Boxing day releases are generally opportunities for the entire family to dig their arses out of the couch and visit the cinema en masse, but do bear in mind that this film features anal rape and one of the most complicated plots of the year. If your gran likes that kind of thing, that's cool, get her to smuggle in the hip flash because the Odeon are less likely to search her bag. If not, leave her at home with an Agatha Christie, which, to be honest, views like a pre-watershed version anyway.

As you'll undoubtedly know unless you're more reclusive than Lisbeth Salander in a wifi dead-zone, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo is the first instalment of Stieg Larsson's Millennium Trilogy, which has now sold more than 50 million copies worldwide. It's already been adapted in Swedish, but this is the 'Hollywood' version, which caused a bit of a stir with the purists when it was first commissioned. We were slightly worried ourselves when Emma Watson was initially attached, but David Fincher's casting ended up being fairly impeccable, with Daniel Craig, Stellan Skarsgård, Robin Wright, Christopher Plummer, Joely Richardson and the year's most promising newcomer, Rooney Mara, now unrecognisable from her previous roles (just as well if that's the remake of A Nightmare on Elm Street). She's really gone for it, she deserves some kind of award for all the piercings alone (all genuine).

With Sweden still as the back drop (accents ahoy - Valkyrie this ain't), the story follows a disgraced journo Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig) as he's called to investigate the disappearance of a rich patriarch's niece from 40 years ago. Meanwhile, a genius yet antisocial goth/punk computer hacker, Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara) deals with getting revenge on her abusive state-appointed guardian before her tale merges - slightly awkwardly - into the parallel drama. Craig is typically Bond-esque, while Mara gives him a run for his money in the ice-cool stakes. Talking of which, they spend the film lookin' freakin' freezing (a quick look on IMDB trivia confirms they filmed during Sweden's coldest winter in 20 years, so that's not just good acting), which effectively adds an air of tension.

Now, as anyone who's read the book will know, the plot is incredibly complicated - so much so that the late author kindly gave recaps at regular intervals. At 841 pages (paperback version), there's a lot to fit in, which was always going to be the challenge in a big screen remake - even for a director willing to stretch to a two and a half hour running time. Fincher's version manages to capture more than the 2009 one did (except the incredible amount of coffee that's consumed), but there's still something that doesn't quite translate, particularly since the story works so much better as page-turning trilogy and we know we won't be getting a new instalment for at least a year. Without the incredible narrative descriptions, and with all the tweaks and edits, the plot veers a little into Midsomer Murders territory - albeit a superbly acted episode. Unlike with The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, the ending does get wrapped up (a little too hurriedly we should add), but knowing how much more there is to come, there's something a little disappointing about the conclusion. Perhaps Salander's melancholy gets a little too much under your skin. Or perhaps the film's just not a patch on the book.

As much justice as Fincher gives it, if you've not read the trilogy already, you might be better off getting in a last minute Christmas order and spending Boxing Day and beyond in bed with that instead. Obviously accompany it with Trent Reznor's score, just for added tension. By the time the film comes out on DVD, you'll be all finished and ready. You're welcome!