Review of The Girl in the Spider's Web (2018) by Davrosdaleks1 — 09 Nov 2018

After the American "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" did just okay at the box office, I'm guessing that the studio got worried about how they'd handle another one. This film is clearly made to be more American audience friendly and switched from a semi-down-to-Earth thriller to more traditional action film. This is far from a pure adaptation and the events and characters of the book have become simplified. I feel that this is a poor Millennium movie but as an action movie its not half-bad.

I gave "The Girl in the Spider's Web" this rating based on the intellectual side of me that wants to give others an honest appraisal and recognizes the fault in the script. The movie jumps from plot point to point too quickly without much substance, and Blomkvist, one of the two main characters in the books, is treated as an afterthought here. Though, I must admit I didn't mind at all the change to Lisbeth's past and her dynamic with her sister. I rather felt it worked here.

The fun side of me, would've bumped this up a point. The visual presentation is pretty darn good. Director Fede Alvarez, who did the Evil Dead remake and Don't Breathe has honed his skills in dark action visuals. I found there to be some pretty impressive and at times freaky imagery in this. The fight scenes, though often brief, are well executed. As a whole, the movie looks good in general with a couple really nice shots.

Though Claire Foy does an admirable job as a decent job as Lisbeth Salander, she doesn't compare to Noomi Rapace or Mara Rooney. (Same can be said for the guy who played Blomkvist.) In fairness to Foy, the film pulls more punches as Lisbeth's anti-social/on-the-spectrum traits are toned down and the character feels a bit more average. Props should be give to Sylvia Hoeks as the villain. She is effectively unsettling.

This movie will probably infuriate some fans. It's impure. I would actually recommend this more to casual viewers.