THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO ***½

Niels Arden Oplev directed this Crime/Thriller. Watch Preview Cast: Michael Nyqvis, Noomi Rapace, Lena Endre, Peter Haber, Sven-Bertil Taube, Peter Andersson, Ingvar Hirdwall, Marika Lagercrantz, Björn Granath, Ewa Fröling. Rated R for disturbing violent content including rape, grisly images, sexual material, nudity and language. Running time is two hours and thirty-two minutes.

Based on the trilogy of books by Stieg Larsson: a disgraced financial journalist and a tattooed, ruthless computer hacker are hired by a family member to investigate the 40-year-old disappearance of a woman. When the pair link her disappearance to a number of grotesque murders, they begin to unravel a dark and appalling family history. Dubbed in English version.

I'm sure there will be those who are turned off by the subject matter and images in this film but if the rating info above doesn't bother you, this is a terrific movie. Wjy do I think that? Well, it's two-and-a-half hours long and I never once thought about looking at my watch. All of the cast is unfamiliar to me, this being a Swedish film, but they're very good and Rapace is terrific. Her character is fascinating and even though you can surmise events in her background, she is so compelling you want to know even more. Even though there are adult scenes, this is basically a "whodunnit" with a surprisingly uplifting ending. If you like films with interesting characters and a strong story, this is one you'll want to see. The English dubbing is very good and you quickly forget you're not watching an English production. Theatres/Times.