You Just Cannot Beat the 1974 Version

Rating: 3/10 (12 November 2017)

The way this version was handled was heavy handed and dark. Not that murder shouldn't be just that, but the 1974 was handled with more of a lightness and the script just breezed along. This version just was so long, too wordy and had many unnecessary scenes, especially in the beginning of the movie (however, I did like the Middle Eastern music playing in the background of part of the beginning). I did like the camera work even though a lot of it was CG. I didn't care for the script delving into Poirot's past. I've always thought that he should remain a sort of enigma. Let's face it, you can't beat the star power of the 1974 version. I only knew six members of this cast. It's good that the younger cast is getting a chance to be in something like this for the experience, but all of them were mediocre. This also included the well known cast and I love Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer, Judi Dench, but they weren't given much to work with. The only stand out was Derek Jacobi with his (I think English Midlands accent). He was believable in his part.
I think that Kenneth Branaugh is trying to make a comeback of sorts. He was the darling, the new Lawrence Olivier of the 1990's. I personally think that his time came and went. Please, Mr. Branaugh, don't make a re-make of "Death on the Nile". Leave that one to Peter Ustinov and you should have left this one to Albert Finney. If you do decide that you absolutely need to make or re-make any of the Poirot's, lose the major mustache and the heavy Belgian accent. I could barely understand what you were saying. Mr. Finney, Mr. Ustinov and Mr. Suchet did not need to lay their accents on thick. A person could actually understand what they were saying. In other words, please try your hand at something else for your film comeback. This wasn't it.
I'm giving it a 3 because of the camera work. I did stay till the end of the credits because I thought that I recognized the voice singing the end song and I wanted to see if I was right. It was who I thought that it was. Mystery solved.