"The Girl Who Played With Fire" is the second book in Stieg Larsson's magnificent trilogy about Lisbeth Salander, equally talented in coaxing the secrets out of a computer or beating them out of an gangster twice her size, and Mikael Blomkvist, the kind of crusading reporter who makes every living reporter or former reporter not only envious, but also certain he could have done as well if only he had had the opportunity and the supportive editor.
Noomi Rapace and Michael Nyqvist reprise their roles from "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo," but Daniel Alfredson replaced Neils Arden Oplev as the director and Jonas Frykberg replaced Nikolaj Arcel and Rasmus Heisterberg as the writers of the screenplay. Larsson died a few years ago, just after delivering to the publishers the manuscript of what would become a world-wide blockbuster best-seller.
Firegirl, as compared with Tattoogirl, is a little shorter but less gripping. Tattoogirl kept me on the edge of my seat as the tale unfolded; Firegirl, revealing a little more of Salander's history, held me less tightly but it remains an impressive film. Alfredson's direction seems a little more casual, and tension is milder. Like the first movie, and all three books, it is filled with sex and violence, but those are two of the things that made the book such a hit. We're dealing with sexual activities, spies, blackmailers and a variety of thugs who have infiltrated upper levels of Swedish government.
While it brings about a sense of comfort and familiarity, and a little extra knowledge, it is not necessary to have seen the first movie to enjoy or understand the second. Rapace's performance as the dark, disturbed Salander, an eager, equal-opportunity participant when it comes to sex, is again outstanding, and Nyqvist is a voice of calm when she appears ready to go over the top.
"The Girl Who Played With Fire" is a fast-paced tale that is a splendid piece of summer entertainment; I look forward to the third book, "The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest," but with mixed emotions. I'm sure I'll enjoy the film, but it's the last of the trilogy and there will be no more.
"The Girl Who Played With Fire" opens today.
–Joe