Murder on the Orient Express

At first when I saw the trailer, I was so excited and thought "Finally, a remake of Agatha Christie's masterpiece!". But after I watched the movie that night, I can't hide I was so disappointed.

The movie is so different from the book! And many of the scenes are exaggerated, and some important parts from the books are not included in the movie. Some characters lost or exchanged names. No "dr. Constantine", Greta Ohlsson changed into Pilar Estravados, Antonio replaced by some Italian name I can't remember. Some of the characters' personality are also too much for me. Count Andreyi is a... count. It's impossible he is so temperamental in the movie (while in the book Count Andreyi are more respected and well-behaved).

Disappointing, for a Christie's adaptation.

Agatha Christie needs a bit more mystery and depth in a film particularly when the story is so well known. Branaghs's Poirot is more eccentric than brilliant, in fact most of the characters are over played and a bit silly.

In the end you don't really warm to anyone or want more, it's very predictable and flat.

This movie was clearly made for a modern audience with no familiarity with Agatha Christie's work. Branagh's portrayal of the legendary Belgian detective Hercule Poirot bares only a passing resemblance to the source material with an inconsistent accent, the wrong mustache, and only some of his iconic quirks and mannerisms. That being said, it is a decent mystery that follows the plot of the story pretty well and it would probably be enjoyable to people seeing the story for the first time and having no preconceived notions of what Poirot should be.

A strong supporting cast featuring Michelle Pfeiffer, Daisy Ridley, Johnny Depp, Willem Dafoe, Judi Dench, Penelope Cruz, and many other familiar faces performs well. However, no one stands out in the way Ingrid Bergman did in the 1974 adaptation or Jessica Chastain in the 2010 version.

There were also several semi-action moments that were incredibly out of character for Poirot, yet provided no actual excitement to justify the sudden stylistic change. The ending hints at Death on the Nile being the next mystery for this detective masquerading as Poirot to tackle, but Poirot should not be summoned to solve a murder, he simply stumbles upon them whenever he goes on vacation.

Don't watch this movie if you think it'll be the transposition of Agatha Christie's classic "Murder on the Orient Express", because THIS IS NOT IT.

The problem it's not just what they changed or omitted, but all the clues they invented to replace the real story make little sense.

Difficult Kenneth Branagh makes, produces, and stars in good movies, and this version of Murder on the Orient Express features impressive sets, beautiful scenery, and lovely period clothes. An impressive case features Penélope Cruz, Johnny Depp, Derek Jacobi, Michelle Pfeiffer, Judi Dench, Willem Dafoe, and Kennth Branagh as Hercule Poirot. I think those who are not familiar with Agatha Christie, Poirot, or the story may very well like this movie.

I, on the other hand, was massively disappointed, especially by Branagh as a sort of English upper-class colonel with a stick-on cavalry moustache and by the needless addition of an introductory scene at the Wailing Wall. But I am prejudiced. I read the 1934 novel decades ago and again more recently. I liked the 1974 star-studded version with Lauren Bacall, Ingrid Bergman, Jacqueline Bisset, Sean Connery, John Gielgud, Wendy Hiller, Anthony Perkins, Vanessa Redgrave, Richard Widmark, and Michael York—despite the fact that Albert Finney was a very poor version of Christie's Hercule Poirot.

In my opinion, the 2010 television version of the story starred David Suchet as the definitive Poirot, and the ending was far and away the best of all the versions with which I am familiar. So I think Christie fans may want to skip this edition of the classic.