the audience applauded

Pretty Good

For having a relatively low budget, the film's style and overall art direction are immensely impressive.

It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties. It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo' is truly excellent, one would be hard pressed to find a Swedish thriller better. It wasn't flawless, but it comes close.It was followed by two follow ups and the David Fincher film, all worth a look but the original 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo' is the real deal. It is hard to say which is better or worse overall between 'The Girl who Played with Fire' or 'The Girl who Kicked the Hornet's Nest', in terms of atmosphere the former is weaker but in terms of more consistency in the storytelling the former also fares stronger. Both are flawed but very decent films, could have been better but for less cinematic sequels/follow-ups they are really not too bad.Of the three, 'The Girl who Kicked the Hornet's Nest' fares the weakest of the three. After being so gripped by the first book, the source material for this film didn't fare as strongly. There is a lot of extraneous filler in the book, and that the film trimmed the fat was not a problem. However, whereas 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo' was faithful in detail and spirit and one of not many book-to-film adaptations to treat the source material with respect, even with the not-so-problematic trimming of filler/fat what also made the book still intriguing, especially the latter chapters, doesn't quite make it in translation in the film. The conflict/tension between Section and the alliance was really powerful in the book, but barely explored here and it was shame.What is always important though is to always judge films/TV adaptations as standalones. On its own, 'The Girl who Kicked the Hornet's Nest' has a lot of good things as well as noticeable flaws. It does get bogged down by too much tying of loose ends, meaning that the film does feel a little bloated and both pedestrian and rushed due to cramming in a lot in a running time that contrary to some opinions could have benefited from being 20 minutes or so longer. Some of the stuff with Niedermann (played with the menace and charisma of a frozen pizza this time round) is disjointed and pointless, and while the restaurant shoot-out is exciting and suspenseful the very end is far too anti-climactic and wrapped up too conveniently.However, while not as cinematic as 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo', it does look good and makes a welcome return to the bleak atmosphere missing in 'The Girl who Played with Fire'. Daniel Alfredson's direction generally is much more confident and atmospheric, again not as chilling or as shocking as 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo' but unlike in 'The Girl who Played with Fire' attempts at replicating those are made. The script while lacking polish and flow in places is still thought-provoking.Storytelling may not be flawless, but there is a sense of doom and claustrophobia and there is tension and suspense (like in the courtroom scenes that help make Lisbeth want to succeed) that could have been more if the conflict between Section and the alliance was explored much more. The acting is very good, Michael Nyqvist is suitably determined but in a quietly dignified sense but even with much less to do Noomi Rapace nails it once again, bringing nuances and subtle command even when not speaking or even moving all that much.All in all, disappointing but good conclusion. Could have gone out with a bang, and while with some great things it doesn't quite make it. 7/10 Bethany Cox

Excellent! In my opinion, maybe the best of the three installments of the 'Millenium' trilogy. I tend to disagree with Mr. Berardinelli's review in calling this 'an abject failure as a stand-alone motion picture', simply because it was never supposed to be a stand-alone motion picture. In Sweden, this was just part 5 and 6 of a TV Miniseries, and for being that it is excellent! My compliments to the Director, the writer and the entire cast.Like Ebert, I also hope they manage to complete the 2 unfinished scripts by Stieg Larsson thus giving us parts 4 and 5 of this Saga. I will definitely be looking forward to it, both as books and movies!

Originally planning to watch the 3rd and final part in the Millennium Trilogy as a way to mark my upcoming 500th review,I found myself suddenly having to change plans,when I discovered that I'd misplaced the box set! With thankfully having tracked down the set since my mistake,I decided to mark my upcoming 600th review,by at last watching the final part of the series. The plot: Waking up in hospital after her dad has shot her in the head, Lisbeth Salander discovers that the bullet has been safely removed from her brain,and that the police have charged her.Initially hoping that she has finally gotten revenge for the abuse that her dad inflicted on the entire family for years,Salander's hopes are dashed,when Dr. Anders Jonasson reveals that he is in a stable condition,and being treated in a near by room.Whilst Salander breaths a small sigh of relief over still being alive,investigating journalist Mikael Blomkvist begins putting together a special edition of a magazine called Millennium,which will go into detail about the abuse that Salander suffered in state institutions,and her dads close links to sections of the government.As Blomkvist starts to write the mag,two former members of a secret splinter cell within the Swedish security uncover Blomkvist investigations,and begin to fear that he is about to uncover their link to Salander's dad.Desperate to stop Blomkvist before he finds out their secrets,the former spires locate Salanders for psychiatric counsellor,and get him to write a report that will be submitted to the court,which claims that Salander is insane.Relising that they do not have a similar option for Salander's dad,one of the ex-spires goes to the hospital and shoots him.Waking up from hearing gunshots outside,Salander starts to hear someone slowly walking towards her room,who is desperate to destroy the girl with the dragon tattoo.View on the film:Avoiding the dull dead ends that Jonas Frykberg had taken the films in,the screenplay by Ulf Ryberg takes the film back to its Nordic Noir roots,while opening up the titles universe on a vast scope.Superbly showing in stark flashbacks the full effect of the horrific events that Salander has experienced in the movies, Ryberg reveals in a tremendous,centre-piece court room scene the decay which has rotted major parts of the government and the secret service,which goes from perverted psychiatrist Dr. Peter Teleborian being desperate to keep his shady past under wraps,to members of a secret splinter cell taking anyone down who attempts to discover their vicious activates.Firmly keeping Salander and Blomkvist permanently on edge,returning director Daniel Alfredson and cinematographer Peter Mokrosinski show a fantastic skill in allowing scenes to breath,with Alfredson only going for a close-up on Salander's face when she is raising herself from near death,and also seeing the repercussions at last hit her perpetrator's.Along with the smart limited use of close- ups,Alfredson also creates a disturbing Nordic Noir mood,thanks to Alfredson giving each of the out door scenes a strong evil under the sun aura,and also dim lighting to create a tense feeling of mysterious strangers hiding in any corner of a room.Despite being stuck in a hospital bed for the first half,Noomi Rapace gives a tremendous performance as Salander,with Rapace showing in her body language that every twitch Salander makes is connected to the past which she is haunted by.Getting out of bed,Rapace gives Salander an extremely charismatic, masculine stride,which suggests that Salander may be starting to be more optimistic about her future.Reuniting with Rapace, Michael Nyqvist gives an amazing performance as Blomkvist,with Nyqvist showing the wear & tear scatted over Blomkvist face due to his deep desire to release the secret history behind Lisbeth Salander-aka:The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo.

Sort of satisfying conclusion in THE MILLENNIUM TRILOGY offers less quality than the first installment and less ambition than the second installment, yet still ends up being a pretty decent movie. The story picks up right where the second film left off—the second film's cliffhanger was its main flaw—but pretty much finds itself devoted to wrapping things up rather than building its own story (like the first film did with the Vanger family), ultimately resorting to a theatrical courtroom showdown. The development of Hallin's character is a long overdue plus, as having her lingering in the background as Mikael's opinionated sister in the first two films was a little bothersome in hindsight. The ending seems to lack a sense of finality, but it works well in a bittersweet kind of way knowing that the novels' writer Larsson had much more up his sleeve for these characters.*** (out of four)