The Girl who kicked the Hornets' Nest

2009 Director Daniel Alfredson

The "Millennium Trilogy" winds to a close with this installment.

The punky protagonist Lisbeth Salander fights to prove that she's innocent of committing multiple murders. As she lies in intensive care, the corrupt officials in high office attempt to take advantage of her incapacitated state by accusing her of murder. She is taken under the wing of a protective doctor, who keeps the Police at bay for as long as he can. But fiercely independent Lisbeth isn't about to play the scapegoat, and the more her accusers work to ruin her life, the harder she and her loyal friend Mikael Blomkvist must push back to prove them wrong.

Unfortunately this film does not pick up on the slow pace of the 2nd installment. Noomi Rapace holds this otherwise flimsey and overlong composition together well. Whenever she is off screen the story seems to elongate verging on tedium. I am very surprised that Michael Nyqvis' role is not elevated to the gritty fast paced character of the first film. Both "Played with Fire" and "Kicked the Hornet's Nest" could have been combined into one fast paced film instead of 2 drawn out ones.

One to see in order to complete the set but only for the dedicated.

The Girl who played with Fire

2009 Director Daniel Alfredson

This is the second installment of author Stieg Larsson's best-selling "Millennium" trilogy.

A prominent magazine publisher launches a comprehensive investigation into Swedish sex trafficking. The publisher of "Millennium" magazine, Mikael Blomkvist  has built an empire on his ability to shake up the establishment. Approached by a young journalist with evidence that high-ranking Swedish officials are involved in sex trafficking and crimes against minors, the incensed magazine publisher launches a comprehensive investigation that threatens to implicate some of the most powerful politicians in the country.

Unfortunately this sequel lacks the pace and intensity of its predecessor. The two main character stories remain separate until the very last scene, so none of the chemistry that made the first film so tight is present. The film ambles along and feels more like the hyphen between two films rather than a real second instalment. Noomi Rapace delivers a brilliant performance but Mikael Nyqvist seems to struggle with a character that has suddenly turned two dimensional. Let's hope that the concluding part picks up the pace of the first.