Review of Evil Under the Sun

'Evil Under The Sun (1982)' is a bit 'made-for-TV', slightly too basic in its play-like presentation and also presents pretty much each movement of its plot as a series of explanations by the portly protagonist, and yet it has a certain charm to it, a sense that the source story, however streamlined and changed it is here, is supposed to be told in a way similar to this, as opposed to the recent forced 'filmic' adaptation that was much more 'Sherlock Holmes' than 'Poirot'. Ustinov is good as the beguiling Belgian, though his somewhat dodgy accent takes a little getting used to, and the kind of stuck-up, no-good-in-a-fight feel he has is perfect for this quick-talking character, as is the rest of the eclectic cast who turn in grandiose and stage-suited performances of the innuendo-laden adaptation of Agatha Christie's source novel. It's entertaining after its slow start, even being fairly enjoyable during most of the equally slow build-up to the inevitable murder, and is at its best when the audience is trying to figure out exactly who is going to bite the dust and how they're going to do it. 6/10