Worthy of the harsh reviews?
Although I avoided reading reviews for The Girl in the Spider’s Web, a quick browse of the star ratings made it obvious that the movie was mostly being criticised. I had no idea what to expect whilst walking into my screening, but expectations were low.
What I did know is that Claire Foy (The Crown) is the third actress to play Lisbeth Salander – the Swedish hacker with a dragon tattoo, who hurts men who hurt women.
In the latest film, adapted from David Lagercrantz’s follow-up to the late Stieg Larsson’s Millennium novel trilogy, we first see Salander tying up an abusive businessman. She transfers his bank account holdings to his victims before tasering his genitals. Those unfamiliar with the previous instalments will see that this character is a force to be reckoned with.
Soon after, our protagonist is approached by Frans Balder (Stephen Merchant), who hires her to steal a computer programme he created, which allows its user to control global satellites that are capable of triggering nuclear missile launches. Of course, bad people are going to want their hands on such a device, and it’s down to Salander to get to it before they succeed. However, once she discovers that those after the programme have links to her past, the mission suddenly becomes a lot more complicated.
To repeat something I said during my Bohemian Rhapsody review, I feel this is a film that will appeal to audiences more than critics. I can understand the negative reviews. When analysing the movie there’s a lot to criticise. The Girl in the Spider’s Web is not as polished as its predecessors, and the tone is very different – with this being more studio friendly (aka not as dark). Also, Stephen Merchant feels very out of place here. In my personal opinion, his acting style is more suited to comedy (a genre he’s best known for).
Despite the flaws, I found this thoroughly compelling and entertaining. There’s more than enough action throughout to make up for the faults and warrant the ticket price.
Rating: 3.5/5
Mikey Clarke
Genre: Action Thriller
Running Time: 1hr 55mins
Directed By: Fede Alvarez
Cast: Claire Foy, Sverrir Gudnason, LaKeith Stanfield, Sylvia Hoeks, Stephen Merchant & Claes Bang
See The Girl in the Spider’s Web and much more at Showcase Cinema, Peterborough. Visit www.showcasecinemas.co.uk for the latest up-to-date show times. You can also join the chat on Twitter @showcasecinemas or on Facebook by searching for ‘Showcase Cinemas UK’.
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