Murder on the Orient Express's reviews
Media reviews
The Guardian
Kenneth Branagh?s film adaptation of Agatha Christie?s 1934 novel is a juicy fruitcake of a film (or, perhaps more accurately, a Belgian iced bun: a nostalgic pleasure, goes down easy, irresistible on a Sunday afternoon).
New York Times
This is a Poirot with heart. This interpretation is a dumb idea, but Mr. Branagh, an actor of prodigious skills, can at least pull this one half off. It?s not the only dumb idea in this film, which nevertheless bounces along in a way that?s sometimes almost entertaining.
Empire
It is a shame [the] tension dissipates so soon, as Poirot hints at his conclusions relatively early in the piece. We can see the final destination long before the journey?s end.
Vulture
I enjoyed parts of the movie, savoring the actors though aware that half of my own little gray cells were snoozing. A higher percentage might be engaged if you?re a newcomer to Christie?s world.
The Wrap
Ultimately, 'Murder on the Orient Express' isn?t necessarily awful; it?s just inert, a prestige pic that?s too busy looking handsome and respectable to evoke any real intrigue or emotional involvement.
The Washington Post
Those bombastic pronouncements are quite funny, and early on, 'Murder' excels at delivering laughs[...]. But the story eventually settles into a somewhat lethargic procedural as Poirot takes turns interviewing so many one-dimensional characters, eventually uncovering one shocking twist after another.
Variety
Though he succeeds in creating the most memorable incarnation of Poirot ever seen on-screen[...], the movie is a failure overall, juggling too many characters to keep straight, and botching the last act.