The locked-room murder mystery takes flight in this adaptation of Agatha Christie's novel Death in the Clouds. A poison dart gun, aristocratic blackmail, and the unexpected appearance (and disappearance) of the murder victim's illegitimate daughter add an exotic flavor to a story that is perfectly complemented by David Suchet as the world-famous Belgian detective Hercule Poirot. His European manners and unconventional investigating methods provide a delightful foil to Chief Inspector Japp's straightforward Scotland Yard manner. Death in the Clouds also features some of the most lavish scenery of any of the Poirot mysteries: aerial shots of English fields and the white cliffs of Dover, as well as elegant art deco interiors and the increasingly implausible hats worn by the female characters. It all culminates in a classic drawing room "whodunit" scene that Suchet handles so masterfully it never descends into cliché. The DVD transfer contains some minor compression artifacts but on the whole has excellent picture and sound quality. Special features include biographies of David Suchet and Agatha Christie, Poirot trivia questions, a filmography of all the Poirot Mystery! episodes, and a link to the official Agatha Christie Web site. --Larisa Lomacky Moore
