Back in 1974, an adaptation of Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express became a hit. It took four years, but 1978’s Death on the Nile brought a follow-up with another Christie mystery.

As famed detective Hercule Poirot (Peter Ustinov) vacations in Egypt, he meets British heiress Linnet Ridgeway (Lois Chiles). There on her honeymoon, Linnet asks Poirot to help her deal with Jacqueline De Bellefort (Mia Farrow), a former friend turned stalker.

Linnet’s new husband Simon Doyle (Simon MacCorkindale) used to be engaged to Jacqueline. She believes Linnet stole Simon from her and she craves revenge.

Poirot declines to deal with this spat, and all four end up on the same cruise along the Nile River. When a murder occurs, Poirot must get to the bottom of it, a task complicated by the fact Jacqueline doesn’t stand as the only passenger with reasons to hate Linnet.

Though released first, this 1978 Nile becomes my third experience with an adaptation of the Christie story. I saw a British TV version from 2004 in the fall of 2020, and I viewed a 2022 theatrical take in spring of that year.

I liked both, though I preferred the 2004 edition. Nonetheless, both worked and made me curious to see the 1978 flick, especially since it followed the formula that made the 1974 Orient Express a success.

That meant a star-studded cast and a lightly comedic tone. Not that the 1974 Orient Express or the 1978 Nile turned into laughfests, but they came with a lively feel that worked for Christie.

The actors add spice to the proceedings, though many can feel like they exist in different cinematic universes. We get a mix of veterans and younger folks, and therein lie the contrasts.

In particular, the older actors seem to get that Nile should offer a romp. This means performances that lean campy, with some broader than others.

In particular, Angela Lansbury gobbles scenery as romance novelist Salome Otterbourne. Others like Bette Davis, Maggie Smith and Jack Warden “go big” as well, and they add to the film’s spirit.

Though typically a mannered performer, Ustinov actually holds back somewhat here. Not that he offers a natural turn, but he seems more restrained than usual.

This works, as Ustinov helps ground the film in a midst of the cartoony characters. Ustinov becomes a fine fit for the character and the best of the three Nile Poirots I’ve seen.

Unfortunately, the younger actors fare less well. Actually, folks like Farrow, MacCorkindale and others do fine, but Chiles becomes a weak link.

Of course, Chiles mars the film’s second half less significantly, but that’s just because Linnet dies around the midway point. When on screen, Chiles veers from wooden to whiny and doesn’t fill the role well.

At 141 minutes, the 1978 Nile becomes the longest of the three adaptations and it can feel slower than the others. Although I don’t think this becomes a major issue, I do think the movie might work better if it lost a good 20 minutes.

Still, the story remains involving and I enjoyed my chance to spend some time with a mix of noted actors. The 1978 Nile becomes the weakest of the three I’ve seen but it remains entertaining nonetheless.

Death on the Nile appears in an aspect ratio of 1.85:1 on this Blu-ray Disc. Though not flawless, this turned into a positive presentation.

Sharpness usually worked well. A few slightly soft wide shots materialized, but the majority of the flick appeared accurate and concise.

No issues with jagged edges or moiré effects occurred, and I saw no edge haloes. Light grain implied no egregious use of noise reduction, and print flaws remained minor, as I noticed a couple small specks and nothing more.

Colors tended toward light blues, greens or ambers and they came across well. The hues seemed natural and well-represented.

Blacks came across as deep and dark, while shadows usually seemed smooth. The image only barely fell below “A-“ level, as it usually looked great.

In addition, the DTS-HD MA monaural mix of Nile felt perfectly adequate for its era. Dialogue sounded reasonably natural. Speech could come across as a little reedy, but the lines remained intelligible and without edginess or other issues.

Music and effects came across as acceptably clear. They lacked much range but they also didn’t suffer from distortion or other issues. Ultimately, this became a good soundtrack for late 1970s character mystery.

As we head to extras, we launch with an audio commentary from film historians Howard S. Berger, Steve Mitchell and Nathaniel Thompson. All three sit together for a running, screen-specific discussion of story and characters, genre domains, cast and crew, some production elements and their view of the movie.

Don’t expect a typical film historian track here, as a lot of the chat sticks with notes about those involved with the production as well as the way the commentators view the movie. While I admit I’d like to know more about the actual Nile shoot but this nonetheless becomes a pretty enjoyable piece.

Created for the movie’s 1978 release, Making Death on the Nile spans 23 minutes, 32 seconds. It brings notes from producers John Brabourne and Richard Goodwin, production designer Peter Murton, and actors Peter Ustinov, David Niven, Jon Finch, and George Kennedy.

The program looks at the adaptation of the source, story/characters, cast and performances, and sets. It comes with a few decent details but too many movie clips bog down the content.

Two actors appear in separate featurettes. We get an Interiew with Peter Ustinov (8:46) and an Interview with Jane Birkin (4:28).

Both offer archival pieces circa 1978 in which the performers discuss their roles and performances as well as their co-stars. Neither comes with much substance but they have some charm, especially since Ustinov conducts his chat entirely in Spanish.

Eight trailers complete the disc. We find two promos for Nile as well as ads for Evil Under the Sun, Witness for the Prosecution, Endless Night, The Mirror Crack’d, Ordeal By Innocence and Ten Little Indians.

Thanks to a star-studded cast and a clever story, the 1978 Death on the Nile becomes a more than watchable affair. The movie’s pacing can drag but we still find a largely enjoyable mystery. The Blu-ray comes with very good picture, acceptable audio and a mix of supplements. Though this doesn’t become the best adaptation of the Agatha Christie novel, it still satisfies.