Now that the hysteria is over, and the debates on whether it was a remake or a completely new outtake on the books have passed, the situation is such that I can freely, and with no guilt whatsoever, ask this simple question: what’s the big deal?Or, rather, why have people gone absolutely over the top in awe of this trilogy of books? Why is it so important to make it European, so very Swedish, and not let Fincher have a go with it? Who cares who Lisbeth Salander is played by or if Blomkvist is a jerk or not?
Let me tell you something – I love reading books, I can stay up until 5 am if the plot is intriguing and have been caught up in a state of OCD multiple times over series of books and authors, not being able to let go until finished. Stieg Larsson’s Millennium books have nothing to do with it.
It was a downward spiral for me: the first book was predictable, the second a struggle to finish and the third was I-might-as-well. All in all, they are at least 2000 pages long of which 1000 should be skipped. I find them to be mediocre, a summer read if you will.
The Swedish version does not follow the books as it should and gives certain liberties in their interpretation that I find difficult to swallow and am surprised that they’ve garnered such wide-spread respect, especially towards its Lisbeth in the form of Naomi Rapace.
Fincher’s was, I believe, a better mix of budget, scenery, music and, sure, actors. I see no fault in Rooney Mara, Daniel Craig, Christoper Plummer or any other for that matter. At least it had a loyal book ending and did not pretend to be what it’s not.
Swedish version 7. American version 8. And favouring Fincher’s version puts me in minority, apparently.
