Is it true that "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" film flopped at the box office because people went to see a Tom Cruise movie instead? Well, the "Dragon Tattoo" girl got flamed, charred and scorched. The film's opening is an unquestioned disappointment. Is "Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol" to blame for this debacle?

Cruise's movie won and David Fincher's U.S. remake of the Swedish film did not. The numbers reported are brutal. "Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol" brought in an estimated $26.5 million over the weekend. The number two spot goes to the new Sherlock Holmes installment at $17.8 million. Even the new Chipmunks movie did better than "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo." The film came in fourth with an estimated $13 million. Does that mean that Lisbeth Salander has been officially trounced? Analysts say yes.

"A debut of $13 million over the holiday season is equivalent to a lump of coal, especially for a film that brings along this much fanfare," says Jeff Bock of Exhibitor Relations.

"'Dragon Tattoo' will no doubt perform better than 'Zodiac', which also debuted with $13 million and finished with $33 million. But it is doubtful foreign grosses will bring much merriment, as the Swedish version of 'Dragon Tattoo' previously lit it up overseas, grossing $94 million. With a budget approaching $90 million, plus purchasing the rights to the Millennium franchise, plus big-time marketing, this will go down as a dud," Bock explained.

People might ask why? Well, one factor to be considered is what the audience wants to watch especially during the holidays. The film "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" only offers depicting, among other violations, the graphic shackling and rape of the character Lisbeth Salander.

"The subject matter is very disturbing and ultimately dour, and as we saw earlier this fall with Drive, those films don't often connect with moviegoers, especially over the holiday season," Bock said.