Viewed – 20 November 2010 DVD
I was certainly a big fan of the last movie, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, the first part of Stieg Larsson’s acclaimed Millennium Trilogy, which introduced me to a new iconic female hero in the shape of tragic, gothic computer hacker Lisbeth Salander (Noomi Rapace). That movie’s plot involving the disappearance of a girl only hinted at the dark past of Lisbeth. However this follow-up, involving an investigation into sex trafficking, exposes much more of what makes Lisbeth tick, and is therefore more revealing when it comes to her character.
Lisbeth has been framed for a triple murder, the first that of her abusive lawyer / guardian who raped her in the first movie, and then that of two journalists ready to expose the sex trafficking. On the run and desperate to prove her innocence, Lisbeth begins her own investigation, while at the same time, friend and respected Journalist Mikael Blonkvist (Michael Nyqvist) is also trying to clear her name.
This is very complicated stuff, and sometimes I’ll admit to loosing my way, but regardless of whether or not the plot intricacies hold up, the overall drive of the story is that of Lisbeth and her past, all leading to a very thrilling conclusion. Considering this sequel was made for TV I thought it retained much of the eye-catching cinematography of the first, and although lower key still had plenty of style, with a quality, mood setting soundtrack to keep this viewer gripped. In comparison to the first movie I found it much less involving and it lacked the epic feel, but with several stand out moments, a couple of decent villains (admittedly rejects from old James Bond movies), and again a brilliant, gutsy performance from Noomi Rapace – this still managed to entertain and leave me thirsty for more.
Verdict: 3.5 /5
Related Articles
- The Girl who Played with Fire – A Book Review (nishitak.wordpress.com)
- Noomi Rapace Talks Playing Lisbeth Salander: ‘It’s Up To Somebody Else To Step In Her Shoes’ (omg.yahoo.com)
