“The Girl Who Played With Fire” continues the film adaptations of the late Stieg Larsson’s world-wide bestselling books, the “Millennium Trilogy” thrillers. Within a tension-filled plot, this second installment answers many questions about the background of that mysterious bad-ass young woman with the dragon tattoo down her back, Lisbeth Salander.
Opening where “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” left off, but a year later, this computer whiz/martial artist/avenging angel is on a quiet vacation by the ocean. Brief flashbacks of her nightmares may somewhat help newcomers get up-to-date about the violent sexual abuse she suffered in her youth and from her court-appointed legal guardian Nils Bjurman. ( If possible, I recommend renting and seeing "The Girl With Dragon Tattoo" before seeing this movie since the story line from the first book/movie is necessary to really understand the heroine, Lisbeth, and to understand the second and third movies… the third being “The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest” which is also opening soon). Lisbeth soon returns to Sweden and finds out she has been implicated in the murder of her arch enemy, Nils Bjurman, and two young reporters working with the redeemed journalist, Mikael Blomkvist, whom she teamed up with in the first movie.

Her finger prints are found on the gun that killed Bjurman whom she had recently visited and while there threatened him with the same gun. The police use this evidence to link her to the his murder and 2 other murders. This time Michael, must come to her rescue (last time she saved him). Because of Lisbeth's violent history including involuntary confinement in a mental institution, and other clues left to frame her, Michael is the only one who initially believes that she is innocent. One of the young reporters who was murdered was about to expose many high powered clients of young woman/girls who had been forced into prostitution through the human slave trade. This causes Michael believe that the murders are somehow linked to international vice or mobsters.
Played With Fire is similar in many respects to Dragon tattoo but different quite different others because it mostly involves Lisbeth and her flight from the police and the triple murder charge and her determined quest to find those who framed her.. A different outcome to be sure, but one that will still leave viewers with the same breathless feeling at the end as the first, and completely satisfied and eager for the 3rd installment…the Hornet’s Nest.
Overall , it is not quite as good as Dragon Tattoo but it comes close and that says a lot because Dragon Tattoo was excellent…one of the better pictures of the year, and this one is not far behind.
NOTE: It to is a Swedish film and has English subtitles and also has a “R” rating for the violence and sex.

Clark