The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest (Lofslottet som sprangdes)

First Hit: A good ending to a trilogy which I fully enjoyed.

The film begins with providing some scenes from the previous film which has Lisbeth (played by Noomi Rapace) being shot, buried, digging herself out, taking an ax to her father Alexander Zalachenko (played by Georgi Staykov), and being flown to the hospital. Both she and her father are in the hospital with the wounds they inflicted on each other.

Because her father was a spy from Russia the government had given him and a small band of others enough tools to execute covert actions in Sweden generally through force. Afraid that Lisbeth and her Alexander would expose this secret group, one of the older men of the group goes to the hospital to kill them both. He succeeds in killing only the father.

Mikael Blomkvist (played by Michael Nyqvist) who has been Lisbeth’s friend through all three films is doing what he can to assist her for her upcoming trial. They try to prove her as insane because of her past actions and because she was sent to a mental hospital when she was young, but Mikael, working through his sister and lawyer Annika (played by Annika Giannini), are able to obtain evidence that Lisbeth has been set up from the beginning. She gains her freedom.

This film lacks the kind of action thriller scenes that the others had, however it ties the whole series together nicely.

Rapace is fantastic. I love how powerful she is on the screen each time the camera is on her. She holds character very well and when you see her give a slight smile you know the depth of her pain and joy. Nyqvist is wonderful as the magazine reporter who cares deeply about Lisbeth as both friend and one time lover. Giannini is good as Lisbeth’s lawyer and with being pregnant, smart, and focused she gains Lisbeth’s confidence. Lena Endre reprises her role as Blomkvist’s business partner and part time lover. She is effective. Ulf Ryberg accurately wrote the script from Steig Larsson’s book of the same title. Daniel Alfredson’s direction was very good and he did a great job of keeping all three films with the same look and feel making them easy to move from one to the other.

Overall: This was a wonderful end piece to this trilogy of films. It didn’t rely on action but intellectual suspense.

The Girl Who Played With Fire (Flikan som lekte med elden)

First Hit: Good film, not as strong as the first of the series, yet interesting enough to be engaging.

Noomi Rapace reprises her role as Lisbeth Salander, "the girl" referred to in the title in the trilogy of films. Michael Nyqvist reprises his role as Mikael Blomkvist the journalist of the Millennium magazine.

Taking off from the first film “The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo”, this film picks up Salander vacationing in a foreign country. She looks rested yet her intensity is still obvious in her eyes as she stops her traveling and heads back to Sweden to take care of some unfinished business.

Upon returning, Salander breaks into her parole officer’s home and reminds him that she still has his number and expects him to continue to write positive reports about her. Her father, whom she set on fire when she was younger, is still alive and now after her by setting her up for murders being committed by his goon a big blond former boxer.

Blomkvist doesn’t believe police reports that Salander has murdered 3 people. He begins to investigate and through a couple of emails learns that Salander is thankful for his belief and help. As Salander makes her way to where her father is living she runs into the protective goon (the big blond man) who beats her.

After awakening she learns he doesn't feel any pain and that this big blond goon is her half-brother. Her father and the goon dispose of Salander but her perseverance has her rising from the grave to kill him. And Blomkvist, he arrives on time to keep her alive.

Rapace is unforgettable on the screen. Whether you watch her walk away naked with her full back tattoo, or hooded and disguised as she quietly sneaks her way across town, she captures the audience’s attention. Blomkvist is not a strong screen presence but plays his character with so much integrity I can’t help but be on his side, no matter what. Jonas Frykberg and Stieg Larsson wrote the screenplay from Larsson’s book of the same title. This story isn’t quite as strong as the first film. Daniel Alfredson directed the film in a way that was well paced and allowed the story to unfold rather than force it.

Overall: A good follow-up from the first film, but the story wasn’t quite as strong as the initial one and so it didn’t quite bowl me over.