Rapace mesmerising in 'The Girl Who Kicked The Hornets’ Nest'

(Cert 15, 141 mins, Thriller/Action)

Renegade computer hacker Lisbeth Salander (Noomi Rapace) stands accused of multiple murders, her fingerprints apparently found on the gun used in the heinous crimes.

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, with the help of editor Erika Berger (Lena Endre).

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) continues to shadow Lisbeth, determined to prevent her from exposing the dark secrets of her past.

Based on the award-winning books by Stieg Larsson, '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.

There are lots more twists and turns to come as director Daniel Alfredson navigates the serpentine plot strands of Larsson’s best-seller and steadily cranks up the tension, while maintaining the same visual palette and grittiness as previous films in the series.

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 reckless streak to his writer, who wields the most powerful weapon of all: The written word.

Rating: ****