Review of The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest (2009) by Jonathan B — 29 Dec 2012

After the run around of the second movie, the final instalment of the trilogy sees the character of Lisbeth Salander pretty much contained, at first first in hospital, then in the courtroom dock. This movie rounds off the plot twists of the second movie as the journalists of Millennium magazine work to clear her name and uncover a secret group who have been working within the Swedish establishment for decades.

I feel that this one works better than the previous movie and plays as a genuinely tense, exciting courtroom drama. There's the required amount of violence that we've come to expect from this series of movies that will have viewers like me watching from behind their fingers but there are more than enough neat revelations and plot resolutions to make it a worthy finale.

The lead players reprise their roles with accomplishment and care and I was particularly impressed with Lena Endre as Erika who brought out a warmth and fragility to the role. Although this movie will struggle to make the impact of the first, after all, that is a story that pretty much can stand alone whereas this one decidedly cannot, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest is well worth a look, making a satisfying conclusion to what has been a great series of action mysteries.