Culture

Directed by Daniel Alfredson
Rialto
(3/5)

 
    The Girl Who Played with Fire is a Swedish crime thriller and sequel to the highly acclaimedThe Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.
   The film picks up where the original left off, with Lisbeth Salandar living luxuriously in an apartment, haunted by visions of her dark past. For those who haven’t seen the first one, Lisbeth is a ruthless, enigmatic genius computer hacker who, despite her cold gothic exterior, is eerily attractive. Framed for three murders she did not commit, Lisbeth is forced to go on the run and call upon her journalist friend, Mikael Blomkvist, to help clear her name.
   Now, The Girl Who Played with Fire is by no means a bad film, especially if you’re into crime thrillers. The final 30 minutes are particularly suspenseful and exciting – even more so if you’re already familiar with the characters. However, the elements that made The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo a step above are sadly lacking here. Whereas its predecessor played out almost like a dark Agatha Christie novel, The Girl Who Played with Fire is a lot more action-oriented – almost to the point where it feels like a Bourne Identity rip-off. This isn’t really a good thing, as the subtle creepiness that gave the first film its originality is almost completely lacking.
   Although The Girl Who Played with Fire is a decent suspense film and worth a rent, it is unable to measure up to the quality of its predecessor and is a disappointingly average thriller.