Fun movie, from a newcomer's perspective

Rating: 7/10 (18 December 2017)

I've never read any Agatha Christie books in my life, nor have I ever seen any previous adaptations. The only sort-of previous history I have with the character of Poirot is the parody in Murder by Death (1976).
This movie was ridiculous but fun. I think that's often the case with Branagh, and he certainly raised the ridiculousness for this one. His accent went all over the place, ridiculous jokey scenes and his acting performance, not to mention his moustache.
The shots were lovely and the ensemble cast did a good job. Can't say I'm a big fan of Depp the last few years but the scenes he had he did very well. He also had one of the funniest throwaway lines I've seen in a while. Something about dogs... the rest of the cast, including greats like Judi Dench, Willem Dafoe, Michelle Pfeiffer and perhaps a future great like Daisy Ridley all did very well and showed their chops in the scenes they had.
I couldn't really take it all that seriously but I enjoy that in my movies sometimes. Combine the ridiculousness with a good cast, good performances and quite beautiful cinematography... I can't complain too much.