Ripley critics claim Dakota Fanning 'can't compete with Gwyneth Paltrow' as she takes on the role of Marge Sherwood in Netflix adaptation

Netflix's Ripley has landed on the streaming service, with critics raving about the small-screen adaptation of Patricia Highsmith's 1955 crime novel.

However while the psychological thriller, which also stars Andrew Scott, has received mainly positive reviews, some critics claim Dakota Fanning can't quite compete with Gwyneth Paltrow's original performance in the 1999 movie The Talented Mr. Ripley. 

Gwyneth starred alongside Matt Damon and Jude Law in the Hollywood movie, as she played the role of Marge Sherwood. 

And taking on the role 25 years later, critics aren't entirely convinced of Dakota's performance as they suggested she cannot compete with Gwyneth's original portrayal. 

Reviewing the new series the Evening Standard's Anna Van Praagh wrote that 's Anna Van Praagh wrote that Dakota 'can’t compete for a second with Gwyneth’s Paltrow’s flawless Marge Sherwood, and Johnny Flynn is left dead on the side of the road compared to Jude Law’s portrayal of Dickie Greenleaf, a character he inhabited perfectly.'

Ripley critics claim Dakota Fanning 'can't compete with Gwyneth Paltrow' as she takes on the role of Marge Sherwood in Netflix adaptation 

Gwyneth starred alongside Matt Damon and Jude Law in the Hollywood 1999 movie The Talented Mr. Ripley

Visually the two adaptations are worlds apart, as the sumptuous visuals of the Hollywood movie have been replaced with a noir take in the Netflix series with critics comparing the latest version to Hitchcock in style and pace.

And Dakota confessed she didn't in any way try to copy Gwyneth's performance when preparing for the role. 

Speaking in an interview with British Vogue, she explained how different the two adaptations are and admitted she didn't find the film helpful for her depiction of Marge.  

'I revisit the film because I love it, but I didn’t find it helpful in terms of playing Marge or stepping into this world because the vibe of this is entirely separate,' Dakota explained. 

Set predominantly in Rome and Venice, Gwyneth brought glamour to her role as Marge wearing a collection of floral and feminine summer dresses. 

In scenes where her and Jude Law, who played Dickie, emerge from the sea, Gwyneth, who was 27 at the time, beamed wearing a navy patterned bikini. 

However the pastel colours of her outfits have been stripped out in the black and white version, with Dakota's Marge donning plain and oversized shirts and sweaters. 

The actress, 30, explained it was a conscious decision for her costumes to all be black and navy. 

Dakota confessed she didn't in any way try to copy Gwyneth's performance when preparing for the role

Set predominantly in Rome and Venice, Gwyneth brought glamour to her role as Marge wearing a collection of floral and feminine summer dresses

However the pastel colours of her outfits have been stripped out in the black and white version, with Dakota's Marge donning plain and oversized shirts and sweaters

Dakota also chose to make Marge's ambition more central to the plot, while Gwyneth appeared rather straightforward at the outset as Dickie's socialite girlfriend

In scenes where her and Jude Law, who played Dickie, emerge from the sea, Gwyneth, who was 27 at the time, beamed wearing a navy patterned bikini

Differing from Gwyneth's two-piece, Dakota revealed that for the swim scene she wears a grey plaid swimsuit which was purposely unglamorous and practical. 

She explained: 'We wanted to make sure the costumes felt natural, wrinkled and a little bit oversized, to show that Marge wants to be taken seriously.'

Dakota also chose to make Marge's ambition more central to the plot, while Gwyneth appeared rather straightforward at the outset as Dickie's socialite girlfriend. 

Dakota revealed: 'Marge has some ulterior motives as well. She’s kind of using this situation that she’s found herself in to her benefit a little bit, too.'

Vogue's Radhika Seth is certainly a fan of this new rendition of Marge, as she writes: 'It’s a remarkable performance from Fanning – still, impassive, cold and cryptic – which ranks among the 30-year-old actor’s best'. 

Meanwhile Andrew Scott's central performance at Tom Ripley has captivated early viewers, with the Scottish actor labelled 'spellbinding'.

Set in the 1960s, Ripley is hired by a wealthy New Yorker to travel to Italy to convince his wayward son Dickie (played by Johnny Flynn) to return home.

Tom lies his way into the lavish world of the elite before resorting to deceit and murder in a desperate attempt to keep his place at the table.

John Malkovich, who previously played the title role in 2002 movie Ripley's Game, returns to the world of Tom Ripley in a wildly different part while the star-studded cast also includes Dakota Fanning who portrays Marge Sherwood, an American living in Italy who starts to suspect Tom's motives.