The NSA have a program that can control all nuclear missile launches around the globe. Balder(Merchant, determined), the man who created the program, has decided that it's too much power for any player, regardless of who it is. Of course, stealing it means being hunted down. So he needs a pro. Lisbeth(Foy, not quite up to Rooney Mara's performance but better than Noomi Rapace's excellent one) has been on a real vigilante kick since we last saw her, and agrees to take the job. Blomkvist(Gudnason, making the most of the material which does not do much with the relationship between the two leads, when that has been a strength of both language versions) helps out by doing research. A group of dangerous criminals try to get it from her. Who are they? And what is the real identity of their mysterious leader?
As confusing as it is, this is an adaptation of the fourth book, which was picked by the studio in 2015 when it came out, to be adapted before(or even instead of?) novels two and three. It's also a soft reboot. Basically, the continuity does appear to place this after the events of those, despite many Americans not having watched the Swedish originals, since subtitled foreign films are not for everyone. You are told just enough in this that you can go in without knowing them - heck, this can be the first you watch of the whole franchise. You'll be able to follow it fine. This has interesting elements. Chief among them are the personal history between hero and villain, Salander having to take care of a child who, like her, also has a form(but not the same one) of autism, and the memorable action(I do wish that these scenes were not facilitated by the bad guys making stupid, out of character mistakes) and settings. It does feel more like James Bond or Mission Impossible than "Millennium"(the magazine that this series is named after. I maintain that it should be called "Men Who Hate Women", since that theme is more important to these than that publication). It keeps to a fast pace and is admirably restrained in how little the US plays a role in it.
There is a moderate amount of violence and strong language, as well as a little sexuality and nudity in this. I recommend this to anyone willing to go along with the shift this takes from the other entries. For what it's worth, it seems like the book is closer to those than this is. 7/10
As confusing as it is, this is an adaptation of the fourth book, which was picked by the studio in 2015 when it came out, to be adapted before(or even instead of?) novels two and three. It's also a soft reboot. Basically, the continuity does appear to place this after the events of those, despite many Americans not having watched the Swedish originals, since subtitled foreign films are not for everyone. You are told just enough in this that you can go in without knowing them - heck, this can be the first you watch of the whole franchise. You'll be able to follow it fine. This has interesting elements. Chief among them are the personal history between hero and villain, Salander having to take care of a child who, like her, also has a form(but not the same one) of autism, and the memorable action(I do wish that these scenes were not facilitated by the bad guys making stupid, out of character mistakes) and settings. It does feel more like James Bond or Mission Impossible than "Millennium"(the magazine that this series is named after. I maintain that it should be called "Men Who Hate Women", since that theme is more important to these than that publication). It keeps to a fast pace and is admirably restrained in how little the US plays a role in it.
There is a moderate amount of violence and strong language, as well as a little sexuality and nudity in this. I recommend this to anyone willing to go along with the shift this takes from the other entries. For what it's worth, it seems like the book is closer to those than this is. 7/10