"The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest"

You may or may not remember when I blogged about how I sometimes get my hackles up about some 'trend' or another and then, often - but not always - get around to that trend myself and then love it. Examples of trends I love - The DaVinci Code, Harry Potter, the Wii Game System, and Salt & Vinegar potato chips (this one may be a push to qualify as a trend). Examples of trends I loathe - 'reality' shows.

I'm pretty sure I sounded off about the Swedish films made of Steig Larsson's trilogy.. or at least the first one or two I had seen. Loved them both. Last night I finally got to see the third movie, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest. Loved it! I had just finished a three movie marathon with girlfriend, J, when we noticed we could watch this one too. It was already 11 pm. Couldn't wait. Got home around 2 am. Couldn't be happier!

Get on with the love fest, you say? Okay! Michael Nyqvist plays Mikael Blomkvist and is terrific. He's not a traditional hottie, but there is something undeniably attractive about him. Now, before you think I only think in terms of looks, sexiness, hot-levels.... I don't... mostly. It's just a factor that is on my mind, so get over it. Blomkvist is an interesting character to me because he's a lady's man who mostly manages to stay friendly with all the ladies after the fact. That takes skill and genuinely being a nice guy. And he has a firm moral code he follows, which is not true of everyone. The actor does a great job of portraying Micke as a complex character, flaws and all. They are making American versions of the films with Daniel Craig as Blomkvist. I can see this. Good call, Hollywood.

The biggest love fest is with the character, Lisbeth Salander, and the actress, Noomi Rapace, who plays her. I have a major lady-crush on Noomi Rapace. Major. I also think the character Lisbeth is the coolest female character of all time. Seriously, she's got mad skills, a bad attitude and a stringent moral code. Her code may not follow the law, but it makes damn good sense. And she's smart - smarter than most. And Noomi Rapace plays her to perfection. Every nuance of this complicated, difficult character is nailed. Nothing against the actress cast in the American version (I'm sure she'll be great), but I will have a hard time seeing anyone else in this role.

The American movies start coming out this year and I'm jazzed to get to see them again. I have also been reading the books which are so rich with detail. I've finished the first one, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and I'm almost done with the second, The Girl Who Played with Fire. The third is waiting on my coffee table. The movies really do justice to the books, but the books just have so much more in them that the movies could never manage. So, my recommendation is read the books and watch the movies (Swedish with subtitles if you can, troops). And in my humble opinion, I'm not sure it matters in which order. I have seen all the movies before I read their book counterpart, and it has not diminished my enjoyment of either. Okay - if you're a patient person who can wait for the big payoff - read the books first. If you are an impatient type - watch the movies first. BUT DO BOTH! They are mega best sellers for a reason.