Not One Line of Dialog in Common With the 1974 Film

Rating: 3/10 (10 November 2017)

Is it fair to compare this new version with the much loved 1974 film?
Of course it is. It's almost begging for it.
If you put the two films side by side I would defy anyone to discover a single line of dialog that appears in both films. It seems quite deliberate.
It's not out of the question to remake some of the characters, as they obviously do. After all, it's Agatha Christie, not Shakespeare. I prefer the claustrophobic feeling of the first film with everyone stuck on board the train, but to shoot some scenes outdoors is a fair interpretation.
All filmmakers make alterations. But to do so to this degree shows lack of respect for the source material. Such wild moments as the shooting incident (actually, two shooting incidents) will make Christie fans wince.
Branagh is fine as Hercule Poirot. With a better script his performance would be considered memorable. (I wouldn't dare say "And with a different director", for Branagh has directed some fine films.) Most of the performances are serviceable, if not particularly memorable. And the scenery is great, if you think that Agatha Christie and CGI belong together.
The ending is horribly maudlin, as opposed to the delightfully tongue-in-cheek feel of the earlier film.
When I was in college, PBS did a series on all of Shakespeare's plays. I don't recall which play it was, but the day after it aired my English professor asked us "Did you all watch "Hey, Shakespeare. Up yours!" last night?"
This isn't quite on that level. Not quite.