Stop, drop and roll

In April audiences were first introduced to one of modern cinemas most powerful and captivating heroines - Lisbeth Salander in The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. Now, only a few months later, Lisbeth is back and being framed for murder in The Girl Who Played With Fire.
This is the second film in The Millennium Trilogy based on Stieg Larsson's hugely popular novels and continues to follow the tone and pace of the books.

After using her computer hacking skills to make off with millions of dollars from corrupt business man Hans-Erik Wennerstrom, Lisbeth (Noomi Rapace) is living abroad on an exotic island. She quietly returns to Sweden where journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Michael Nyqvist) is investigating a sex-trafficking ring that soon begins to link to Lisbeth's past. But after being accused of a brutal double murder, Lisbeth goes on the run while Blomkvist works to clear her name before she takes justice into her own hands.

While the trilogy continues the story of Lisbeth in detail, each book has a different tone. For instance, the first is a thrilling drama, the second an action drama and the third, a courtroom drama. Director Daniel Alfredson maintains that formula to great effect, pumping in more action, big-budget thrills and violence into this second outing. The intelligent story also remains intact, however, what is missing is the subtle use of suspense and building-dread which made The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo such a brilliant piece of filmmaking. That's not to say there isn't plenty to impress the viewer this time around. Alfredson has made a fantastic, edge-of-your-seat movie that is powered by the Oscar-worthy performance of Rapace and a strong supporting cast in Nyqvist, Yasmine Garbi, Lena Endre and Hans Christian Thulin. In a nice touch that stays true to the book, Swedish ex-boxer Paolo Roberto plays himself as a friend and former training partner of Lisbeth. Did I mention he’s delicious? Well, he is.

But this film is all about Rapace, who continues to bring this fiery and original heroine to the big screen in a way that has enthralled audiences worldwide and launched her international career. The Girl Who Played With Fire doesn't quite live up to the first film, but it's a worthy sequel that gets close enough.

It is out in cinemas next Thursday, September 23 and stay posted for my exclusive chat with director Daniel Alfredson next week.