REVIEW: Murder on the Orient Express Get Derailed Before It Ends

Every day strangers from all over the world travel together by train, plane or automobile to get to their desired location. They come from all over the world with one goal in mind: get to the destination as fast as possible and in one piece. The passengers on the Orient Express, however, had other possibilities in mind.

Based on the novel by Agatha Christie, Murder on the Orient Express follows Hercule Poirot (Kenneth Branagh), the greatest detective in the world. Hercule is returning to London after successfully closing his last case. He is travelling via the Orient Express when another passenger is murdered. It is now up to Hercule to find out the murderer before he or she can either flee or strike again.

Directed by Branagh, the film is solid, but lackluster. The story builds and builds, leaving you expecting a grand finale, but then peters out. Several characters are introduced but there isn’t any character development for any of
them but the lead, Hercule. It’s a shame because the film is filled with such a talented cast but falls flat.

Branagh leads the cast and does a great job. His character was hard to understand at certain points, but he brought a lot of fun to a character that could have been very dull. Michelle Pfeiffer, Josh Gad, Leslie Odom Jr., Daisy Ridley, Johnny Depp, Judi Dench, Penelope Cruz, Willem Dafoe, and Derek Jacobi play passengers and were a delight to see on screen together.

It’s a real shame the script wasn’t stronger to give these big names something to work with. Branagh and the rest of the crew are able to make you feel as if you’re on the train living the story with them but that’s not enough to save the film.

If you want to see this film, wait until it comes out on DVD or On Demand. It is a great film to watch
while you are at home cuddled up on a snowy afternoon.

Grade: C+