With a screenplay by Ulf Rydberg and direction by Daniel Alfredson, the latest film in the series works up suspense as the lives of the good guys are increasingly at risk. The plot culminates in further menace, a trial of Salander and a violent showdown. But she gains the upper hand, and the use of the secret videos she took shocks the courtroom and shows her testimony to be true. There are also the documents that bear out her charges of being abused. Virtue triumphs.

There is satisfaction in seeing an abused woman strike back and show up those who did her wrong. Salander is a fabulous character, wrapped in her quirky looks and her mysterious demeanor. She is the most intriguing female protagonist to hit the screen in years. Her acting is impressive. I recently noted a photo of actress Noomi Rapace in real life, and she is extremely attractive. That makes her transformation into Salander all the more impressive. Rapace has scored a major coup, additional evidence of which can be found in the engrossing “The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest.”

The film adds to the mystique of this remarkable imported series. As you probably have heard, the properties have been bought for American remakes. How effective they will be remains to be seen, but I generally find that such remakes destroy the atmosphere that has made the films work well in the first place.