Murder on the Orient Express (2017)

In 1974 Sidney Lument directed a star studded adaption of the famed Agatha Christie mystery novel Murder on the Orient Express featuring a lot of old Hollywood players, in 2017 Kenneth Branagh takes a similar approach to the same material, though the caliber of his stars shine maybe not quit so bright. I have not read the Christie novel so my point of reference for this new cinematic version is just the earlier film, and this Orient Express opens up the martial quite a bit, adds some CGI shots, mixes some of the characters around and updates them for modern sensibilities (gone is Sean Connery's solder of the old empire, replaced with Leslie Odom Jr's black doctor), and adds some frankly unnecessary action sequences, including a chase on a rickety railroad bridge. While I was fine with the teaser mystery added to the beginning of the film, meant to establish Poirots investigative prowess for audiences less familiar with the character then those of a half century ago, I felt that while this movie was good, it was trying too hard to seem relevant. This film is overtly emotional, while the previous film was more restrained. One of the things I liked about the previous movie and Christie's work more generally is that it feels rather musty, musty is an appropriate things for it to be, this film was trying too hard to not be that. This is fine I suppose, and I enjoyed the film, but its not to my preferred taste. Josh Gad is no Anthony Perkins. ***