The Girl Who Played with Fire (2009)

Introduction:

After enjoying The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo I was defiantly interested in seeing the other two films. My wife had read the books and enjoyed all three of them, but warned me that there was some shifts in storytelling in the second and third novels. So I was curious to see just where Mikael and Lisbeth would end up.

Summary:

Lisbeth (Noomi Rapace) has been doing alright for herself, living it up in tropical locales while things cool off in Sweden. But things take a serious turn Lisbeth is identified as the killer of three people. Mikael Blomkvist (Michael Nyqvist) feels certain that Lisbeth is being set up and wants to help. But Lisbeth is tracking down the clues on her own, and they lead her on a twisted path that involves human trafficking and a link to her own dark past. When the trap is sprung will “The Girl Who Played with Fire” be alive to tell the tale?

Good Points:

• Top notch acting by the entire cast
• Delves into the character of Lisbeth
• Leads up to a solid climax

Bad Points:

• Mikael’s character takes a back seat in this story
• Not quite as intense as the previous story
• The ending leaves a lot of threads hanging – for the sequel

Overall:

With a new director in the chair for this movie, the shift in tone isn’t just with the plot but also with the overall style. Luckily it all works fine. The story moves along quickly and we get to know Lisbeth a bit better. It makes for a solid thriller, but suffers a bit from middle movie syndrome. Luckily the third part has been made, so no worries about not getting a conclusion. Definitely worth checking out, especially if you were pulled in by the first film.

Scores (out of 5)

Visuals: 4

Sound: 3

Acting: 4

Script: 3

Music: 3

Direction: 3

Entertainment: 4

Total: 4

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