Review: Murder on the Orient Express

(Dir: Kenneth Branagh, 2017)

When re-adapting an iconic mystery / whodunnit such as Murder on the Orient Express, the viewer will most likely fall into one of two camps: a) they know who the culprit is and why they've done what they've done, or at least have enough of a memory of who but without the specifics, or b) they simply have no clue. It feels fortunate to fall into the latter camp despite having seen the 1974 adaptation of this story a very long time ago. Crucially this may very well have a bearing on how one feels about this new 2017 adaptation from Kenneth Branagh, who also stars as the "greatest detective of all time", Hercule Poirot.

As the story is pre-ordained, there are two key components that this version needed to get right, which it does – the casting and the production design. Once we're through with a little scene setting in Jerusalem and Istanbul, we're on the train and that's where we remain. And it's beautifully realised: opulent, of the era and full of lovely little design flourishes. It provides an ideal setting mixing its grandeur with a sense of claustrophobia as the camera tracks through it, alongside it and above the cabins. Equally impressive are the mountainous, snow-covered wilds it wends its way through, with a sense of icy isolation quietly adding to the tension. Amidst this an excellent cast is assembled, full of recognisable faces who all do a fine job, playing up the sense of frustration that comes from being trapped on a train, especially when there's a killer at large. None really stand out more than any other, which is perfectly fine for an ensemble cast, with the exception of our lead – Poirot himself. Branagh is clearly having a lot of fun in this role with his quirks, extravagant moustache and exasperation at how a crime to solve always manages to find him. How true this portrayal is to that of the original written character someone else will have to tell you, but after ten minutes or so you ease into and enjoy his company, especially as you get used to the French accent that's being put on.

The story takes its time to reveal the truth, but there is a lot to unravel. For those not in the know this is (just about) fine, but likely drags for those already with the answer. It is a touch on the slow side, but as ever the lead seems to need to reach a point of despair at never finding the resolution before something finally clicks, which without this could've sped things up a touch. There's nothing revelatory about this new adaptation of Murder on the Orient Express – it's a decent mystery played out with a fine cast in a superb setting. It's not as if it was needed, but there's something enjoyable about revisiting classic stories, especially when this has been left in its original setting and not been transposed to present day. Branagh is both a good director and actor which ensures a level of quality here, providing a film that offers a decent slice of escapism and mystery.

Review: Thor: Ragnarok

(Dir: Taika Waititi, 2017)

Thor has always been the most interesting and the most fun of the characters in the Avengers universe (talking in filmic terms, obviously). The first Thor film which introduced us to this character back in 2011 was the most challenging to get right, successfully balancing how an arrogant, war-loving Norse god became humanised and a real loveable character, whilst gleefully shifting between worlds. Having a great cast of characters/actors certainly helped with striking the perfect balance of drama, action and comedy. Follow up Thor: The Dark World lost something in both story terms and general joie de vivre – it's a solid big budget superhero movie, just not as good as it's predecessor in almost every regard. Thankfully Thor: Ragnarok, the third film focused on this character, is a move back in the right direction.

The general tone is set right from the very first scene – Ragnarok wants to play for laughs whilst giving us more amazing spectacle. As ever Chris Hemsworth completely embodies the Thor character, whether with long or short hair, carrying the ideal balance of heroism, egoism and humour. The script is super sharp, knowing enough and pokes just enough fun at itself. Three positive story decisions are made that really affect things here. After two films where Thor's romance with Natalie Portman's Jane has been an important side plot, this now merits just a single line of dialogue ensuring it does not get in the way of this story where it would've otherwise made things start to feel repetitive. Secondly, apart from a brief trip to Earth early on, the film takes place on Asgard and other fantastical worlds, a strength that none of the other (Earth-bound) Avengers characters can legitimately bring. Finally, and most importantly, Loki is back. Of course he is, because what would a Thor film be without him!? Tom Hiddlestone is as great as ever, forever having fun with this character, but even now still adding new nuances.

Conversely, the one decision that threatened to drag the film down was bringing in one of the weaker Avenger characters (spoiler alert, or not, as it's in their marketing for the film!). Saying this is one of the weaker characters is a controversial statement but that's simply because Hulk is usually just too one note, but somehow he works here and is both entertaining whilst offering a layer of pathos that takes time to reveal itself. Equally, we see Thor dumped on a world that had a lot of potential to be an annoying distraction, but it comes to life thanks to three characters – Tessa Thompson's intriguing is she good/bad Scrapper 142, the Grandmaster who is superbly overplayed by Jeff Goldblum basically being an over-the-top Jeff Goldblum, and Korg, a CGI character comprised of rocks who is hilariously voiced in an unexpected manner by director Taika Waititi. All three are equally engaging and entertaining yet with hidden depths, proving again how good the casting is in this series.

Ragnarok also keeps things interesting with primary villain Hela, who actually offers serious threat and challenge to Thor. Cate Blanchett clearly had a hell of a lot of fun playing her and that comes across, very much to the film's benefit. Plus we finally get a female villain in one of these films! Comparatively, the devious dark elves in The Dark World were far too emotionless, showing that the threat is more intriguing when it comes from closer within. The only complaint might be the fleeting presence of the Warriors Three and a lack of Sif. It feels like Waititi had more creative freedom than Alan Taylor who directed The Dark World (it's a Marvel film so "freedom" is a relative word), as it's just that much more full of personality and charm. 

Thor: Ragnarok is a ridiculous amount of fun, yet again proving that the Marvel films focusing on a single character are just far superior to those where the priority is showing as many heroes on screen as possible. It's a positive step towards lifting the core of this series out of the rut it's become stuck in after the flaccid Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Age of Ultron, and as the audience is yet again re-introduced to Spider-Man. Where Marvel have recently been winning is with the Guardians of the Galaxy films, which Ragnarok feels closer too – it is genuinely hilarious, the action is decent as ever, there's a sense of mythos and actual character development, whilst a good amount of directorial personality bleeds through. Thankfully this is Marvel doing right by their most interesting character.