Movies 2010 #21 The Girl Who Played With Fire

The Girl Who Played With Fire played better as a film than it did as a book. I had diminishing returns with the books, liking each progressively less. In the case of the films, this, the second, was at least as good as the first.

The reasons for that are probably the same as the reasons for my reaction to the book. Where I thought the plot an execution of the first book was a lot of fun, I felt like the second book was a lot more straightforward. That straightforward action/thriller/murder mystery approach, in the film is actually a lot of fun. If you like Lisbeth Salander because she’s a petite, punk rock bad-ass, then this is the film for you.

Continuing shortly after the events of the Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, this film is, as mentioned, a murder mystery. A journalist working for Millenium, the magazine run by reporter Mikael Blomkvist, is murdered and the prime suspect is none other than Lisbeth. Unraveling the truth touches on everything from Salander’s mysterious past, the mechanics and human cost of sex trafficking in Sweden, to the deepest corners of the Swedish secret police.

It also features a bunch of ass-kicking, which goes a long way towards making this an enjoyable couple of hours.

Much like the books, this isn’t great art, but it is a lot of fun. I’m excited to see the 3rd and final film.