The Girl Who Kick the Hornets Nest (2009)

Introduction:

Well, I had to complete the trilogy didn’t I? The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo and The Girl Who Played with Fire were solid thrillers and after the cliffhanger of the last movie, I needed to see just what would happen to Lisbeth and Mikael. Let’s see if this series can end on a high note.

Summary:

The events of the previous film land Lisbeth (Noomi Rapace) in the hospital. But it’s not as safe as you might think. Lisbeth is attacked, and Mikael Blomkvist (Michael Nyqvist) believes it may be because she has evidence that could bring down a major conspiracy. The danger starts to ramp up as mysterious figures pursue both Lisbeth and Mikael. Will he be able to gather enough evidence to keep Lisbeth out of an asylum for trying to kill her father? Will Lisbeth avoid the very angry killer that is just waiting for her to make a mistake? The fate of “The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest” hangs in the balance.

Good Points:

• More great acting from the whole cast.
• Both Mikael and Lisbeth get to share the spotlight
• Some great tension filled sequences

Bad Points:

• Focuses more on the court case and less on physical peril
• Seems a bit choppy in places
• The ending resolves much but leaves you wanting more

Overall:

All in all not a bad way to end the series. The focus on the court case against Lisbeth and the way Mikael gathers evidence is pretty interesting. But the film lacks the overall momentum of the previous entry and the atmosphere of the first one. Still it gets some solid intensity going, especially near the end. A few places are a bit choppy for someone who didn’t read the books (like me), but in the end I enjoyed this film and felt it brought the story to a good conclusion. Worth checking out if you enjoyed the first two.

Scores (out of 5)

Visuals: 4

Sound: 3

Acting: 4

Script: 4

Music: 3

Direction: 3

Entertainment: 4

Total: 4

Curious about a full review, sent me an email and I’ll make additional thoughts to this review.