I like weird foreign films. I loved the original Insomnia, I adore the work of Takeshi Miike and am a grand appreciator of Mike Leigh‘s more degenerate work. So it makes sense then, that I would fall for the cinematic adaptations of author Stieg Larrson and his Millennium Trilogy.

Those of of you not familiar with the literary trilogy‘s original title, may recognize the films better as the adaptations of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played with Fire and, the soon-to-be-released, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest.

Having been sucked in by Noomi Rapace‘s starring role as possibly deranged, bisexual punk rock hacker Lisbeth Salander, and the cinematography of Jens Fisher, I threw myself into the rest of the novels and was pleasantly surprised. It’s rare you get a good anti-heroine in literature these days, let alone one that’s Swedish.

The Cinematic Followup kicks just as hard, with Rapace’s tendency towards chameleonic shifts serving her well. The rest of the cast? They’re alright. Michael Nyquist’s Mikael Blomquist serves handily to play the stoic womanizer that the books brought to life, but he’s not going to blow your mind. Then again, it’s not about him, it’s all about the lady.

One can only hope that the upcoming Hollywood remake holds true, but Lord knows it won’t be anywhere near as dark or as pointed. Daniel Craig is as stiff as a board playing James Bond so, in a way, he’s perfect for the role as Blomquist. Then again, Clive Owen would’ve at least brought life to piece.

As for the Hollywood replacement for Lisbeth? If they were smart, they’d invest six months in English lessons for Noomi Rapace. Look for a indie starlet to take the role — my pick would be Miley Cyrus. Stil, the schadenfreude in me would love to see it become Miley’s own I Know Who Killed Me.

Maybe Hollywood will surprise me and not screw it up. They didn’t destroy a long lineage of Hong Kong action remakes or Japanese horror films, right?