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THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE (FLICKAN SOM LEKTE MED ELDEN) Movie Reviews
Story: Swedish language thriller and sequel to "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" about a young woman who must clear her name after being fingered for the murder of a journalist who was on the verge of publishing an expose of Swedish sex trafficking. Cast: Noomi Rapace, Michael Nyqvist, Alexandra Eisenstein Director: Daniel Alfredson Opened: July 9, 2010 On DVD: October 26, 2010 From: Music Box Films Rating: R Length: 2 hr. 9 min.
Out On DVD
OCTOBER 26, 2010
The Girl Who Played With Fire (Flickan som lekte med elden), Good Reviews Key Cities
Updated: Mon, Apr 9 2012, 11:47am
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The Girl Who Played With Fire (Flickan som lekte med elden) played in key cities to good reviews. • Tom Long wrote in the Detroit News, "When Salander is on screen you're riveted; when she's not you wish she were.... [but] you know the camera will turn to Salander soon enough. And this girl truly is on fire." • And Andrew O'Hehir wrote for Salon, "...lean, mean and workmanlike... [but] there's way too much plot here getting in the way of the story..."  More Reviews Below...

The Girl Who Played With Fire (Flickan som lekte med elden)
Positive Reviews
(46 Reviews,  reviews below)
 Compare This Movie... 
TotalBroad
National
Press
Local
News-
papers
Alter–
native/
Indie
High-
Brow
Press
Movie
Industry
NY/LA
Chicago
Toronto
Key
Cities
Total
B.O.
65.0% 66.0% 65.5% 53.3% 68.7% 66.3% 65.3% 69.5% $7.6M
Averages: 51.8% 54.1% 52.3% 46.9% 45.8% 48.7% 49.9% 54.7%
Reviews & Quotes (46)

BROAD NATIONAL PRESS (8 Reviews)
Richard Corliss, Time: GOOD (NOT GREAT)
"No part of the picture measures up to the book's chilling prologue... [but] in Rapace, it has an actress who brings a memorable literary character to indelible movie life..." (Read the full review...)
1,203 words, 07/11/10

David Germain, Associated Press: GOOD (NOT GREAT) (cg)
"...the secrets revealed about its heroine's dark and violent past are not exactly earthshaking. Yet it's hard to go wrong with a psycho-genius such as Lisbeth Salander..." (Read the full review...)
606 words, 07/08/10

Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly: EXCELLENT (cg)
"Blackmail by sex DVD. A bully boy who might be an android. A girl buried alive.... A fatal inferno. Burn, baby, burn!" (Read the full review...)
273 words, 07/02/10

Michael Phillips, A.O. Scott, At the Movies: MODERATE (cg)
Michael Phillips: "Rent it." A.O. Scott: "Rent it." (Watch the full review...)
110 seconds, 07/10/10

Peter Travers, Rolling Stone: VERY GOOD (cg)
"...lacks the stylistic flair and driving energy that Niels Arden Oplev brought to the film rendition of the first book. But Noomi Rapace is back in action, and she's spectacular." (Read the full review...)
432 words, 06/25/10

Claudia Puig, USA Today: GOOD (NOT GREAT) (cg)
"While this second installment in the series is mostly taut and suspenseful, it grows repetitive and drags in the final third.... well-constructed, if occasionally flat..." (Read the full review...)
453 words, 07/09/10

Roger Ebert, RogerEbert.com: OUTSTANDING (cg)
"...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." (Read the full review...)
697 words, 07/07/10

James Berardinelli, Reel Views: OUTSTANDING (cg)
"...a firecracker of a story - sharply written, superbly acted, and fast-paced... As good as Rapace was in 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,' she's better here." (Read the full review...)
1,103 words, 07/06/10
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (12 Reviews)
A.O. Scott, New York Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT)
"Ms. Rapace makes this movie good enough, but also makes you wish it were much better. Without her, it would be a not bad procedural..." (Read the full review...)
837 words, 07/09/10

Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News: GOOD (NOT GREAT) (cg)
"Lisbeth and Mikael are frustratingly separated for most of the movie.... the dragging pace picks up halfway through, as Mikael uncovers Lisbeth's tragic past." (Read the full review...)
136 words, 07/09/10

Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: OUTSTANDING
"...the franchise's secret weapon is back with brilliant young Swedish actress Noomi Rapace again channeling the alienated, unwilling to be broken tough chick..." (Read the full review...)
789 words, 07/09/10

Kyle Smith, New York Post: POOR (cg)
"This series, to be charitable, is aimed at the non-ironic mind-set, utterly self-serious as it lays out the mini-mysteries leading to a 'big reveal.' " (Read the full review...)
579 words, 07/09/10

Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune: GOOD (NOT GREAT) (cg)
"...should please enthusiasts of the first.... Both films are crudely effective, extremely well-acted exploitation jobs..." (Read the full review...)
478 words, 07/09/10

John Anderson, New York Newsday: GOOD (NOT GREAT) (cg)
"...lukewarm... an adequate if less-than-electrifying sequel..." (Read the full review...)
377 words, 07/09/10

Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: OUTSTANDING (cg)
"...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." (Read the full review...)
697 words, 07/07/10

John Patterson, Village Voice/LA Weekly: GOOD (NOT GREAT)
"...grim and bloody... fans of the novels will eat it up, while newbies may wonder what all the fuss is about." (Read the full review...)
268 words, 07/07/10

Geoff Pevere, Toronto Star: MODERATE (cg)
"...a much more sober, scaled-down and businesslike affair than its made-for-the-big-screen predecessor. Not any less compelling or occasionally ridiculous, just rather less flamboyantly so." (Read the full review...)
561 words, 07/09/10

Rick Groen, Toronto Globe & Mail: MODERATE (cg)
"Tepid and downright confusing... It's refreshing to have a movie assume that its viewers are also readers, yet this one takes that assumption to testing lengths." (Read the full review...)
460 words, 07/09/10

Susan G. Cole, Toronto Now: GOOD (NOT GREAT) (cg)
"...can't stand alone - and that's a problem.... That won't discourage any of those people obsessed with Larsson's books." (Read the full review...)
343 words, 07/08/10
KEY CITIES (16 Reviews)
Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post: GOOD (NOT GREAT) (cg)
"...good but not great.... merely attention-grabbing. It's just as violent and darkly creepy as the first film, but the richly satisfying payoff isn't there." (Read the full review...)
665 words, 07/09/10

Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer: GOOD (NOT GREAT) (cg)
"This is no-nonsense, let's-get-to-it business, and will probably be less satisfying, and less clear, to viewers unfamiliar with the source material." (Read the full review...)
435 words, 07/09/10

Amy Biancolli, Houston Chronicle/San Francisco Chronicle: VERY GOOD (cg)
"Daniel Alfredson directs with a perceptive eye and a roving camera.... The stars help.... Too bad they spend most of the film apart." (Read the full review...)
586 words, 07/09/10

Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel: OUTSTANDING (cg)
"A bit conventional, as far as thrillers go. But a little Hollywood doesn't hurt this sequel..." (Read the full review...)
506 words, 08/06/10

Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: GOOD (NOT GREAT) (cg)
"...a jumble of nonessential supporting players and story-choking clots of personal history. Most fatally, Blomkvist and Salander are kept apart for almost the entire running time." (Read the full review...)
607 words, 07/09/10

Kerry Lengel, Arizona Republic: GOOD (NOT GREAT) (cg)
"...more baroque and less convincing than 'Dragon Tattoo,' whose earnest message about Sweden's extremist past felt entirely organic." (Read the full review...)
312 words, 07/09/10

Tom Maurstad, Dallas Morning News: VERY GOOD (cg)
"...a movie that leaves too many blanks unfilled and is a much less satisfying experience than the first film... But Rapace's Lisbeth Salander is worth the trouble..." (Read the full review...)
442 words, 07/08/10

Ty Burr, Boston Globe: GOOD (NOT GREAT) (cg)
"...exists to get us from the stand-alone (and superior) Part One to the epic climax of Part Three, where All Will Be Made Clear. It's a bit of a cheat, but rewards are there." (Read the full review...)
764 words, 07/09/10

Laura DeMarco, Cleveland Plain-Dealer: EXCELLENT (cg)
"Noomi Rapace is brilliant... From start to finish, it's a classy, very well-made and -acted, gorgeously shot, big-budget thriller..." (Read the full review...)
558 words, 07/30/10

Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) (cg)
"...a meticulous police procedural as we watch the murder investigation unfold... The movie is never less than compelling, particularly when Rapace is on screen..." (Read the full review...)
499 words, 07/09/10

Marc Mohan, Portland Oregonian: GOOD (cg)
"...a solid, twisting, well-acted mystery, but it strains credulity at times, and its ultimate revelations are unsurprising and, when you think back on the whole film, confusing." (Read the full review...)
219 words, 07/09/10

Joe Williams, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: GOOD (NOT GREAT) (cg)
"...a passable popcorn movie, but fans of the first film who expect lightning to strike twice are liable to get burned." (Read the full review...)
306 words, 07/09/10

Steve Persall, St. Petersburg Times: VERY GOOD (cg)
"...a welcome chance to learn more about Lisbeth Salander, the kinky, punk hacker and pop culture phenom played by Noomi Rapace." (Read the full review...)
400 words, 07/29/10

Tom Long, Detroit News: EXCELLENT (cg)
"When Salander is on screen you're riveted; when she's not you wish she were.... [but] you know the camera will turn to Salander soon enough. And this girl truly is on fire." (Read the full review...)
537 words, 07/09/10

Connie Ogle, Miami Herald: VERY GOOD (cg)
"...lacks the first film's ominous atmosphere and pervasive sense of evil... yet the twists and turns turn out to be rewarding anyway, especially for fans of the series..." (Read the full review...)
524 words, 07/09/10
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (8 Reviews)
John Patterson, Village Voice/LA Weekly: GOOD (NOT GREAT)
"...grim and bloody... fans of the novels will eat it up, while newbies may wonder what all the fuss is about." (Read the full review...)
268 words, 07/07/10

Peter Keough, Boston Phoenix: GOOD (NOT GREAT) (cg)
"Noomi Rapace blossoms as Lisbeth Salander, the asocial savant of the title, and Michael Nyqvist remains dull as her pal, journalist Mikael Blomkvist." (Read the full review...)
154 words, 07/08/10

Tasha Robinson, AV Club: MODERATE (cg)
"There's an unsatisfying casualness to 'Girl Who Played With Fire'.... a disappointingly lackluster sequel." (Read the full review...)
444 words, 07/08/10

Joseph Jon Lanthier, Slant: POOR (cg)
"...director Daniel Alfredson can't quite wrench the tension he needs from the saggy script and often confusedly mislays his efforts." (Read the full review...)
1,251 words, 07/05/10

Susan G. Cole, Toronto Now: GOOD (NOT GREAT) (cg)
"...can't stand alone - and that's a problem.... That won't discourage any of those people obsessed with Larsson's books." (Read the full review...)
343 words, 07/08/10

Curt Holman, Atlanta Creative Loafing: WEAK (cg)
"...no better than competent television... Any successful film would have to live up to Salander's image as the avenging angel of the information age. It's elementary, my dear Blomkvist." (Read the full review...)
1,083 words, 07/07/10

MaryAnn Johanson, Flick Filosopher: GOOD (NOT GREAT) (cg)
"...though there remains a thematic connection with the first film, Salander's involvement in events now is both forced, in some instances, and wildly coincidental in too many others." (Read the full review...)
757 words, 12/13/10
HIGHBROW PRESS (5 Reviews)
Bob Mondello, NPR All Things Considered: GOOD
"...ends a bit inconclusively... But the first picture's ferocity remains intact here, as do its fetishes regarding political corruption, sexual violence and the riveting Rapace..." (Listen to the full review...)
180 seconds, 07/11/10

Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: VERY GOOD
"Noomi Rapace continues to redefine our notions of a contemporary heroine.... I confess to enjoying the lurid stuff just as much as the dramatic intricacies..." (Read the full review...)
390 words, 07/09/10

A.O. Scott, New York Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT)
"Ms. Rapace makes this movie good enough, but also makes you wish it were much better. Without her, it would be a not bad procedural..." (Read the full review...)
837 words, 07/09/10

Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: OUTSTANDING
"...the franchise's secret weapon is back with brilliant young Swedish actress Noomi Rapace again channeling the alienated, unwilling to be broken tough chick..." (Read the full review...)
789 words, 07/09/10

Andrew O'Hehir, Salon: GOOD (NOT GREAT)
"...lean, mean and workmanlike... [but] there's way too much plot here getting in the way of the story..." (Read the full review...)
1,090 words, 07/08/10
MOVIE INDUSTRY (6 Reviews)
Boyd Van Hoeij, Daily Variety: WEAK
"...originally conceived solely for television, and it shows. Never comes close to the comparative slickness and smooth direction of actors in the first seg... at the level of a late-'70s Bond film..." (Read the full review...)
657 words, 03/29/10

Kirk Honeycutt, Hollywood Reporter: EXCELLENT
"...ably collapses story lines and characters down to manageable size to achieve a coherent, breathtaking race against time to solve horrific crimes." (Read the full review...)
815 words, 06/30/10

Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: OUTSTANDING
"...the franchise's secret weapon is back with brilliant young Swedish actress Noomi Rapace again channeling the alienated, unwilling to be broken tough chick..." (Read the full review...)
789 words, 07/09/10

Emanuel Levy, Cinema 24/7: GOOD (NOT GREAT) (cg)
"Sharply uneven.... Hampered by a semi-engaging narrative... the movie is at least two notches below the first, terrific picture..." (Read the full review...)
570 words, 07/25/10

A.O. Scott, New York Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT)
"Ms. Rapace makes this movie good enough, but also makes you wish it were much better. Without her, it would be a not bad procedural..." (Read the full review...)
837 words, 07/09/10

Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: VERY GOOD
"Noomi Rapace continues to redefine our notions of a contemporary heroine.... I confess to enjoying the lurid stuff just as much as the dramatic intricacies..." (Read the full review...)
390 words, 07/09/10
(cg) = based on the critic's grade

Review Mixture
16.4 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews
(Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)

The Girl Who Played With Fire (Flickan som lekte med elden)'s reviews are separated by an average 16.4 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.

The Girl Who Played With Fire (Flickan som lekte med elden)
(46 reviews)
Roll over dots for each review
Broad National   Alternative/Indie   Highbrow Press   Key Cities
NY, LA, Chicago, & Toronto Movie Industry  
Outstanding
Very Good
Good
Moderate
Weak
Poor
Reviews
Outstanding
Very Good
Good
Moderate
Weak
Poor
Reviews
Big
Publications
>Bigger
Publications
>Biggest
Publications
Coverage, Volume & Length

Coverage: The Girl Who Played With Fire (Flickan som lekte med elden)'s reviews cover 73.5% of potential readers (average is 68.2%). Volume: The film's reviews total 25,059 words in volume (average is 19,979 words). Length: The film's reviews average 545 words in length (the norm is 512 words).

The Girl Who Played With Fire (Flickan som lekte med elden)
Coverage, Volume & Length
(46 Reviews,  reviews below)
TotalBroad
National
Press
Local
News-
papers
Alter–
native/
Indie
High-
Brow
Press
Movie
Industry
NY/LA
Chicago
Toronto
Key
Cities
Total
B.O.
Coverage:
Volume:
Length:
73.5%
25,059
545
67.0%
4,877
610
98.4%
12,615
505
75.0%
4,562
570
75.9%
3,286
657
100.0%
4,058
676
90.6%
5,787
482
100.0%
7,701
481
$7.6M
Averages: 68.2%
19,979
512
66.7%
3,178
451
80.2%
10,677
521
80.8%
3,310
430
58.7%
2,374
630
85.2%
3,407
685
83.7%
5,861
500
73.0%
2,885
539
Opening Day Reviews
Reviews Broke 18.5 Hours Before Release (Norm is 0.2 Release)

The Girl Who Played With Fire (Flickan som lekte med elden)'s reviews on average broke 18.5 hours before opening. Norm for this measure is 0.2 hours after. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is The Girl Who Played With Fire (Flickan som lekte med elden)'s opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.

The Girl Who Played With Fire (Flickan som lekte med elden)
(46 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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M O R E    N E G A T I V E    R E V I E W S
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Updated: Mon, Apr 9 2012, 11:47am
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