The extended trailer for David Fincher’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo has arrived, and it looks … good.
The remake of the 2009 Swedish movie based on the best-selling Stieg Larsson trilogy — long anticipated by some, absolutely reviled by others — is due out Dec. 21, and there really isn’t any doubt that it will be big. Fincher has built up quite the reputation for himself.
(VIDEO: Q&A with Noomi Rapace, the actress in the Swedish version)
But it’s not as if the original film wasn’t dramatic as well, with a trailer to match. Here’s a look at that trailer, from 2009 (with subtitles for all you non-Swedish speakers out there):
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVWA2ZlRn9c&feature=related&w=450]
There’s definitely a similar vibe going on between the two trailers, but let’s do a quick rundown of the differences.
Music: While the original movie’s trailer promises a suspenseful thrill ride, the music is a bit standard. It can’t compete with the Trent Reznor–composed score of the new trailer. Winner: Remake
Look: The remake movie’s trailer is stylistic and glossy yet still moody. The original movie’s trailer looks dated, despite being only two years old. Winner: Remake
Swedish accents: This one is obviously not even worth debating. Winner: Original
Lisbeth Salander: Based on the trailers alone, Noomi Rapace’s performance is rigidly stoic, while Rooney Mara’s shows about an ounce of vulnerability. Still, that’s an ounce more than Rapace’s, which will likely sit better with American audiences. Winner: Tie — they’re each compelling in their own way
Mikael Blomkvist: The journalist turned crime solver isn’t nearly as compelling as Salander, and in the trailers, both Mikael Nyqvist and Daniel Craig seem more like props for the titular Girl than actual characters. But if we have to choose, we’re going to go on looks alone, and James Bond takes it. Winner: Remake, but it’s a superficial win
Darkness: This is a story about murder, sexual assault and torture — all in all, it’s a dark premise. While both trailers suggest violence, neither comes close to warning how graphic things get. Of course, you can’t show much in a trailer, but for the uninitiated who head to theaters come Christmastime to check out the movie everyone’s been talking about, there’s likely to be a sobering shock. So spread the word now: this movie gets brutal. Winner: Original. But does anyone really win with violence? No
And the trailer with the most wins is … the remake. But it was a good show all around, trailers. Now all we have to do is wait to judge the new movie.