Noomi Rapace and Michael Nyqvist remain extraordinarily well-suited to their roles, but the second installment in Stieg Larsson's Millennium Trilogy doesn't pack quite as much punch as the first.
Noomi Rapace and Michael Nyqvist remain extraordinarily well-suited to their roles, but the second installment in Stieg Larsson's Millennium Trilogy doesn't pack quite as much punch as the first.
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The second installment of author Stieg Larsson's best-selling "Millennium" trilogy gets translated to the big screen with this tale of a prominent magazine publisher who launches a comprehensive investigation into Swedish sex trafficking and political corruption. The publisher of "Millennium" magazine, Mikael Blomkvist (Michael Nyqvist) 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. Noomi Rapace and Alexandra Eisenstein co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
The Girl Who Played With Fire narrows instead of broadens, and while the final scenes are bloody indeed, they frustratingly raise questions the film doesn't care to answer for now.
The "Millennium" completist doesn't need to be told to pick this up, but would be well advised to understand that the set contains the TV version of the trilogy.
Lisbeth Salander remains the riveting centerpiece of the two films that follow on from Dragon Tattoo, but, alas, her continuing story has been winnowed down in a way that makes it -- and her -- feel smaller than before.
Records onto film all the important moments found in the novel. These moments aren't made into compelling drama so much as crossed off some narrative checklist.
It?s a slicker and tenser film [than the first film] ... however, it?s also lost some of the first film?s icy edginess and sophistication, taking the series more into pulp fiction territory.
...there is a lot of enjoyable art (and artiness) applied to what is essentially a pulp fiction. The villains are Bond-film cartoonish, and it was more fun to see Mikael and Lisbeth work together ... than it is to watch them slowly converge in this one.
For fast-paced suspense, and for at least a hint of the passions which drove Stieg Larsson to expose the long reach of old fascist, and patriachal ideologies into the gloomy modern era of Swedish capitalist culture -- the film delivers.
Following up the amazing Girl With The Dragon Tattoo film was a tall order. This was no where near as good as the first movie and seemed to be very haphazard in patching together important parts of the book while leaving the parts out that might make sense. The books excellent the movie is good but not great.
Discounting the weak and slow beginning, this second part in the Millenium trilogy is just as enthralling as the original. I long pushed off to watch it, after hearing about all the low to luke-warm opinions, but it actually proved to be a very worthy sequel. In the first 30 min you'll be tempted to hit the
fast-forward button, but those patient enough to endure it, will be greatly rewarded in the second and final act. For what started out rather dullishly, eventually blossomed into a taut and compelling follow-up, with some incredibly fascinating plot twists. Not fully to the level of being on par with "Dragon Tattoo", but I'm still willing to give it the same rating, as the shortcomings are mostly in the margins.
September 9, 2009
Mike S
Super Reviewer
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