The Girl Who Played With Fire (2009)

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is now followed by the second volume, in an English translation that has none of the awkwardness to cross-tongue novels. Larsson's series shares a quality with a previous phenomenon of translated literature: The Name of the Rose. Umberto Eco transposed Sherlock Holmes to a different time and genre and imported learning from history, theology, philology and other disciplines. Larsson's Millennium trilogy is likewise an enjoyable and instructive compendium of pop-culture references and academic knowledge. The numerous middlebrow allusions include James Bond (a crucial document is titled "From Russia with Love" and the characters are chasing a shadowy Eastern European villain with a distinguishing characteristic), while Salander is recognisably a Lara Croft for grown-ups - a female Terminator.

This sequel has trouble living up to the expectations set by Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Whereas the first film followed an investigation, in this one the characters more or less wander around until they bump into the action. The action itself is still powerful, though suspension of disbelief is strained to its limits a couple of times. Incidentally, the disc containing this film convinced me once and for all that Blu-Ray is to be avoided until there's an easy way to skip all the ads.

Good but lesser than the first. Its really refreshing to see a movie that has not been made in Hollywood. The actors look like real people, baggy eyed and not super taut faced clones. So I enjoyed the film on that level. Its also a fast moving disturbing and complex and gripping plot. The only fault I thought was the, occasional, over emphasis on car and motorbike chase. I like it.

This is so true to the book, its very good. thoroughly enjoyable though some of it is hard to watch, like the bedroom scene and the tatooing but you already are prepared for this if you have read the book.

The first film already surprised me, but this is a good sequal. Brilliant story and brilliant actors. I am really looking forward to the third movie.