udgment day arrives for renegade computer hacker Lisbeth Salander (Noomi Rapace) in the final chapter of the Millennium trilogy, based on Stieg Larsson’s best-selling books.

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets’ Nest follows on directly from the shocking events of The Girl Who Played With Fire and quickly resolves that film’s cliffhanger.

%movie(25018)

There are lots more twists and turns to come as director Daniel Alfredson navigates the serpentine plot strands of Larsson’s novel, while maintaining the same visual palette and grittiness as previous films.

Explosions of violence continue to determine the characters’ fates in a world where powerful men kill anyone who could expose their secrets. Certainly, Lisbeth would be a prime target: a brilliant yet mentally disturbed young woman who hovers on the fringes of society.

As the third film opens, she stands accused of multiple murders. The police, led by Inspector Jan Bublanski (Johan Kylen), are convinced that she is guilty, but tenacious journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Michael Nyqvist) scents a cover-up.

So he sets out to prove her innocence and expose the shocking truth on the pages of his magazine, Millennium, under editor Erika Berger (Lena Endre). The stakes couldn’t be higher: if Lisbeth is found guilty, she will be sent back to a psychiatric ward under the care of abusive physician, Dr Teleborian (Anders Ahlbom Rosendahl).

Meanwhile, hulking assassin Niedermann (Mikael Spreitz), who suffers from a rare disorder that prevents him from feeling pain, continues to shadow Lisbeth.

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets’ Nest reverses the balance of power from the first two films, making Michael the proactive hero, who gets his hands dirty while Lisbeth nervously awaits her day in court. That’s not to say that the script doesn’t allow our fearless heroine at least one kick-ass action scene, but she has to bide her time.

Swedish actress Rapace is mesmerising once against as an avenging angel whose sickening treatment at the hands of powerful men fuels her thirst for justice — regardless of the lengths needed to achieve it. Meanwhile, Nyqvist brings a recklessness to his writer, who wields the most powerful weapon of all: the written word.

Following a bungled assassination attempt in Sweden, hit man Jack (George Clooney) decides to abandon the killing game once and for all in The American. He calls handler Pavel (Johan Leysen), who suggests that Jack should lay low in the Italian town of Castelvecchio.

The hit man drives to the remote community and on the spur of the moment, he disobeys orders and sets up camp in nearby Castel Del Monte.

By day, Jack keeps himself busy building a weapon for mysterious client, Mathilde (Thekla Reuten). By night, he enjoys the carnal delights of local prostitute, Clara (Violante Placido). As Jack’s paranoia takes hold, he seeks counsel from local holy man, Father Benedetto (Paolo Bonacelli).

The American is an engrossing character study, enlivened by explosions of violence including a night-time car chase that is as close as the film strays to an action set piece. Anton Corbijn makes excellent use of the stunning European locations and keeps us amused with interesting shots.

In the absence of bright colours in the film’s palette, Clooney sparks a dazzling screen chemistry, with Placido and Bonacelli, the latter wearing his dog collar with conviction.