a heavyweight cast that's given little to work with

Rating: Null/10 (11 March 2018)

A hollow, high-profile treatment of the Agatha Christie whodunit set in the mid-1930s about Hercule Poirot, a Belgian incarnation of Sherlock Holmes who may or may not be the world's greatest detective, and his attempts to solve a murder case while onboard the Orient Express. Lead actor and director Branagh seems to be overdoing it a bit, recruiting a star-studded cast who are unfortunately used to just show up and be recognized, rather than actually employ their acting abilities. Despite good scenery, a vivid sense of time and place, and the multitude of colorful characters, there's little in the way of suspense or intrigue, two elements sorely needed for a film like this to really succeed. Watchable, but fails to provide a truly satisfying payoff. **