“Murder On The Orient Express” is a film of many flaws. However, it provided a fun theater experience that could be enjoyed again and again.

The movie is based on a popular novel of the same name by Agatha Christie. Many fans of the book went into the theater expecting the film to butcher every good aspect of the original story, but the film managed to keep the charm and character of the novel fairly consistently. The star-studded cast portrayed each character extremely well, lead by Kenneth Branagh, who played the titular detective Hercule Poirot and directed the film.

The basic plot of the film parallels the classic board game, Clue, this time taking place on a speeding train. Opening up, the film introduces the audience to the legendary detective Hercule Poirot, who is solving a simple theft crime in Jerusalem. After solving the simple theft case, Poirot is called up to England for another big case. To get there, he must board the luxurious train known as the “Orient Express,” with a whole cast of quirky characters. When one passenger on the train is murdered, it is up to Poirot to find the murderer and stop them before they strike again.

Overall, the plot of the film stays true to the novel, though some compromises had to be made in order to keep it within a two-hour time frame. With a whole train-load of different characters to keep up with, the audience is left confused by the entangled plot. This is especially prevalent at the end of the film, where the novel’s famous twist takes place. The climax of the film comes off as a bit rushed, bit it is still paced well enough for the audience to follow.

The casting choices for this film were stellar, to say the least. The cast included such talents as Daisy Ridley, Josh Gad, and even a cameo by Johnny Depp. Each cast member portrays their character to almost perfection, but the most memorable performance definitely goes to Bragnah. His performance was the perfect representation of Poirot’s character, and is certainly the best on-screen version of Poirot to date. He absolutely dominates in every scene he’s in.

“Murder On The Orient Express” pays admirable attention to detail and admirably respects its source material. Even though the plot feels rushed and confusing at some points, the portrayal of each and every character is conducted with near-perfection and makes the whole film enjoyable as a whole.