Murder On The Orient Express (2017), B-.  Kenneth Branagh directs and stars in this reboot of the Agatha Christie classic showcasing the whip-smart and renowned Detective Hercule Poirot.  Poirot is reluctantly pulled into a murder investigation aboard a train ferrying 12 eclectic and somewhat eccentric personalities of which any one could be the culprit.  The film feels good, and it looks good especially the cinematography with the train in motion.  The performances are solid, and I admit I had no idea that was Daisy Ridley of Star Wars fame until the credits rolled, even though I knew she was cast in the film.  Branagh was capable as Poirot but short of David Souchet from the original.  Derek Jacobi made me smile again with his accent ability – that man deserves a lifetime Oscar before he sunsets and I love that he and Branagh circled back to work together after 26 years! (1991’s Dead Again – one of my top 10 American films).  Murder/Orient starts full of mystery and wonder but culminates in a slightly lesser version of the original.  You’ll love the performances but none are Oscar worthy.  Weekend box office prediction: $21 million.