Have you ever thought about what justice means? Prior to this movie, the thought had never crossed my mind and why would it have? After watching “Murder on the Orient Express” I found myself thinking about that very question. A humorous, thought-provoking mystery: what is not to like?

The movie was based off of Agatha Christie’s novel, which I have not read. I cannot then say how accurately the film follows the story and resolution. However, in the film the story follows the “greatest detective in the world” Hercule Poirot (played by Kenneth Branagh) as he tries to solve a murder case on a train. Also making their appearances are Daisy Ridley (Star Wars) and Johnny Depp (Pirates of the Caribbean), to name a few familiar faces.

I must say now that I loved this movie. The trailer piqued my interest and ramped up my excitement for the film since I first laid eyes upon it. The movie was absolutely not a disappointment and exceeded my expectations with its superb actors and thrilling mystery. The ending came as a complete surprise for me, there was no way I could have predicted it. That is an aspect that I appreciate.

I have to mention the music. For myself, the music that accompanies a game or a movie is a huge part of how much I enjoy the experience. As might be expected, I loved the soundtrack that played during this film. It was haunting at times and cheerful at others, all in all playing an instrumental role in building up the atmosphere.

Another aspect that must be mentioned is the scenery. Watching the movie made me want to travel. There are some breathtaking shots of some cities in the film, Istanbul for example. The train speeding on its tracks over a snow-blanketed mountain in the dreary darkness of the night…sadly words cannot describe well enough the scene that still lingers in my mind. Perhaps I am over-dramatizing this a little much, it just goes to show how much I enjoyed this movie.

The main character, Hercule Poirot, was a pleasure to watch. He was strange, introverted and sassy. I particularly appreciated that he laughed aloud to himself while reading his book (something that I tend to do myself). It was also refreshing to see a character that preferred solitude to company. He earned quite a few laughs from me; his actor portrayed him brilliantly.

Alright, the only thing that sort of bothered me was the end. While it was unpredictable and utterly surprised me, it was cleaned up a little too neatly and seemed a bit convenient. Of course, it makes sense in the context of the movie and it does not deduct from my overall enjoyment of the film…I understand the necessity and the way it ended was the catalyst for spurring those philosophical thoughts mentioned earlier.

I do enjoy my mysteries. I like detective and crime shows quite a bit and finally seeing a good movie of that genre was fantastic. I would gladly recommend this movie to anyone and I would also glady watch this again. Go on then, I dare you. See if you can solve the mystery yourself.