I think the summary line says it all: this Swedish action thriller from 1989 is very average. The story is quite interesting, but it seems too complex to be explored in a 90 minute film. Of course, the acting is brilliant, especially by Stellan Skarsgård, which isn't exactly surprising (his son Gustaf is also in the film), but that doesn't help the film which I gave a 4 (out of 10) here at IMDb.

I was really pleasantly surprised to see this bit in video-store and as it gave the chance to see Stellan Skarsgård I gladly grabbed it with me. I had no expectations, which was good, so I didn't need to get disappointed. I laughed so heartily to the Säpo-guys, the contrast between them and Hamilton was striking and all those comments concerning Säpo I remembered from the original books made me smile. OK, this was so much more modest than "Hamilton", but entertaining in it's own way, and convinced me that Stellan Skarsgård really is a man to see in movies. That one little nuditity-bit made every woman in front of the telly sigh in astonishment! We really didn't expect it... LOL Anyway, he's a great actor also with clothes on. :) A bit slow, a bit modest, but enough humour and some action - I've used 90 minutes for worse.

A very, very loose adaptation of the novel. It keeps some of the characters and key events, but other than that the movie is quite different and it's no doubt which version comes out on top. The story in the novel is far too complicated to be covered in a mere 80 minute film (not counting credits). It races along at breakneck speed, yet it's kind of dull.

There is no depth to the characters or the story as there is no room for any of them to breathe. Some of the changes from the novel are quite bizarre. All of a sudden Hamilton has a a nephew he's tasked with babysitting. And the character of Näslund, who in the novel is kind of a shifty used car salesman Hamilton despises (and vice versa) is here the lowkey voice of reason.

It would be interesting to see what Hollywood could do with this story with a proper budget and technical skills. But that's never going to happen. How many Hollywood movies can you name where the villain is Jewish or Israeli?