“Uncharted” charted at No. 1 at the weekend theatrical box office when it opened, as did “Death on the Nile,” when it opened.

Each film has its merits for specific audiences.

“Death on the Nile” has a solid cast in a movie based on the Agatha Christie 1937 novel.

The movie is directed by Kenneth Branagh, who directed “Murder on the Orient Express” (2017) based on the 1933 Agatha Christie novel.

It’s the third screen adaptation of the Agatha Christie novel. There was a 1978 film and an episode in 2004 of the television series, “Agatha Christie’s Poirot.”

An Agatha Christie plot is nothing if not complicated and that is the case for “Death on the Nile,” which calls for the expertise of Hercule Poirot (again played by Branagh, this time with that double-mustache, the reason for which is explained in the film’s prologue), the fictional world-renowned private detective.

The premise has to do with a honeymoon excursion on a luxurious steamship, the Karnak, on the Nile River. The honeymooners are Linnet Ridgeway-Doyle (Gal Gadot), a wealthy socialite, recently married to Simon Doyle (Armie Hammer).

Along for the ride are Bouc (Tom Bateman), Poirot’s friend and son of Euphemia (Annette Bening); Linus Windlesham (Russell Brand), a doctor; Andrew Katchadourian (Ali Fazal), an attorney; Louise Bourget (Rose Leslie), Linnet’s lady’s maid; Marie Van Schuyler (Jennifer Saunders), Linnet’s godmother; Mrs. Bowers (Dawn French), Marie Van Schuyler’s nurse; Salome Otterbourne (Sophie Okonedo), a cabaret singer; Rosalie Otterbourne (Letitia Wright), Salome’s niece, and Jacqueline de Bellefort (Emma Mackey), who was engaged to Doyle.

When everyone’s a suspect, it’s good to have, in true Agatha Christie fashion, a lot of suspects.

The backdrops of the Aswan, Luxor and Cairo, Abu Simbel temples, Karnak Temple Complex, Valley of the Kings, and Pyramids of Giza give the film an enthralling travelogue sensibility.

As director, Branagh keeps the movie-goer guessing as to “whodunnit.” He also skillfully juggles the number of characters, their motivations and their interrogations in his role as Poirot.

The screenplay is by Michael Green (Oscar nomination, adapted screenplay, “Logan,” 2017; screenwriter, “Jungle Cruise,” 2021; “Murder on the Orient Express,” 2017; “Blade Runner 2049,” 2017).

Branagh has fun working with director of photography Haris Zambarloukos in camera movement, camera angles and lighting to keep the film interesting.

The acting is exaggerated, including Branagh as Poirot. Gal Gadot makes the most memorable impression.

“Death on the Nile” will be of chief interest to Agatha Christie fans and fans of Kenneth Branagh and the murder-mystery movie genre.

“Death on the Nile,”

MPAA rated PG-13 (Parents Strongly Cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.) for violence, some bloody images and sexual material; Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery; Run time: 2 hours, 7 minutes. Distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.

Credit Readers Anonymous:

“Death on the Nile” was filmed in Aswan, Luxor, Cairo, Egypt, and Morocco, and Longcross Studios, Surrey, England.

“Uncharted”

is a movie in search of a reason to be more compelling. As an action-adventure film, it falls flat, despite two dynamic actors in lead roles, and two big action set pieces.

Nathan Drake (Tom Holland) is a young fortune hunter, who teams with Victor Sullivan (Mark Wahlberg) to locate $5 billion in lost gold treasure attributed to the Magellan expedition. Helping them is Chloe Frazer (Sophia Ali), Nathan’s girlfriend.

Opposing them in the race for the gold is another treasure hunter, Santiago Moncada (Antonio Banderas), assisted by Jo Braddock (Tati Gabrielle), a mercenary.

Director Ruben Fleischer works from a screenplay by Rafe Lee Judkins, Art Marcum and Matt Holloway. The screenplay is not uncharted. It’s mostly charted by the little book of action-movie cliches. I was surprised there wasn’t a chase that overturned a fruit cart in an outdoor food marketplace. “Uncharted” is based on the video game series of the same title.

The dialogue between Holland and Wahlberg is nearly quipless and rather witless. The chemistry between the two, evident in a concluding scene, is mostly lacking throughout the movie.

Two huge action scenes nearly redeem the movie. A fight scene takes place aboard a cargo plane carrier and involves cargo crates and a vintage red Mercedes gull-wing door sports car. The other scene involves the air-lifting of two ancient galleons with fighting on board the ships.

“Uncharted” will be of chief interest for fans of Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg, action films and video games.

“Uncharted,”

MPAA rated PG-13 (Parents Strongly Cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.) for violence-action and language; Genre: Action, Adventure; Run time: 1 hour, 56 minutes. Distributed by Universal Pictures.

Credit Readers Anonymous:

“Uncharted” was filed in Spain and Studio Babelsberg, Potsdam, Germany. Two post-credit scenes foreshadow a sequel.

Theatrical Movie Box Office,

Feb. 25-27: The top five places on the chart remained charted.

”Uncharted” explored No. 1 for two weeks in a row, with $23.2 million in 4,275 theaters, $83.3 million, two weeks.

“Dog” stayed at No. 2 for two weeks in a row, $10.1 million, in 3,827 theaters, $30.8 million, two weeks.

“Spider-Man: No Way Home” hung on at No. 3 with $5.7 million, in 3,002 theaters, $779.8 million, 11 weeks.

“Death on the Nile” cruised at No. 4 with $4.5 million in 3,420 theaters, $32.7 million, three weeks.

“Jackass Forever” kicked in again at No. 5 with $3.1 million in 2,913 theaters, $52 million, four weeks.

6. “Sing 2” moved up one place, $2.1 million in 2,382 theaters, $151.2 million, 10 weeks. 7. “Marry Me” dropped one place, $1.8 million in 3,110 theaters, $20.2 million, three weeks. 8. “Studio 666,” opening, $1.5 million in 2,306. 9. “Cyrano,” opening, $1.4 million in 797 theaters. 10. “Scream” dropped two places, $1.3 million in 1,566 theaters, $79 million, seven weeks.

Box office information from Box Office Mojo as of Feb. 27 is subject to change.

Unreel,

March 4

“The Batman,”

PG-13: Matt Reeves directs Zoë Kravitz, Robert Pattinson, Barry Keoghan and Paul Dano in the Action Crime Drama. That’s “the” Batman, to you. Batman gets a reboot with more big-city intrigue.

“Mrs Harris Goes to Paris,”

PG: Anthony Fabian directs Rose Williams, Jason Isaacs, Lucas Bravo and Lesley Manville in the Drama. A widowed cleaning lady in 1950s London wants her own couture Dior dress.

Movie opening dates information from Internet Movie Database as of Feb. 27 is subject to change.

“Death on the Nile”: Three Popcorn Boxes out of Five Popcorn Boxes

“Uncharted”: Two Popcorn Boxes out of Five Popcorn Boxes