Broken souls are mended, old wounds are healed and order has been restored to the world; the Orient Express, is back on track. As the train finally arrives at its destination – thematically, and literally – Hercule Poirot is summoned to his next adventure. For our sake, let’s hope we’re invited for the ride.

If it were not for the talent involved, the reworking would descend into a good-looking journey of done-to-death red herrings. But, in their discerning presence and shrewd nuances, it offers an intrigue worthy of Poirot’s investigation and our time.

Overall, despite the glitches and avalanches, thanks to a stellar cast and gripping source material, this mysterious train journey is worth taking. Does it have a twist in the end? You have to watch the movie to know that.

Please do not compare it to Sidney Lumet’s 1974 version and you will actually be able to enjoy it

Murder On The Orient Express is one memorable attempt of presenting Agatha Christie’s vision to the millennials who probably are unaware of her classic mystery novels. Watch it for a good workout of your brain and some very good performances.

The film’s revisionist touches are all too perfunctory; there is now a black British man and a Mexican in the mix. By the end, you wonder, why fix what isn’t broken? The answer is explicitly given—like many things in the film—in the last scene, where a policeman in a quiet station tells Poirot about a possible case on the Nile.

The good people walking in with fresh, unhampered eyes are bound to be entertained by Branagh’s antics and the story itself, whereas weary aficionados of literature and cinema are bound to leave their halls moderately entertained at a version whose existence seems unnecessary.

The movie’s attention to period detail is striking. Haris Zambarloukos’ cinematography is absolutely breathtaking. The decision to shoot on a 65mm film proves to be the right one in the end. Also, the special effects immensely add to the overall appeal of the movie. Here is a film that has all the right ingredients but the recipe somewhere needed a little more fine-tuning.

Too much time is spent creating those stunning visuals as the majestic train embarks on its voyage from Istanbul, when that could be time spent on flushing out the medley of characters that jumped on board for the ride.
That said, the experimental camerawork and the scenic itinerary at least offer some redeeming moments.