It's no fun being a middle child. You lack the lustre of everything being new that comes with the first, and the moment anyone knows there's another coming after you, everyone just wants to move on to the next thing. The Girl Who Played with Fire plays like the poor, forgotten middle child in the string of adaptations of Stieg Larsson's mega-bestselling thriller trilogy: a little bland, and with a tendency to act out in ridiculous ways to try to draw attention to itself. more ›

Though it disguises itself quite well as a conventional mystery, there's a great deal more going on in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo than might appear on the surface. Stieg Larsson's phenomenally popular trilogy has been adapted into a trio of films, all of which were released in Europe last year. This, the first of the series, is opening in the U.S. this weekend. While Larsson packs his story with all the standard tropes he learned from a lifetime of devouring American and British mystery novels, it's the way he twists those conventions around to critique the misogynist and corporate-influenced shortcomings of Swedish society that really sets them apart. more ›

If you ever laughed uncontrollably while engaged in a childhood snowball fight, built intricate forts out of your grandmother's afghan blankets, or made up the rules to complex playground games while the game was still being played, then Spike Jonze's adaptation of Where the Wild Things Are is for you. Actually, even if you never did those things, but still have a strong nostalgic attachment to Maurice Sendak's classic picture book, the movie is still yours. What's less clear is whether it is geared toward children still engaged in all that creative play and discovering the book for the first time. Regrettably, I'm no longer eight and can't say for sure what a child's reaction to this movie might be. I suspect — or maybe, rather, hope — that kids will respond to it despite the fact that it isn’t paced or presented like most children’s movies, and will grow to love it more and more as they grow older. more ›