The Girl in the Spider's Web Movie Review

The Girl in the Spider's Web (2018)

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Written by: David Lagercrantz (based on the novel by), Stieg Larsson (with characters introduced in the Millenium series by), Jay Basu & Fede Alvarez and Steven Knight (screenplay by)
Directed by: Fede Alvarez
Starring: Claire Foy, LaKeith Stanfield, Sverrir Gudnason, Sylvia Hoeks, Stephen Merchant, Cameron Britton
Rated: R
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Plot
Young computer hacker Lisbeth Salander and journalist Mikael Blomkvist find themselves caught in a web of spies, cybercriminals and corrupt government officials.

Verdict
This is an unengaging plot with nice cinematography. You don't need to have seen any of the previous movies, and by the end this is just a chore to watch.
Skip it.

Review
This is based on the fourth novel of the Millennium series.

This starts with the old when they were kids beginning. Lisbeth is just a kid playing with another kid, and you know that will come back.

This movie peaks in the first scene. A rich guy has beaten up his wife, making excuses and blaming the wife. You have an idea of why she's still there, not to mention leaving an abuser is difficult.
Lisbeth shows up to teach lessons.

Lisbeth is a hacker doing hacker things. There are nuclear weapons involved, everyone wants control.

Claire Foy does a nice job. It's certainly a turn compared to her role in The Crown.

I just never cared about the plot. That first scene didn't help, telegraphing who a bad guy in the end would be. There is a crazy almost sci-fi scene where a guy is missing part of his face. It was gross, almost for the sake of being gross, and I watched it twice.

Towards the end I was bemoaning the fact this is a full two hours. It's a mundane action movie that becomes a chore to watch.