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"The sequel doesn’t quite have the freshness of the first
film, but it still proceeds at a cracking pace, with the rather lurid plot kept
aloft by the winning pairing of Rapace’s desperate, dark-eyed intensity with
Nyqvist’s slyness and solidity. This film trawls the dark side of humanity
for its kicks and unveils its findings with visceral conviction, enough to hold
one jumpy and bug-eyed – if in a faintly uncomfortable state of grubby voyeurism
– throughout." ...Philip French, The Guardian
"Relentless suspense allows The Girl Who Played With Fire to
hold you in a viselike grip. But it's the performances of Nyqvist and
especially Rapace that keep you coming back for more." ...Peter
Travers, Rolling Stone
"The franchise's secret weapon is back with brilliant young
Swedish actress Noomi Rapace again channeling the alienated, unwilling to be
broken tough chick that Larsson envisioned and Rapace imbues with such eerie
authenticity. Veteran actor Michael Nyqvist returns too as the serious,
and seriously sensual journalist, Mikael Blomkvist, who continues to be as
intrigued by the enigmatic Lisbeth as the rest of us." ...Betsy
Sharkey, LA Times
"The twists and turns of The Girl Who Played with Fire
turn out to be rewarding, especially for fans of the series, largely due to the
spell already cast by the terrific Noomi Rapace as Lisbeth Salander, the punk
computer hacker who bedded, befriended and helped journalist Mikael Blomkvist
(unsung hero Michael Nyqvist, who is also well cast) track down a
killer." ...Connie Ogle, The Miami Herald
"What’s missing from this film is the great interaction between Blomkvist and
Salander. I realize that screenwriter Jonas Frykberg has to remain faithful to
Stieg Larsson’s novel but it’s disappointing that they spend so little time
together in this film... There are plenty of characters involved and you’ll be
cheering for Blomkvist as he fits the pieces of the puzzle together. He’s such a
likeable hero with his mild-mannered demeanour." ...Michael Toomey, ABC
Radio
"Blomkvist doesn’t have a heck of a lot to do in this
installment. He’s mostly just around for exposition, but Nyqvist is good
as always. His relationship with his editor, Erica Berger, only hinted at in the
last film, is restored here giving Blomkvist a little depth he was missing in
the first installment. I also thought his final, climactic scene with Rapace was
beautifully acted on both their parts, which makes me wish Larsson hadn't
separated the two characters for so much of the second and third books. Their
chemistry is perfect." ...Chris Bumbray, Joblo.com
"The appeal of The Girl Who Played With Fire is
simple. It's watching the superhumanly resilient bisexual computer hacker,
played by Noomi Rapace, Taser a would-be rapist in the groin and scoot off on
her motorcycle. This is how avenging angels roll in Stockholm. They avenge, they
investigate dark deeds of the past, they brood, they download documents, then
smoke, then brood, then drink coffee and then light up again... Rapace and
Nyqvist could not be better." ...Michael Phillips, Chicago
Tribune
Aiding the heroine without actually being in her presence is
Mikael Blomkvist (Michael Nyqvist), the stolid star reporter for
Millennium magazine whose life was saved by Lisbeth in The Girl With the
Dragon Tattoo. Their relationship remains the most interesting aspect of
these stories, a romance of mutual respect and unspoken affection in which the
two parties hardly ever share screen time, let alone a bed at least in this
sequel." ...Ty Burr, Boston Globe
"While it’s easy to get upstaged by Rapace, Nyqvist
is also terrific. With his disheveled hair and firm manner (you get the feeling
he’s glued to his laptop when he’s not researching his stories), his Mikael is
as obsessive and unrelenting as Lisbeth, so it’s easy to see why the two might
get along, even if they weren’t constantly saving each other’s necks."
...Dan Lybarger, Kansas City News
"Rapace is simply sensational as the chain-smoking, petite brunette with
tattoos, a dark past and grim determination, while charismatic Nyqvist
counters the balance beautifully. It's a complex story filled with tension,
action and mental gymnastics. All the cast is excellent with Micke Spreitz
memorable as Niedermann, the imposing blond wrestler who feels no pain."
...Louise Keller, Urban Cinefile
"But what makes the film gripping is the way it closes in so
tightly around the two central characters, and since they're apart for most of
the film Nyqvist and Rapace get the chance to develop them a little
deeper. Intriguingly, even though they're physically separated, they are
actually working together all the way through the story, and even without
sharing scenes they have palpable chemistry." ...Rich Cline, Shadows on
the Wall
"Rapace does full justice to the character, though she is
better looking and not nearly as skinny as Lisbeth is described in the books.
Her eyes brim with cold hatred when an adversary approaches, and her lithe
moments are like a big cat's when intent on a kill... Nyqvist is
stolid and workmanlike in his approach to Mikael. The movies don't quite
replicate to the character's fierce intelligence, but they do get his doggedness
and kindness." ...Kirk Honeycutt, The Hollywood Reporter
"Millennium II is as enthralling a crime thriller as you'll
see all year. And whoever they cast in the English language remakes will have a
mountain to climb. Because whether she's bringing bad guys to their knees
or dragging herself back from the dead, Rapace commands the screen as the
strangest heroine in popular culture. And once again, Nyqvist does
brilliantly just to keep up." ...Elliott Noble, Sky Movies
"Noomi Rapace has a striking presence as Lisbeth and Nyqvist is superb as
Blomkvist, but they aren't allowed to build on the chemistry they shared in the
first film, thanks to the curious decision to keep the characters apart for
almost the entire running time." ...Matthew Turner, View London
"Noomi Rapace suffers more on screen indignity than
most actresses do in a whole career, and yet because she is slight and says so
little, we are surprised at the strength of her emotions and her physical
agility. Her Lisbeth Salander is alone in the world except for that deeply
honest connection with Mikael Blomkvist. Beware, Hollywood, when casting those
two parts that seem wholly owned by Noomi Rapace and Michael Nyqvist.
There's little room for improvement." ...Joan Ellis, Movie
Reviews
"The Girl Who Played With Fire is very good, but a step down from The
Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, if only because that film and its casting were
so fresh and unexpected. A thriller is incomparably more arresting when it
involves plausible people doing plausible things, rather than archetypes
co-starring with animation." ...Film critic Roger Ebert
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