I have appreciated numerous cinematic adaptations of Agatha Christie's novels, including Murder on the Orient Express, Death on the Nile and Evil Under the Sun that have been released throughout the seventies and eighties. The movies have convinced me and fans all around the world with charismatic star actresses and actors, characters with charisma, charm and depth as well as unpredictable twists and turns in the addicting plots. None of these things can be found in this dull film.Let's start with the few positive elements. The photography looks gorgeous and was filmed on location in Italy and Israel. The movie makes you want to visit these exotic locations. The only convincing actress is Piper Laurie who plays the cold matriarch brilliantly. Sadly, her character gets killed halfway through the movie. The few investigative flashbacks in the film's second half at least make you guess who might have committed the murder for a few moments but the outcome is surprisingly simple.On the negative side, we have not only surprisingly shallow characters but also unconvincing actresses and actors. Peter Ustinow who once again impersonates Belgian detective Hercule Poirot looks slow, old and dull and he speaks way too much without saying anything significant. His wit, sharpness and good manners of yore seem to be gone. The moment when he finally solves the crime feels artificially stretched. The story isn't particularly exciting either. This isn't only due to the fact that none of the characters evokes any kind of sympathy but also to a surprising lack of twists and turns leading to an unusually predictable outcome. The directing of the movie is also lacking sharpness as it takes almost half of the running time to introduce the numerous characters before anything significant happens. The second half of the movie feels somewhat rushed on the other side and a few questions are left unanswered. The film's conclusion is also rather underwhelming and seems misplaced. The source material is only partially to blame here since the resolution has been shortened considerably for this adaptation.In the end, Appointment with Death is the weakest cinematic adaptation of an Agatha Christie novel and there have been quite a few. The movie hasn't aged well at all. The acting performances are mostly underwhelming, the characters are uninteresting, the movie has strange pace, the plot is a routine job at best and the conclusion is disappointing. I can recommend the other adaptations mentioned in the introduction but would recommend anyone to stay away from Appointment with Death.

This is not one of Agatha Christie's better whodunits. Still, it's set in an interesting locale. And it's got Peter Ustinov. So for those two reasons the film is worth watching, once.Apart from Ustinov, however, casting isn't very good. Secondary actors and their performances are rather bland and uninteresting. Younger females tend to have similar looks. Lauren Bacall looks too old for the role she plays. David Soul has got to be one of the most boring actors I have ever watched. And Piper Laurie, normally a fine actress, overacts here, possibly due to poor direction.But the worst element of the casting is what made the old "Murder, She Wrote" television series so disappointing. In those shows, the murderer was almost always played by the actor who ... To say more would be to give away too much for this film.Cinematography is acceptable, though nothing special. Period-piece costumes and production design are adequate. But the score is dreadful. It lacks style; it's nondescript, something seemingly put together quickly, or cheaply.Set mostly in the Middle East near the Dead Sea in the 1930s, the story unites an archaeological expedition with murder. A wealthy but grumpy old woman takes her brood along and they predictably encounter Poirot. A murder occurs, and Poirot solves it. The formula is the same as for most other Christie whodunits. This one lacks artistic flair and eloquence. Though worth watching once, it's no match for earlier Agatha Christie films.

Peter Ustinov is the best Poirot since Poirot has been on film. Even though Agatha Christie says she pictured Poirot more like Albert Finney in Murder On The Orient Express, Ustinov is much less annoying and a lot more fun. He's sarcastic and funny and pulls the best Belgian accent i've ever seen. These movies have amazing plots(thanks to Dame Christie :)) and the casts are outstanding. For all you Christie readers, these are the best Poirot movies out there. I suggest you see them in order(even though you don't have too, it makes them even better. Albert Finney did it good, David Suchet did disgustingly and Peter Ustinov did it amazing.

Peter Ustinov is an absolute joy to behold in the role of Hercule Poirot! He played Poirot in three theatrical films: Death On the Nile, Evil Under the Sun, and Appointment With Death. He also played Poirot in three TV movies: Thirteen At Dinner, Murder in Three Acts, and Dead Man's Folly. It's always a delight to spend time with Ustinov's Poirot. He's so much fun! The three Poirot TV movies starring Ustinov are now available in a three DVD set. I've had a great time watching these with friends and family and all of Ustinov's Poirot movies are worth watching and re-watching. My deep affection for Ustinov's Poirot grows with each viewing. He's brilliant and each of his Poirot movies are fantastic fun!