Lisbeth Salander and Mikael Blomkvist find themselves caught in a web of spies, cyber-criminals and corrupt government officials - both in Sweden and in the United States - whom are only known as T...
The Girl in the Spider's Web is unable to stand up on all eight legs. After the Swedish 'Millennium' trilogy and Fincher's edgy adaptation of the original, Sony have opted to reboot the franchise instead of adapting the second book. That's all well and good, but when western audiences have most likely only seen the first film, it's somewhat idiotic to adapt the fourth book and presume the audience knows everything that has already happened. Salander is hired to steal a program that can remotely control missiles and return it to its owner, however she is quickly entangled in a web of deceit and greed. Foy is the main and only reason this should be watched. She gives yet another transformative performance both physically and with her accent. She is able to produce emotional turmoil and unsociable behaviour when required. Alvarez adds a cold style to his directing, although occasionally "overdirects" what is just another generic techno thriller. However, I have problems. The focus on action in an attempt to appeal to general audiences, loses the journalistic thrills that made the previous chapters so compelling. Sure, the action is watchable (aside from the gas mask scene) and many will enjoy it. But from someone who has watched and enjoyed the 'Millennium' trilogy, this reboot is very different and unfortunately mediocre. The convenient action, especially the sniping shots, results in less development on Salander who is arguably the pivotal character. She's supposed to be enigmatic and commanding, yet she somewhat takes a backseat and becomes this invincible super soldier, able to hack literally everything. As mentioned previously, this is an adaptation of the fourth book. Salander's father Zalachenko was an important character when dealing with her development, but is rarely discussed due to the lack of western adaptations. You can follow the story without seeing them, however it's slightly hollow. Also Gudnason made for a dull Blomkvist, I must say. As an action film, the film is good and will keep many entertained. As a reboot of a franchise, it unfortunately loses half of its eight legs.
