when adapting some third rate serial killer novels into a big holiday studio movie.

As I've said before, wake me when they get to Lisbeth fighting the giant albino kickboxer who feels no pain.

I was skeptical, and while I still think that this is "throwaway Fincher", this does look terrifically moody and compelling.  I hope, like the Swedish film, it largely jettisons all the shitty magazine and libel subplots that like the novel.  

Where are we getting the confirmation that this is still set in Sweden? Was it in the trailer? I don't want to watch it again because I don't want to get too used to it and start recognizing all the beats from the movie.

I disagree that Fincher can't elevate a bad story, by the way--it's just that he's had some REALLY bad stories to work from (Alien3, Benjamin Button). Panic Room wasn't anything special, but it was a lot better than the completely forgettable trifle it could have been. The Game is pretty good, and again, it could have been a highly generic thriller. Even Benjamin Button, as seriously flawed as it is, has some stuff of interest in it. I definitely agree he needs a good script to produce something memorable, though. So I guess it's down to Steven Zaillian.

Never having read the book or seen the original movie, is it possible they have made changes and that's just not apparent from the trailer? I mean, it's four minutes of random imagery and dialogue. But then, I have no idea what the flaws in the original books are.

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Prankster 

Where are we getting the confirmation that this is still set in Sweden? Was it in the trailer? I don't want to watch it again because I don't want to get too used to it and start recognizing all the beats from the movie.

It's not expressly stated, but it's a reasonable assumption.   Some characters, Mara/Lisbeth in particular, are speaking in vaguely European accents, the locations look distinctly Nordic, background signage and newspaper headlines are decidedly not in english, and finally there's a shot of them referencing a map of Sweden in the trailer.  Plus, they shot there.

This is probably the way more gorgeous adaptation coming with a better Blomkvist and a better score and a weaker Salander, but I'm more curious about the sequels. That's where it gets interesting. If they stick to the books like they did with the swedish original, they'll suck, or at least be way weaker than Dragon Tattoo. And I can't see Fincher not seeing the weaknesses in the sequels, and when he chose to do Dragon Tattoo, he probably already had something in mind for the sequels. A new direction that does not suck, which is why he's probably already changed the ending to his version of DT.

I want to see what he's up to. I want to see his pain enduring brute.

Does anyone know whether Fincher's even mentioned doing the follow-ups? It'd be a first for him and something that, frankly, I wouldn't expect.