THE GIRL WHO KICKED THE HORNETS’ NEST (15).

Thriller. Noomi Rapace, Michael Nyqvist, Anders Ahlbom Rosendahl, Mikael Spreitz, Lena Endre, Johan Kylen. Director: Daniel Alfredson.

Judgment day arrives for renegade computer hacker Lisbeth Salander (Noomi Rapace) in the final chapter of the Millennium trilogy, based on the award-winning books by Stieg Larsson.

%movie(25018) 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, which saw the fate of one beloved character hanging precariously in the balance.

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

Explosions of violence continue to determine the characters’ fates in a world where powerful men kill anyone who could expose their shameful secrets.

Certainly, Lisbeth would be a prime target: A brilliant yet mentally disturbed young woman who hovers on the fringes of society.

As the third film opens, she 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 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.

The Girl Who Kicked The Hornets’ Nest reverses the balance of power from the first two films, making Michael the proactive hero, who gets his hands dirty while Lisbeth nervously awaits her day in court. That’s not to say the script doesn’t allow our fearless heroine at least one kick-ass action scene.

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.

Meanwhile, Nyqvist brings a recklessness to his writer, who wields the most powerful weapon of all: The written word.

Alfredson cranks up the tension and provides a glorious release with brutal closing scenes that bid a fitting farewell to characters we have grown to love.