THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO | FAMILY MOVIE REVIEW INFORMATION FOR PARENTS AND KIDS

"THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO"
(2011) (Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara) (R)

QUICK TAKE:
Drama/Thriller: A disgraced journalist hires an unorthodox researcher to help him try to crack a decades old missing persons case.

PLOT:
Mikael Blomkvist (DANIEL CRAIG) is a journalist and magazine publisher in Stockholm who's just lost a libel case brought against him by wealthy investor Hans-Erik Wennerstrom (ULF FRIBERG). Wiped out financially and with his reputation tarnished, he agrees to a unique proposition offered to him by Henrik Vanger (CHRISTOPHER PLUMMER), a wealthy Swedish businessman.
The latter promises to deliver dirt on Wennerstrom -- as well as a fat paycheck -- if Mikael can solve a decades old missing persons case. The victim was Henrik's 16-year-old niece who disappeared back in the 1960s from their island town, and despite the family, the authorities and others searching for her, nothing was found.
Needing the money, and a chance not only to get away but also get back at Wennerstrom, Mikael takes the case under the guise of writing a biography on Henrik and sets out for the remote Hedestad Island. That's much to the dismay of his editor and current lover, Erika (ROBIN WRIGHT), who doesn't like that he'll be several hours away by train. Having been warned by Henrik about his highly dysfunctional family, Mikael begins working on the case, interviewing Henrik's middle-aged adult nephew, Martin (STELLAN SKARSGARD), among other family members, as well as those who worked the case decades ago.
Realizing he needs assistance, Mikael takes the advice of Henrik's attorney Dirch Frode (STEVEN BERKOFF) and hires Lisbeth Salander (ROONEY MARA) as his researcher. She's a young adult ward of the state whose appearance -- with her multiple piercings, tattoos and apparent anti-social demeanor -- would seem to make her stand out in the crowd. Yet, she has a surprising knack to infiltrate places to set up surveillance and her computer skills are second to none.
As the two continue digging and getting closer to revealing the truth that seems to point to a serial killer, they end up putting themselves at ever-increasing amounts of risk and peril.

WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?
Teens might be interested in it, especially if they're fans of the novels, the first movies based on them, someone in the cast, and/or the films of director David Fincher.

WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: R
For brutal violent content including rape and torture, strong sexuality, graphic nudity, and language.

CAST AS ROLE MODELS:
DANIEL CRAIG plays a journalist and magazine publisher who's just lost...

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