3/5 Great except for Finney
  by Sharon (Nevada)
I'd heard about this movie and had great expectations but was sadly disappointed in the performance by Albert Finney. With Poirot movies, he explains the murder at the end and so his spoken words are vital to the film. Albert Finney's voice modulation (with a profound American 'accent') was extremely difficult and mostly impossible to understand. Oddly, he did not even attempt a French or European accent, but only relied on changing the modulation of his voice - it was very odd and disappointing.
Also strange was his hair which looked as if a bottle of oil had been poured over it and then combed in - the result was a very odd look indeed.

The rest of the cast were wonderful. I thoroughly enjoyed the performance of the cast of famous movie stars as well as the photography. I've given the movie 3 stars for these attributes. But over all, it was a disappointment. I'm looking forward to Murder on the Orient Express with Poirot portrayed by David Suchet. I understand that he has just signed to do more Poirot movies with this movie one of them.



3/5 Another Locked Room Mystery
  by Acute Observer (North Jersey Shore)
The film begins at the Armstrong home in 1930. Their baby Daisy was kidnapped in the middle of the night. The ransom was paid but Daisy was found slain. Five years later Hercule Poirot is returning from a job. Others arrive on the ferry to Istanbul and the Orient-Express train to Paris. The scenes and costumes provide entertainment and padding. [Would those peddlers be allowed in the train station?] The train travels through the countryside while the people dine and converse. Mr. Ratchet has been threatened, he asked Hercule Poirot to take a job. The train halts because snow blocks the railway. The morning finds Mr. Ratchet dead, stabbed a dozen times. Poirot will investigate. "The murderer is with us now."

Poirot deduces the true identity of Ratchet. He then interviews the other travelers. [What do we learn?] What will they find in a suitcase? What secrets will be revealed? Finally the travelers are gathered in the dining car so Poirot can solve the murder. Is there a complex answer? Poirot begins by explaining the answers of the travelers. Then he reconstructs the murder and provides a solution. Believable? [Only in a fictional world is such a complex plan possible.] The rescue train arrives so the stalled trains continues on its journey. Was justice served by this ending?

Why was Hercule Poirot portrayed in such a hammy style? Editing would have reduced the length of this story.


4/5 Starts out slow but has a surprising ending
  by Pool Enthusiast (I am on the front porch reading The New York Times.)
This movie drags on for the first 35 minutes or so. They could have easily condensed introducing the enormous ensemble of characters into 10 minutes or so.

The first 6 minutes does not have any dialogue. However, it contains important information for the movie. You may want to watch it twice, so that you can catch everything that is going on in the introduction.

The only things that kept me from turning this movie off in the beginning were the costumes and the sets. This movie is a period piece set in the 1930's. The train ride was first class all the way.

This movie was worth watching for the costumes, the sets, the brief appearance by Sean Connery, and surprise ending. I recommend it for a one time viewing.

5/5 Magnificent and Stylish Murder Second to None
  by Sandra Schaub (Rockville Centre, NY USA)
This movie is a spectacle to the eye. Scenery and costumes had a definite Art Deco flavor, and the special effects were perfectly combined with one of the greatest casts ever assembled.

The music for the opening credits is polished and sophisticated. The train theme is quite unique and lively.

The only negatives are Mr. Finney's makeup and portrayal, which seemed overly exaggerated and hammy. David Suchet and Peter Ustinov gave more subtle performances with a wider range of emotions to their Poirots.

Nevertheless, this is a great must-see movie and one that never ceases to be enjoyed over time. The bonus tracks are also of great interest to any Agatha Christie fan.

4/5 Sleuthing At Its Best
  by Richard C. Idoux (APO, AE United States)
Being a great Agatha Christe fan of her written word it is with great pleasure that I have begun colleting her works to be viewed. A business man with a very shady past is found murdered on the Orient Express and that master of the whodunnit, Hercule Poirot, is there to solve the mystery and identify the guility person before the train reaches the international border crossing point and the local police take over; he agrees to interview the passengers in the Calais Coach to accomplish this. In true Agatha Christe style, Albert Finney, Hercule Poirot, unfolds the sinister, complicatd, twists of the plot to the delight of all viewers.