“The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest” DVD, Blu-Ray Movie Review

“The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest”

DVD, Blu-Ray Movie Review

Directed by Daniel Alfredson, Written by Ulf Ryberg and Stieg Larsson (novel), 147 minutes, Rated R.

By our guest blogger, Matthew Schimkowitz

The final entry in Stieg Larsson’s Millennium Trilogy is startlingly anticlimactic. With not much story left, “The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest” plods along slowly, likely because it only succeeds in recapping the other movies. Actress Noomi Rapace is game for a final turn as the girl with the dragon tattoo -- she just doesn't have much to do.

“The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest” picks up immediately after the previous installment, “The Girl Who Played with Fire.” After her father shoots her, Lisbeth (Noomi Rapace) awakes in intensive care with a bullet in her head. However, while Lisbeth is alive, she is far from safe -- the malevolent Dr. Teleborian (Anders Ahlbom) and his minions continue to hunt her.

As Lisbeth awaits trial for the murder of her father, investigative reporter Mikael Blomkvist (Michael Nyqvist) attempts to prove the young girl’s innocence by writing and guarding the manuscript to her biography, which details her struggle.

Not much happens in “Hornet’s Nest,” which makes its grueling length unbearable. At two-and-a-half hours, the film is far too long. We’re not learning anything new--and the characters aren’t either. Lisbeth remains locked in a hospital for much of the film, while Mikael writes her defense. She sits, he writes and both join the audience in waiting for something to happen. The few moments of suspense feel padded and the action is too dull to care about.

It becomes clear that the journey ended in the last film, because there are so few places left to explore in this film. Scenes introducing new threats dissolve without notice, spoiling what little suspense there was in the first place. All of these slow, meaningless scenes lead to a boring courtroom preceding, where things play out anticlimactically and predictably.

For such an active title, everything about “The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest” is passive. Alfredson relies on an ominous tone, but there is no threat at this point. Nyqvist and Rapace sit and wait for a development that just isn't coming. The film is all falling action -- a two-and-a-half-hour conclusion to another movie.

“The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest” is an unfortunate postscript to the Millennium Trilogy. Best to stop after the second film and hope that everything worked out for the best.

Grade: D+

View the trailer below. What are your thoughts?