Flick Picks

Flick Picks: Why ‘Dragon Tattoo’ Rocks and ‘War Horse’ Doesn’t

<p>In our weekly video feature ‘Flick Picks,’ The Daily Beast’s Ramin Setoodeh and Rolling Stone film critic Peter Travers debate the new movies opening at a theater near you. See which films get a ‘yes,’ ‘no,’ or ‘maybe’ from our critics. This week’s lineup: David Fincher vs. a double dose of Steven Spielberg. Here’s how <i>The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo</i> fares against <i>War Horse</i> and <i>The Adventures of Tintin</i>.</p>

War Horse

He can’t talk like you-know-who, but this horse is still determined to be a star. Steve Spielberg’s first feature of the holiday season is adapted from a Tony-winning play (and little-known children’s book) about a colt named Joey who is enlisted to fight in World War 1.

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

David Fincher (The Social Network) directs one of the most anticipated films of the year, based on the Stieg Larsson novel that’s sold more than 65 million copies around the world. Daniel Craig plays Mikael Blomkvist, the journalist brought in to investigate an old murder, and Rooney Mara delivers a star-making turn as the bad-ass (and bisexual) Lisbeth Salander.

The Adventures of Tintin

For round 2, Spielberg trades his horse for a dog named Snowy. This mutt belongs to the famous comic book hero Tintin (played by Jamie Bell), an enterprising reporter on an impossible mission that feels less Tom Cruise and more like Harrison Ford circa Raiders of the Lost Ark. The film is shot in motion capture.

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Ramin Setoodeh

Peter Travers

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