Common Sense Note

Parents need to know that this subtitled Swedish thriller has lots of violent, disturbing images and frightening characters. Murderous rages, execution-style killing, and fights to the death occur with increasing frequency. Deaths (many close up) are caused by gunshot, machine gun fire, industrial equipment, an axe, and hand-to-hand combat. While some women are portrayed as almost superhuman and heroic, others are voiceless victims of sexual depravity and cruelty. Though there's less sexuality in this third movie based on author Steig Larsson's wildly popular trilogy than in the earlier two, sexual abuse and exploitation are still the basis for the film's primary story line, and flashbacks to the earlier films reveal a shadowy sexual attack. A young women is partially nude, seen from behind. Occasional coarse language includes "s--t" and "f--king."

Sexual Content

Though there's no overt sexual activity, major story points involve discussion of sexual violence and obsession. A young woman is partially nude, seen from behind.

Violence

Many intense, violent scenes. A hulking villain kills two police officers, breaking one's neck. A hospitalized man is shot in the head at point blank range; suicide by gun. A villain pushes a woman from a moving car; assassins spray machine gunfire into a cafe and are then killed by police. A stalk-and-chase scene ends with a gory capture. Also flashbacks to sequences from the earlier films in the trilogy that involve the initiation of a rape, a girl being shot in the head and dragged to a shallow grave, that same girl striking her assailant with an axe, and a man leaping from a car enveloped in flames. A brief view of a child pornography website is shown on a computer screen.

Language

Occasional swearing and obscenities: "damn," "pissed off," "hell," "s--t," "bastard," "Christ," "f--king."

Social Behavior

As dark as the movie's content gets, it has a strong message about the idea that when people are willing to take great risks for the sake of justice, good can triumph over evil. And even when that evil is being perpetrated by the highest-ranking government officials, justice can be served. Also, you don't have to conform to society's standards to be a good and just person. Appearances are often deceiving; the most benign-seeming people can be capable of corruption and wickedness, while those whose appearances can be shocking may be virtuous and incorruptible.

Consumerism

Apple, Gaggia.

Drugs / Tobacco / Alcohol

Moderate alcohol consumption in social settings. In two scenes, characters smoke cigarettes.