Kind of disappointing adaptation of a novel that has known better adaptations in the past. Why did Kenneth Branagh do this, when we already have such a superior Poirot in David Suchet? I suppose it's a way to give younger generations a way to approach Agatha Christie, but... what is it with Hollywood and period pieces? At times it reminded me of Robert Downey Jr's awful Sherlock Holmes movies. We get Poirot running after suspects, fighting, absurd chases, just for the sake of inserting action scenes where they don't belong... This is not what an Agatha Christie story is like. It's never credible or convincing as a period piece. No subtlety, no wit, just the usual Hollywood tics.
The movie looks pretty, expect for the CGI, as excessive as unnecessary, which does not look real. It doesn't find a way to really profit from the large and talented cast. It's mostly Branagh's show. It would have done better with more real exterior shots and less blue screens.
The investigation is perfunctory: a few quick conversations and Poirot has all the facts out of thin air. It's a difficult story to adapt as a movie, true, with the novel being a long series of suspect interviews that would not work on the screen. But still, it can be done better.
I liked the ending, though, showcasing Poirot's moral dilemma in an emotional way.
The movie looks pretty, expect for the CGI, as excessive as unnecessary, which does not look real. It doesn't find a way to really profit from the large and talented cast. It's mostly Branagh's show. It would have done better with more real exterior shots and less blue screens.
The investigation is perfunctory: a few quick conversations and Poirot has all the facts out of thin air. It's a difficult story to adapt as a movie, true, with the novel being a long series of suspect interviews that would not work on the screen. But still, it can be done better.
I liked the ending, though, showcasing Poirot's moral dilemma in an emotional way.