Film: The Girl Who Kicked The Hornets’ Nest
Release date: 11th April 2011
Certificate: 15
Running time: 147 mins
Director: Daniel Alfredson
Starring: Noomi Rapace, Michael Nyqvist, Lena Endre, Sofia Ledarp, Annika Hallin
Genre: Crime/Drama/Thriller
Studio: Momentum
Format: DVD & Blu-ray
Country: Sweden/Denmark/Germany
With David Fincher’s US remake of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo well underway, the UK gets to see the final part in Stieg Larrson’s Millennium Trilogy. Lisbeth gets some breathing room, so the Millennium group has time to shine in the series’ dramatic conclusion.
Lisbeth Salander is being held under hospital arrest, accused of the attempted murder of her father, Zalachenko - the man who ruined her life and tried to have her killed.
As her court case approaches, a kindly doctor keeps her away from the prying inquiries of the police and the sinister Dr. Teleborian, a villain from her turbulent childhood.
Meanwhile, Mikael Blomkvist continues his efforts to clear Salander’s name by compiling a comprehensive expose in Millennium magazine and enlisting his lawyer sister to defend Lisbeth.
At the same time, Zalachenko’s employers, a secret organisation of ex-government officials and secret police, along with Lisbeth’s half brother, the sadistic Niederman, seek to silence Salander and Blomkvist forever…
Having this particular trilogy screened in the UK over the space of twelve months has been a strange but generous experience. The crossover appeal of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo and the impact of Noomi Rapace’s striking portrayal of Lisbeth Salander made it an instant cult hit, as well as a critical success. Then the sequel came along and many expected more of the same, instead receiving a tangled mess of subplots and evil henchman. Now comes the third part, a satisfying trilogy finale not bogged down by high expectations or the need to pay fan service - the story of Lisbeth Salander concluding as abruptly as it began. It’s admirable that this threequel manages to resolve the events of the previous two films while introducing many of its own elements. Fortunately, the over abundance of narrative content doesn’t get murky, largely due to some speedy plot resolutions (one major threat is dealt with in an all too convenient but wholly satisfying fashion). Overall, this is a tighter, more engaging experience than its predecessor.
With that much vaunted central performance populating many reviews and analyses, it’s easy to forget that Stieg Larsonn’s Millennium Trilogy is largely an ensemble piece. Blomkvist and his crusading journalist buddies have always been an important part of the tale, and with the trilogy’s generous closing act, they finally take centre stage.
Lisbeth is confined to a hospital bed for a large chunk of the running time and after that, we only see her grunting in a prison cell, or brandishing a bold Mohawk in court. She is still the series’ best element, but the decision to leave her skulking in the background while Blomkvist and his colleagues pick up the pieces of her tumultuous existence is a satisfying one, making The Girl Who Kicked The Hornets’ Nest a marked improvement on the cartoon histrionics of The Girl Who Played With Fire.
Of course, those little niggles that emerged with the second film still remain to some extent. Invincible man mountain Niederman is largely pointless, and just as disposable as he was in the previous outing - fortunately his demise gives Lisbeth some nail gun assisted catharsis. Also, the ‘section’ group, while an engaging antagonist, is still reminiscent of a low rent cadre of Bond villains. Aside from these plot gratuities, The Girl Who Kicked The Hornets; Nest remains grounded and has more than a whiff of that gritty realism that made the first film such a success.
This trilogy is a genre chameleon, with the first instalment presenting a Fincher-esque dark serial killer tale with some socio-political overtones, while the second flirted with some form of action/thriller/espionage hybrid. The Girl Who Kicked The Hornets’ Nest brings back some of the first film’s political intrigue and adds a clandestine conspiracy into the mix, with a sprinkling of courtroom drama.
These films were originally broadcast as TV serials, and, as such, run the risk of becoming muddled, episodic and overly linear. Yet, somehow, screenwriters Frykberg and Rydberg condense Larrson’s convoluted story into easily digestible chunks. Lisbeth languishes in hospital, tapping out a biography on her smuggled phone, Blomkvist and the Millennium group compile the bumper Salander issue amidst death threats and in-fighting, and the secret ‘section’ group conspire to destroy them all (insert evil laugh). It is a testament to the smooth script that all these plates keep spinning, and all those tangled plot strands are tied convincingly at the film’s neat climax.
Not as consistently brilliant as the first film, yet not as confused and silly as the second, The Girl Who Kicked The Hornets’ Nest occupies a happy medium. There are reportedly more stories to tell about the troubled goth hacker Lisbeth Salander, but this satisfying coda suggests that her story should be left well alone. KT
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