This is an enjoyable thriller: there's no shortage of action, intrigue and girl power.

The second film is more efficient than the first, less concerned with getting all the story on to the screen.

Director Daniel Alfredson taking over from Niels Arden Oplev, maintains the sometimes disconcerting mixture of violence and righteous investigation that characterise the series.

Audiences familiar with The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, a capable if troubled mystery, will notice a sharp decline in the quality of storytelling here.