In 'Death on the Nile' Kenneth Branagh reprises the lead role of detective Hercule Poirot and also directs the picture, as he had previously done in his tremendously successful ($352.8 million box office off a $55 million budget) version of 'Murder on the Orient Express' back in 2017. This film has been less finically successful then its predecessor (so far $115.1 million off a $90 million budget), but in other ways feels more successful, though on the whole still a mixed bag.
Less clunky then its predecessor, the visual and action flourishes that felt so forced on a train in the snow feel more natural on a boat on the Nile. Both films have large star studded ensemble casts and take a bit to get going. While boasting a multi racial cast and set largely amongst the upper classes in 1937, this movie almost entirely avoids dealing with the obvious topic of racism, which felt more then a little off.
The film also tries to arc the hell out of Poirot which the more I reflect on it the less I liked, perhaps by giving the central character 'closure' Branagh was trying to free himself from the expectation of making more of these. Chrisite's story is solid though and succeeds at being what it sets out to be, enjoyable diversion of some intelligence, though of no great depth. This is probably the last time we will see Armie Hammer on screen, because of cannibalism, which makes him sound like his own Agathe Christi story. ***
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