rate DEATH ON THE NILE (2022)

DEATH ON THE NILE reduces the humor and dramatic energy that made MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS entertaining. When comparing both installments, the new characters are less interesting and the conflicts they go through are less deep. The first scene of this Kenneth Branagh film is in black and white and features orange on-screen text. It made me think that there had been a mix up and I was watching BELFAST again. We then see an infantry company during World War I. The camera approaches one of the soldiers and he turns around to reveal his big mustache. You would assume that the movie is trying to communicate that this is the protagonist played a younger actor (it is a flashback after all)... but no, Hercule Poirot appears several seconds later and it's still Branagh. The scene ends by ripping off a scene from THE DARK KNIGHT while also introducing Katherine, Poirot's great love. However, enough information about their relationship is provided in later scenes, which is why the Belgian inspector inside me is wondering: What was the point of this entire flashback? It's not like it sets up the rest of the story. If anything, the tone is quite different.

4/10