Rating of
3/4
Satisfactory not GREAT!
MovieAddict - wrote on 03/01/12
The first movie based on the book, Men Who Hate Women (or Girl with a Dragon Tattoo), was excellent, but the second film which focuses on Lisbeth's own mystery, is unfortunately not as good.
The plot revolves around Mikael Blomkvist's investigation into a sex- trafficking ring and Lisbeth's past coming back to haunt her when she is framed for murdering a journalist, a researcher, and her previous ex-rapist guardian when her fingerprints are found on the gun that killed him.
We were introduced to Lisbeth in the GWTDT and it's very hard to equal that for thrills. Its sequel is held together at the seams by the Noomi Rapace's flawless performance. Her character of Lisabeth Salander is the heart and soul of the story and as we peel back the layers and get to know more about her, the more interesting she becomes. Unfortunately I didn't feel the special chemistry that Mikael and Lisbeth shared in the GWTDT probably because they have so very few scenes together. The movie skipped the entire beginning of the book which I thought was quite good and unlike its predecessor there is no fascinating cliffhanger to dangle in front of the audience tempting them to come back for more. Perhaps the American remake will succeed where this one fails.
Still worth a look if you like a tantalizing mystery and even though this adaptation is only satisfactory, as a fan of the books, I will be seeing The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest!
