Sunday, September 26, 2010

MOVIE REVIEW … THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE

MOVIE REVIEW …

THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE

the-girl-who-played-with-fire-movie-poster-1020553744 Swedish author Stieg Larsson’s ‘Millennium Trilogy’ has become a ‘Da Vinci Code’- style phenomenon.  As his books fly off the shelves and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo plays to packed houses, it’s impossible to escape the hype.  That isn’t a bad thing as that and Henning Mankell’s similarly themed Wallander series have shaken the cobwebs of the usually staid whodunit genre.  The Girl Who Played with Fire is no different making for a fair addition to an intriguing investigative series.

Working on a major report on a sex trafficking ring, Millennium magazine writer Mikael (Michael Nyqvist) uncovers a huge scandal.  Appreciative of being notified of the story by a pair of young journalists, he’s shocked when they’re brutally slain.  He’s even more so when his friend Lisbeth Salander (Noomi Rapace) becomes the prime suspect.  Determined to find those responsible, they attempt to uncover the culprits whilst lifting the lid on another sinister episode within Sweden’s high society.

If its first chapter established the formula with intense characters dealing with realistic issues, The Girl Who Played with Fire unwisely changes this recipe.  Whilst its tale of murder and revenge is mostly engaging, the dynamic tension so prevalent in ‘Dragon Tattoo’ seems missing.  Not the fault of the main actors who are excellent as always, but more of a screenplay discarding the compelling sub-plots of its predecessor for a more linear story-line.   This adds to a general feeling of watching a less than energetic effort, despite its admirable focus on the character’s backgrounds. 

Despite its less impressive aspects it manages a fairly steady pace.  The genesis of Lisbeth’s violent behaviour is well explored as are the themes of abuse of power.  The differing methods of detection she and Mikael use are still interesting with the magnificent Swedish landscape looming large over the deadly proceedings.  It’s just a shame the original’s ongoing realism is glossed over in favour of outlandish situations making for a less cohesive endeavour.

Even though it reasonably expands on issues rising in its first entry, The Girl Who Played with Fire makes for a somewhat lacklustre successor.   Much better than other run of the mill efforts, more was expected from a franchise which set the bar so high with its memorable preliminary outing.

Movie Review Rating 6 / 10

Movie Review by Patrick Moore

The Girl Who Played with Fire released in Australia on Thursday 23 September 2010.

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