Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express
by Carl Schenkel
Our Price: $40.00
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $39.99 (click here)
Category: DVD
See more DVD releases
Buy this DVD movie at online store in your country
Canada
Canada
DVD Cover Information
Actor: Alfred Molina, Amira Casar, Leslie Caron, Meredith Baxter, Nicolas ChagrinDirector: Carl Schenkel
Brand: ALLUMINATION FILM WORKS LLC
Producer: Carol Rodger
Producer: Daniel H. Blatt
Producer: Jeffrey S. Grant
Producer: Liam Foster
Producer: Marion Rosenberg
Writer: Agatha Christie
Writer: Stephen Harrigan
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language)
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD-Video, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 100 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2005-12-20
Audience Rating: Unrated
Studio: Allumination
Movie Reviews of Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express
Movie Review: Why did they bother?
Summary: 1 Stars
The back of the DVD case claims that "Agatha Christie's ultimate whodunit speeds into the twentieth century," and that's a pretty good indication of this production's incompetence. Yes, for the record, they probably meant "twenty-first" century, since Christie's book was written in the twentieth century. Actually, bringing this mystery into the twenty-first century is part of the problem - does anyone really need to see Hercule Poirot performing internet searches? Much of the novel's atmosphere came from the fact that everyone was trapped, snowbound, in the train, and Poirot had no way to solve the murder except to reflect. In this movie, Poirot has access to search engines and online video, which means that he's about as isolated as I am now, writing this review.
Due to time constraints, a lot of characters have been cut from this movie entirely. Generally I don't mind that sort of thing, but MotOE is the one novel that really can't accommodate that kind of editing. Maybe the writers would have had room for more suspects if they hadn't wasted time on a completely pointless love interest for Poirot? And in the "pointless changes" category, I don't really care if the producers decided to change a Russian princess into an Eva Peron-style dictator's wife. Actually, I do care, because it's dumb, but I understand that there aren't a lot of Russian aristocrats in the twenty-first century. Still, having changed the character, the writers then leave in a clue about the South American dictator using the Cyrillic alphabet? They gutted half the book's plot and couldn't take out the one thing that should have been removed?
It's impossible not to watch this movie and not compare it to the 1974 Sidney Lumet version. The 1974 version is better in just about every way, from sets to music to, most especially, actors. Meredith Baxter, you are no Lauren Bacall. To be fair, though, I actually preferred Alfred Molina as Poirot to Albert Finney 1974 version. No, Molina isn't really well cast, but he's inoffensive, and that's more than I can say for Finney's portrayal of Poirot as screaming, rude, and bizarrely hunch-backed. Still, it's pretty sad when the best thing I can say about this movie is that the lead actor is inoffensive. Stick to the 1974 version, at least until David Suchet does this story right.
Summary of Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express
This made-for-television mystery is a contemporary version of the Agatha Christie book that was made into the classic 1974 all-star version starring Albert Finney Lauren Bacall and Ingrid Bergman. This time around Hercule Poirot (Alfred Molina) uses modern technology to help solve the murder of a corrupt and devious Antiques dealer named Ratchett (Peter Strauss). Agatha Christie originally based MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS on the infamous Charles Lindbergh kidnapping case. This adaptation is given a current twist by making the despised Ratchett the abductor and murderer of the little girl of a wealthy software tycoon named Armstrong instead of a famed aviatrix. When Ratchett is found stabbed to death in his compartment and the train comes to a halt as a result of a rock slide that is blocking the tracks Poirot interrogates all of the passengers on the train. As the questioning proceeds Poirot realizes that virtually everyone has some kind of connection to Armstrong. But who is responsible for the grisly murder? Only Poirot can solve the mystery with the help of his "little gray cells of the brain" (and a few technological gadgets like a laptop computer palm pilot and VCR).System Requirements:Running Time 100 Mins.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre:?MYSTERY/SUSPENSE Rating:?NR UPC:?783722735824 Manufacturer No:?ARD27358Mystery & Suspense DVD Video
DVD Video
- Action & Adventure
- African American Cinema
- Animation
- Anime & Manga
- Art House & International
- Classics
- Comedy
- Cult Movies
- Documentary
- Drama
- Educational
- Fitness & Yoga
- Gay & Lesbian
- Horror
- Kids & Family
- Military & War
- Music Video & Concerts
- Musicals & Performing Arts
- Mystery & Suspense
- Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Special Interests
- Sports
- Television
- Westerns
Movies most talked about in Sleuths: Hercule Poirot
Agatha Christie's Poirot - The Classic CollectionRelease date: 2005-07-12; DVD
Best price: $122.49
Price in other shops:
Agatha Christie Collection featuring Peter Ustinov as Hercule Poirot (Dead Man's Folly / Murder in Three Acts / Thirteen at Dinner)Warner Brothers; Release date: 2006-09-12; DVD
Best price: $28.00
Price in other shops:
Agatha Christie Classic Mystery Collection (Murder Is Easy/ Caribbean Mystery/ Murder with Mirrors/ Thirteen for Dinner/ Dead Man's Folly/ Murder in Three Acts/ Sparkling Cyanide/ The Man in the Brown Suit)Warner Brothers; Release date: 2006-09-12; DVD
Best price: $75.37
Price in other shops:
Poirot - Evil Under the SunA&E; Release date: 2002-08-27; DVD
Best price: $6.95
Price in other shops:
Evil Under the SunRelease date: 2001-02-27; DVD
Best price: $28.99
Poirot - Death on the NileA&E; Release date: 2004-10-26; DVD
Best price: $3.00
Price in other shops:
Death on the NileUSTINOV,PETER; Release date: 2001-02-27; DVD
Best price: $29.33
Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient ExpressALLUMINATION FILM WORKS LLC; Release date: 2005-12-20; DVD
Best price: $16.97
Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient ExpressParamount; Release date: 2004-09-07; DVD
Best price: $4.23
Price in other shops:
Cat Among the Pigeons: A Hercule Poirot Mystery (Agatha Christie Collection)by Agatha Christie
Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers; Published: 2007-09-17; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $6.39
Price in other shops:
Similar DVD Movies
Agatha Christie's Marple Series 3Release date: 2007-10-09; DVD
Best price: $34.61
Price in other shops:
Agatha Christie's Endless NightRelease date: 2008-04-08; DVD
Best price: $20.87
![Appointment With Death [Region 2] Image](/images/Appointment-With-Death-Region-2-B000CIWXHI-X.jpg)
Appointment With Death [Region 2]Release date: 2007-01-16; DVD
Best price: $17.49
Price in other shops:
The Pale Horse - Agatha ChristieRelease date: 2006-01-10; DVD
Best price: $9.68
Price in other shops:
Ten Little IndiansWarner Brothers; Release date: 2006-03-14; DVD
Best price: $4.93
Price in other shops:
Evil Under the SunRelease date: 2001-02-27; DVD
Best price: $28.99
Agatha Christie Collection featuring Peter Ustinov as Hercule Poirot (Dead Man's Folly / Murder in Three Acts / Thirteen at Dinner)Warner Brothers; Release date: 2006-09-12; DVD
Best price: $28.00
Price in other shops:
And Then There Were NoneRelease date: 2000-01-25; DVD
Best price: $4.20
Price in other shops:
Death on the NileUSTINOV,PETER; Release date: 2001-02-27; DVD
Best price: $29.33
Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient ExpressParamount; Release date: 2004-09-07; DVD
Best price: $4.23
Price in other shops: