Forget about “Eclipse” and the “Twilight” saga. The first film adaptation of late Swedish author Stieg Larsson’s thriller-mystery trilogy, “The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo,” has been atop many a Netflix queue and undoubtedly flying out of Blockbusters across the country, perfect timing for the July 9th release of the sequel “The Girl Who Played With Fire.” The New York Times bestselling novels have been ridiculously successful and the films are proving to follow suit.
Film number two wastes no time picking up where the first installment left off. Adept hacker and ultimate femme fatale badass Lisbeth Salander (Noomi Rapace) ditched town to enjoy the fruits of her labor in the Caribbean. Leisure is cut short when she finds she has unfinished business with her “guardian” (similar to parole officer) who abused her back in Stockholm.
The film also continues to follow Mikael Blomkvist (Michael Nyqvist) the journalist who helped solve the murder mysteries with Lisbeth while the two inconveniently fell in love in “The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo.” Mikael comes back to his job at Millennium Magazine, known for their exposes of corporate scandals and government secret deals. The two inevitably cross paths again as lingering feelings and intertwined criminal plots are unraveled.
Mikael knows Lisbeth has a dark past. Lisbeth is accused of three murders – two of which are tied to the current sex trafficking story he’s working on – and both Mikael and the viewer are exposed to unknown layers of Lisbeth’s back-story. Mikael is sure of her innocence, and both characters spend the film chasing the bad guys – always upper class, white, womanizing males – in intervals. Breaking and entering, fires and violence ensue.
But that’s the PG stuff. “The Girl Who Played With Fire” keeps you guessing with every gunshot, kidnapping and bludgeon to the head. While it’s not nearly as sexually violent or grotesque as the first film, there are plenty of flashbacks to the horrors of “The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo.” “Fire” is much more action packed. From up-on-the-sidewalk car chases to professional boxers, the film is a rush.
“Fire”‘s storyline is less disturbing as in “Dragon Tattoo” but equally as engaging. Lisbeth is clever but troubled, haunted by her childhood and recent violent memories. Mikael is sensitive but valiant, determined to expose the filthy underbelly of the corrupt and powerful in Sweden. The dynamic of the sexually charged duo is powerful despite their lack of shared screen time in “Fire.” The twists continue up until the end and as any good centerpiece of a trilogy should, “Fire” gives just enough closure while simultaneously creating anticipation for what comes next. Arguably the films are to be seen chronologically and you will benefit from doing so, but “Fire” is suspenseful and addictive standing on its own.
As much as the stories are exciting, the underlying themes are riveting. Larsson’s Millennium Trilogy is steeped in examinations of social injustices – rape, murder, sex trafficking, money laundering, hate crimes and blackmail are explored. The reality of it sends chills down your spine, but the humanity and audacity of Lisbeth and Mikael are inspiring. Forget vampires or werewolves; this is legitimate, albeit sometimes horrifying, cultural commentary. It just happens to be damn entertaining.