Happy Holidays to all you Banters! There were quite a few new releases in theaters this Holiday weekend and as the box office numbers come trickling in it’s pretty obvious who are the winners in this race. It should come as no surprise that Tom Cruise’s ‘Mission: Impossible: Ghost Protocol’ took the top spot with an estimated 39.5 million over the Friday-Monday holiday period. ‘The Dragon Tattoo,’ which was arguably my most anticipated film of the year, was somewhat of a disappointment at the box office with 19.4 million over the Friday-Monday period, which isn’t terrible, but not that great either considering it was an adaptation of one of the most popular book series of the last decade.

I personally loved the film and our very own Alia Haddad gave it a glowing review, so here are 5 reasons why you should check out ‘The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo’ in theaters:

5. The Opening Credits: This is by far the best opening credits sequence I’ve seen in a long time. It’s like watching the opening to a Bond film on crack! Not to mention the ‘Immigrant Song’ cover by Trent Reznor and Karen O is dynamite.

4. The Ending: For those of you that have read the books, don’t worry about being bored! While director David Fincher managed to create a very faithful adaptation to the book, there is a major alteration in the film’s ending making it a great surprise for all audiences.

3. It’s Rated R: Director David Fincher had stated he wanted to create a franchise for adults, and he definitely has accomplished that. This film is extremely dark and gruesome, and deserves its R rating from the MPAA. Fear not this is not a ‘Saw’ film, but the realism in its brutality will shock you. Sometimes it’s good to see a true rated R film, and in this case the R should stand for REAL, because this film is just that.

2. The Plot: Similar to number 3, this plot is not for kids. It’s totally complex and complicated, but in a great way! This is the type of film that keeps you guessing and engrosses you even if you have already read the books. I knew everything that was going to happen but I still was totally absorbed into this world. A true testament to director Fincher, screenwriter Steve Zaillian, and most importantly, author Stieg Larsson.

1. Rooney Mara: Ladies and gentleman, believe what you have heard, Rooney Mara is electric in this performance. If you have seen the original Swedish films you probably thought Noomi Rapace was the only Lisbeth Salander possible, think again. Mara owns this role, making her tough on the outside but still vulnerable on the inside. Lisbeth Salander is one of the best female characters in the last decade, and Mara commits to the role 100%. See the movie just for her performance.

Overall, while ‘The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo’ was not a bomb at the box office, it did under-perform. I think that is a real pity because it was a wonderful adaptation of a beloved book franchise, not to mention a fantastic stand alone film for those unfamiliar with the books. Now that all of your holiday shopping and returns are completed, I recommend you head to a theater as soon as possible and check this baby out, you won’t regret it!