Quartile rating: 7/10 · 1 rating
Mikael Blomkvist, publisher of Millennium magazine, has made his living exposing the crooked and corrupt practices of establishment Swedish figures. So when a young journalist approaches him with a meticulously researched thesis about sex trafficking in Sweden and those in high office who abuse underage girls, Blomkvist immediately throws himself into the investigation.
The second entry in the Millennium trilogy delivers a solid if somewhat convoluted thriller plot that expands Lisbeth Salander's backstory with a conspiracy involving sex trafficking and shadowy Soviet-era figures. The acting is competent, with Noomi Rapace again commanding as Salander, though the supporting cast is less distinctive. Cinematography is functional Scandinavian TV-movie fare — workmanlike but rarely cinematic. The film holds some novelty through its unique protagonist and the Swedish crime milieu, but compared to the first film it feels more formulaic and less tightly constructed. The ending is a significant weak point, serving almost entirely as a cliffhanger setup for the third film rather than delivering satisfying resolution on its own terms.