The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest (2010) Review

"You struck your father with an axe, is that correct?"

-Ekström

"Yes."

-Lisbeth Salander 

Lisbeth Salander (Noomi Rapace) is in the hospital, as is her father, Alexander Zalachenko (Georgi Staykov).  As Lisbeth recovers from her injuries, she also must prepare to go to trial for murder and attempted murder charges.  Meanwhile, Mikael Blomkvist (Michael Nyqvist) helps assemble a team of people, including his coworkers at Millennium, honest police officers, government officials, and a few of Lisbeth's friends to help Lisbeth prove her innocence and take down a corrupt section of the government who will do anything to cover their tracks.

What Works:

Once again, Noomi Rapace knocks it out of the park with a phenomenal performance.  Lisbeth Slander is a fantastic and wholly original character.  She is sidelined for most of the first half of the film, but once it gets to the trial, we get to see the Lisbeth we all know and love in action.  She can say more by just looking at someone than most people can communicate with their voices.  I have nothing but praise for this actress and this character.

Michael Nyqvist is also excellent as Mikael Blomkvist.  I love that he doesn't back down no matter what.  He has people trying to assassinate him in this film and he's still ready to publish everything he can.  He's another really likable character and it's great to see him rally a massive force to take down "The Section".

Speaking of "The Section", they are a great group to root against.  None of them stand out particularly as individuals, but as a group the things they did are so heinous that I wanted them to be brought down more than the villains in the previous two films.  They are easy to hate and a force to be feared.

There wasn't a ton of physical action in the film, but both Mikael and Lisbeth get a fight scene that shows how badass both of those characters are.  Lisbeth's fight in particular felt like something out of a James Bond film.  It was a really fun sequence, especially because we got to see her beat someone who was probably four times her size.

I'm a sucker for courtroom thrillers and that's mostly what this movie is.  I know that's not everybody's cup of tea, but I loved it.  All of the courtroom scenes were fantastic and built to an awesome conclusion.  These scenes were very satisfying on multiple levels.  Seeing Lisbeth be herself in the courtroom was fantastic on its own, but then seeing Dr. Teleborian (Anders Ahlbom) get smacked down hard was extremely satisfying.

What Sucks:

Like the previous film, the biggest problem with Hornets Nest is the lack of scenes with Mikael and Lisbeth together.  Their chemistry was the best part of the first film and I simply don't understand why they weren't given more scenes together.  They have literally four and only one of those has them exchange dialogue.  It's utterly ridiculous and a huge missed opportunity.

I also didn't care for Erika Berger (Annika Hallin) this time around.  She decides not to publish the new edition about Lisbeth Salander.  She caves to threats, but then, when there is an actual attempt on her life, she doubles down about not doing it.  You already canceled the printing and they came after you anyway!  Why wouldn't you try to get back at the people who tried to kill you!?  You're letting them win!  And then she has the audacity to call Mikael selfish when he publishes the magazine anyway.  He's putting his life on the line for to expose extreme corruption in the government!  How is that selfish!?  You're the one who is too afraid to do anything!  And don't tell me it's for the safety of her employees.  They had one get murdered in the previous film and nobody quit then.  This whole development was baffling to me.  It's really too bad.  I liked her character in the first two films.  This subplot just felt forced.

Verdict:

While not as good as the first film, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets Nest is a step up from the second.  Again, Rapace and Nyqvist are great, even with the lack of screen time together.  Plus we get some solid action, a villainous organization that is easy to hate, and some excellent courtroom drama, which I can never get enough of.  All in all, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets Nest has got it going on.

 8/10: Really Good