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The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest (2009)

Made to the same high technical standards as the other two in the trilogy, this final installment continues along the same lines without flagging.

And that's the problem. After five hours previously, and already weary of the complex plot and some repeating strains, we have this two plus hours of more of the same. It is never bad, it is often good, but enough is enough.

And the leading forces in the events, the couple who cemented the magic of the first movie (which is quite good), are in this one less than ever. So if you love Noomi Rapace as the "girl" int he title, you'll see almost nothing of her, and in much of it before the semi-exciting climax she is sitting in a courtroom or in a car. That is, nothing much happens. In fact, much of the movie is a matter of wrapping things up--for two hours straight. And the brooding insistence of Michael Nyqvist is here on and off, reminding us how we need more of him, too.

If you are total fan I think you'll enjoy parts of the movie enough to make it worthwhile, but if you're someone like me who flagged in the second movie you'll be better of skipping this third one. If you need to know what happened, read the plot summary on wikipedia. Or I hear the books, which are long, are much more consistently engaging. The movie-making here, the photography and editing, and even the acting, is on a very high plane, so don't get me wrong there. It's just the story that is increasingly redundant and nuanced out of normal engagement.

Oh--and if you haven't seen the other two, don't even think of watching this one. It will make little sense on its own.

"The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest" ends the Millennium Trilogy from Swedish television.

Taking up where the second chapter left off, Lisbeth Salandar (Noomi Rapace) is in the hospital, recovering from her wounds. She's also under arrest. Her father, Alexander Zalachenko, survived and is in the same hospital. There is a move afoot to charge her with attempted murder but also to have her committed to a mental institution again.

Mikael Blomkvist (Michael Nyqvist) is devoting a special issue of Millennium to getting justice for Lisbeth. He soon learns that the people behind attempting to silence Lisbeth will stop at nothing to achieve their goal. Mikael and Lisbeth work separately again to clear her name and keep her from being either imprisoned or committed.

Good ending to this trilogy, as it wraps up the story very nicely. Rapace's magnificent presence and total immersion into the role again dominates, with Nyqvist also excellent as Blomkvist, demonstrating his quiet determination to help Lisbeth.

Despite the pervasive dark atmosphere (which the story demands) and some really major violence in the first episode, which is not my thing, I really am very glad I watched the Swedish version of this trilogy and do not plan on viewing the American version. In fact, I'm not even sure why they're making it, except that no one in Hollywood is interested in doing anything original. The Swedish "The Girl" trio will be hard to beat.

I decided to go all-out and give myself the full Millennium experience by watching the TV miniseries (9 hours in total) over the space of three nights. As a result, these reviews are of the extended, three-hour editions of each film rather than the condensed, theatrical two-hour versions.

Let's just say that THE GIRL WHO KICKED THE HORNET'S NEST doesn't disappoint. It finishes off the Millennium trilogy in an intelligent, emotionally satisfying way, drawing up all the themes and mysteries of the last two films. Great direction, great plotting, great acting, great cinematography...what's not to love?

I will not call this a third part in the Millennium series, since it starts exactly where The Girl Who Played with Fire left off and continues with the same story. However, if the first film was a classic mystery thriller and the second film was more of an action thriller, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets Nest goes in the direction of a political thriller. Spies, government agencies, covert operations, etc. It successfully explains things and closes all avenues opened by the first two films.

I have to say that I felt the movie both unreal and gratifying. Trained with US films about shadow agencies that kill anyone stand in their way, I found the Swedish counterparts meek and overly cautious. But what version is the more realistic one, I have no idea. So, yes, it felt strangely different from American thrillers, but it also made sense. Clearly it has a refreshing point of view on the matter.

Bottom line: I guess there is little purpose in watching this film and not watch the other two preceding it in the trilogy. And since you liked the other two, you should see this one as well. I enjoyed it, it explained everything that was left unexplained and everybody got their share. Of course, there is still room for another Micke and Lisbeth story, but clearly with a new plot.

The final instalment in the series and, I have to say it was worth the wait, I watched the two previous instalments and was left with excitement and anticipation for the third. This final instalment did not disappoint it had me gripped from beginning to end with some real tense scenes and excellent dialogue between the characters, interspersed with scenes of chilling realism and tense action. This film sums up for me what Hollywood has lacked for......well years, in that special effects and action sequences although entertaining (barely) do not work unless they actually have a story that is both engrossing and also contains actors that grab you and bring you into the film. Anyway before I get on a rant this film and the whole trilogy are worth watching and I can't recommend them enough.