No gray little cells were used in the making of this story

Rating: 4/10 (14 October 2018)

Kenneth Branagh somehow got away with murder here because as both star and director, he drains the life from the vibrant Belgian Hercule Poirot and an infamous case that can't seem to have enough remakes. This one is enough.
I have no idea what Branagh was thinking. The movie is poorly made, full of ridiculously phony CGI backgrounds, terrible acting - this cannot be understood - and an ever-present blanket of boredom. No tension, no intrigue and no depth to character. If you want to watch this instead of properly read the original story, there are no less than four or five choices ranging from superb to passable. This is one to pass, to forget and ultimately to avoid at all costs.
David Suchet and Branagh were both Shakespearian trained and I always thought Branagh got a free pass in most of the Shakespeare productions he gained notoriety for. Suchet, in contrast, has always disappeared into his parts unlike Branagh who seems to only talk louder and only worked to amplified himself. This movie proves that point. Branagh plays Poirot, indeed the whole thing for a joke - and that is a great disservice to rich material such as this.