The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.5
Audio		3.0
Extras		0.5
Overall		3.5

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest Blu-ray Movie Review

Slower and more methodical than its predecessors, this is still a fitting conclusion to an engrossing trilogy.

Reviewed by Dustin Somner January 28, 2011

Wrapping up Stieg Larsson’s “Millenium Trilogy”, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest presents a much different feel than its predecessors. Beginning with The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, the trilogy embarked on a wildly entertaining mystery involving a series of long-kept secrets, which were eventually unraveled through the joint efforts of a rebellious computer hacker named Lisbeth Salander (Noomi Rapace) and cut-throat journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Michael Nyqvist). Throughout the course of the first installment, a precarious relationship grew between the two protagonists (despite their emergence from far different walks of life) while the audience received a mere taste of Lisbeth’s tragic past. Thankfully, some of questions were put to rest during the course of the second installment in the trilogy (The Girl Who Played with Fire), but the action-heavy film came to a rather abrupt conclusion, leaving many questions concerning Lisbeth’s father and the government cover-up unanswered. Those of you who’ve read my prior reviews on the first and second films will recall such references as “it’s one of the finest cinematic mystery adaptations of the past decade”, or “a fitting sequel in what’s emerging as one of the greatest mystery trilogies of modern cinema”. Such statement are aren’t tossed around in many of my reviews, so you can imagine my excitement at the prospect of finally holding the completed trilogy in my hands, and sitting down for one final adventure with Lisbeth and Mikael.

Rebellious to the core.

Warning: Do not read the following synopsis if you haven’t watched the first two installments.

Picking up immediately following the events of the second film, Lisbeth is rushed to the hospital for removal of the bullet lodged in her brain. Upon awakening from the seemingly successful procedure, she learns judicial officials have leveled attempted murder charges against her, and believes such action is politically motivated. Unable to escape the confines of her police-guarded room within the hospital, she must rely on Blomkvist and her hacker friend Plague to unravel the government conspiracy, thereby allowing the public to witness the corruption and politically-motivated maneuvers that led to her tragic history of violence, sexual abuse, and repression.

Reviewing the third film in a beloved trilogy opens the door to wide criticism from two opposing viewpoints. On the one hand you have the die-hard fans ready to pounce at any mention of shortcomings, and on the other hand you’ll find those with high expectations that simply weren’t met. I know I’ll likely take some heat for this opinion, but I’m willing to admit I fall among the victims of my own lofty anticipation, leaving me notably ambivalent toward the end result. In many ways, I’d compare my attitude toward this trilogy to the Matrix series (I know that sounds like a stretch, but hear me out), which set the bar ridiculously high on the first outing, yet never managed to generate that same spark during the two sequels. In both cases, the second and third film form one continuous plotline, which would stand in high regard were it not for the expectations and anticipation established in the wake of the first release. This opinion could be viewed as both a compliment and a curse in the case of The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest, since I’m endorsing the full trilogy as a worthwhile venture, yet reminding viewers to not register their hopes in unattainable territory.

When discussing the positive aspects of The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest, it’s impossible not to praise the continued show-stealing presence of Noomi Rapace as Lisbeth Salander. Beginning with her complex performance in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and ending with her defiant demeanor in the courtroom game of cat and mouse that concludes this installment, it’s been a constant pleasure to watch such a talented young actress. Capable of saying a thousand words with only a glance, Rapace is the reason we’ll watch this film over and over again, since her excellent performance remains the focal point of the entire production.

For those interested in crime thrillers or courtroom drama, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest delivers in spades. Some of the qualms leveled against the film by critics have focused on the slow, sometimes plodding nature of the storyline, but this is simply another case of unfair comparisons to the other films in the trilogy. It’s clear author Stieg Larsson intentionally crafted the third novel to be a behind-the-scenes power struggle coupled with a battle of courtroom wits, but despite the substantial shift in pacing, he knew his characters well enough to keep the focus where it should remain. That’s not to say the film doesn’t grind to a slow crawl from time to time or lose the trademark tension found in the prior entries, but considering the majority of the film focuses solely on a court case, it’s impossible to generate the edge-of-your-seat excitement of the first film.

So why did I give the film an average score if I’m spending the majority of this review defending it? The answer to that question lies within the question itself. In order to truly appreciate the film, one must accept it isn’t The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and acknowledge the positive attributes we’re left with. Would I have liked to see more of the early chemistry between Blomkvist and Salander in the second and third films? Yes. Was it a bit disappointing to witness convenient plot elements thrown in to further the story? Yes. Did I find the eventual “government conspiracy” a bit too shallow and irrelevant for such an overreaching mystery? Likely. Was the final scene of the film one of the most anti-climactic moments I’ve witnessed in the past twelve months? Most definitely. All of these elements and more could be leveled against the final chapter in the trilogy, but that doesn’t mean it warrants a negative review. All it means is the story and/or film (I’ve never read the novels, so I’ll leave discussions regarding the faithfulness of the adaptation to those who have) is a fitting conclusion to an entertaining trilogy that left me wanting just a little bit more.

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in 1080p utilizing the AVC codec (at an average bitrate of 18Mbps), The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest offers a reasonably proficient visual experience despite the presence of several less-than-ideal nuances. Beginning with a discussion of clarity, the film contains a reasonable level of depth and precision during well-lit sequences, but there's an unfortunate drop off in the consistency of fine object detail during darker shots. Part of the problem lies in subpar shade differentiation that plagues such moments, leaving shadow details underdeveloped and lacking in definition. The other part of the equation lies in a heavy blanket of film grain in low-light scenes, which tends to cloud details not exposed by a direct light source. Unfortunately, these intricacies in the visual presentation temper my enthusiasm for what's otherwise a fairly strong transfer, which is a shame when you consider they're merely stylistic choices on the part of the filmmakers. Though I never saw the film theatrically, I believe what we're witnessing on the Blu-ray presentation is a faithful portrayal of the cinematographer's intentions, and mirrors the visual quality of the prior sequel.

Moving away from the weaknesses of the low-light sequences, there's not much to complain about. Color accuracy appears natural and unaltered in daylight scenes, there's no edge enhancement to speak of, and we find enough subtle film grain even in daytime shots to eliminate any suspicion of DNR application. All in all, this is transfer that does many things right, but fails to break into the upper echelon of high definition potential.

As a minor side-note, reports seem to hold true regarding the original intention to release both sequels as straight-to-television productions rather than theatrical ventures. As we know, this can sometimes lead to a significant drop in production values as a result of budgetary constraints, likely accounting for the noticeable change in cinematic style on the second and third films.

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Those who've already been exposed to the audio presentation on the prior sequel should expect more of the same on this release. The only real difference this time around is in the actual content of the film, which doesn't require nearly the audio proficiency of an action-heavy title. In case you've arrived late to the game, the disc offers a choice of lossy 5.1 tracks in the native language of Swedish, or dubbed English mix. As suggested with the prior films, I'd recommend you stick with the Swedish option if you're at all comfortable with subtitles, though either offering shows the same level of technical proficiency. Getting down to the nuts and bolts of the audio experience, viewers can expect adequate volume balance, occasional moments of subtle spatial separation, and clarity that's nothing to marvel at, yet delivers a passable level of precision. Much of the film consists of dialog, music, and everyday background noises, so there's rarely an opportunity for your subwoofer or rear channels to get a work-out, but that may be a good thing considering how accustomed we've become to the finer elements in a lossless presentation. Take away such precision, and the question becomes a matter of content, or how significant a role the compression plays in the overall experience. In the case of The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, I wasn't significantly bothered by the lossy mix, and doubt it will hamper your enjoyment of the film itself.

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Mirroring the supplements on the prior sequel, this disc merely contains a high definition trailer for The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest and a series of previews for other productions on the Music Box release slate.

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Since this is the final entry in the "Millenium Trilogy", my recommendation will be based on the three films as a whole, since nobody should consider buying or watching the second installment without plans to at least see the third as well. Loaded with dramatic suspense, political espionage, and heavy emotional themes, the full series encompasses a cerebral rollercoaster that remains captivating on some level throughout. Sure, there are missteps along the way that hold it back from iconic status, but compared with other films in the mystery/thriller genre, the trilogy ranks among the finest. Beyond the content itself, this blu-ray presentation mirrors the prior entries in every technical category. The video is adequate, yet far from spectacular; and the audio merely delivers a passable experience. I'd hate to sway anyone toward a reluctant decision to pass on such fine content due to technical drawbacks, but those willing to make the leap should be aware this is an entirely average presentation. Taken as a whole, I'd still recommend the Blu-ray trilogy to nearly anyone out there (provided you can weather the sexual violence of the first film), though I must admit my enthusiasm tapered off a bit down the stretch.