I am not well versed in Agatha Christie's work, having read only a few of her novels more than 40 years ago. I am not an avid fan of mysteries in general, as books or movies go, although I dabble on occasion.

Death on the Nile, by the way, was first published by Christie in 1937. It was adapted for television in 1950 and again in 2004. It was previously released as a movie in 1978, starring Peter Ustinov as the detective Hercule Poirot. I have never read the book, nor have I watched any previous adaptations.

So, I watched the recent adaptation of Death on the Nile without expectations. I did not know the plot in advance, consequently I did not know who the inevitable murder victim (or victims) would be, nor did I have advance knowledge of the culprit. This allowed me to make my own educated guesses, as the story advanced -- which is a lot more fun, for me, than knowing ahead of time how things will end. And, indeed, I had plenty of time to make predictions, since the first murder doesn't take place until the movie is about halfway done.

And, while I'm aware that popular opinion is swayed heavily against this latest version -- starring and directed by Kenneth Branagh -- I will admit, without shame, that I enjoyed it.

The settings, scenery and costumes were lush and gorgeous, befitting a cruise of rich newlyweds and their guests at the time. And the cast is excellent, featuring Branagh as Poirot, Gal Gadot as wealthy socialite Linnet Ridgeway, Armie Hammer as her new husband Simon Doyle and Emma Mackey as Doyle's jilted fiancee Jacqueline de Bellefort.

Others in the cast (and honeymoon guest list) are Rose Leslie as Linnet's personal maid Louise Bourget, Jennifer Saunders as Linnet's godmother Marie Van Schuyler, Dawn French as Marie's companion Mrs. Bowers, Russell Brand as Linnet's former beau Dr. Linus Windlesham, Ali Fazal as Andrew Katchadourian (Linnet's cousin and manager of her legal affairs), Sophie Okonedo as blues singer Salome Otterbourne, Letitia Wright as Salome's niece and manager Rosalie Otterbourne (who is a former classmate of Linnet's), Tom Bateman as Poirot's friend Bouc and Annette Bening as painter Euphemia Bouc (Bouc's mother).

It's a lot of people to keep track of and, let's be honest, you don't come to know most of them very well at all during the movie. The movie drags a bit for the first hour -- as situations are explained, personal connections are established, engagements are announced and broken, and the honeymoon guests are assembled -- but I honestly didn't find it boring. Movies today tend to frown on character development without action, but I enjoyed the journey.

Of course, we knew murder was inevitable. And then another. And another.

Poirot, with all his foibles and peculiarities, is stumped. He interviews the suspects individually, upsetting many of them in the process, as he tries to sort out the circumstances that led to each untimely death. It seems everyone in the party had reason to want Linnet dead or could benefit in some way from her early demise.

And, at least for someone like me who wasn't familiar with the plot, Branagh's Death on the Nile kept me guessing. The film itself has an old-fashioned feel, which I found charming, while the glossy set design, effects and costuming made the movie a visual treat for modern audiences who don't mind things unfolding at a slower pace..

I have come to know, since watching the film, that Branagh made some significant changes to the story and characters for the film. Christie purists, beware! For me, Death on the Nile succeeded on its own merits, and I'm not in a hurry to compare it to other filmed or written versions.

This one, though, is pretty good.