Product Details

• Format: Box set, Color, NTSC
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 3
• Studio: Acorn Media
• VHS Release Date: March 28, 2000
• Run Time: 153 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 1569383839
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #299,346 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

A potpourri of international intrigue awaits Belgian sleuth Hercule Poirot in this trio of hourlong episodes. An alleged Communist conspiracy casts suspicion on the Russian servant of a murdered woman in "How Does Your Garden Grow?" In "The Adventure of the Western Star" a Belgian film star's priceless diamond disappears after she receives threatening letters from a Chinese man. And when Britain's prime minister vanishes on the eve of important international negotiations, Poirot is called in to solve the case of "The Kidnapped Prime Minister." The deceptions in each crime are elaborately plotted, but for Poirot the solution is usually as simple as a children's nursery rhyme.

British actor David Suchet portrays the dapper detective with a quiet dignity and sublime smile that often infuriate his action-hungry clients. But as Agatha Christie readers know quite well, all of the real action takes place in Poirot's "little gray cells." Providing comic counterpoint to Poirot's method is his sidekick, Captain Hastings (Hugh Fraser), whose well-meaning but befuddled attempts to help solve each case make these episodes entertaining even if you've already figured out whodunit. --Larisa Lomacky Moore

DVD Talk

They offer a wonderfully diverse assortment of variations on Christie's always classic mystery methods. Highly recommended.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

40 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars More of the same and just as wonderful, April 17, 2000

By 

F. Behrens "Frank Behrens" (Keene, NH USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Agatha Christie's Poirot, Vol. 3 [VHS] (VHS Tape)

There were many one hour and somewhat fewer two hour episodes of the Hercule Poirot mysteries shown on PBS; and foresighted fans should have taped them then, because when A&E re-runs them, parts of each have to be removed to make room for all the commercials. Very often, the solution at the end flashbacks to scenes that we never saw because of the abridgments and frankly the value of these episodes are reduced considerably.

But now Acorn Media is reissuing them in complete versions, with the two-hour features on DVD and the shorter ones on VHS. Both series are a delight. The acting genius of David Suchet is enhanced by his usual supporting cast (Hugh Fraser as Hastings, Philip Jackson as Japp, and Pauline Moran as Miss Lemon), the wonderful guest casts, the done-to-perfection ambiance of time and place--the late 20s and early 30s--with all those fabulous art-deco buildings they have managed to find and populate.

I have already commented on the first two sets (see those webpages). This third entry contains "The Kidnapped Prime Minister," "The Adventure of the Western Star," and "How Does Your Garden Grow?" The first offers a plot (in both senses of the word) that has been copied in many a mystery since then, and the red herrings are quite good. The second reveals its r.h. half way through, and still holds some surprises. The last is a good old Christie murder story in which all the villainous characters turn out to be...well, see for yourself.

I keep asking myself if the reason that I keep watching these episodes over and over is the superb acting, the marvelous décor, the other way around or both in equal measure. I will guess at the last.(...)

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Some heavy revision to the source, but well done, May 1, 2002

By 

Michele L. Worley (Kingdom of the Mouse, United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Agatha Christie's Poirot, Vol. 3 [VHS] (VHS Tape)

"How Does Your Garden Grow?" is taken from _The Regatta Mystery and Other Stories_, while the others are taken from _Poirot Investigates_.

"The Adventure of the Western Star" - There's a legend about twin precious stones, the eyes of an idol in the Far East, having long been separated - the Star of the East and the Western Star - and of what is fated to happen when they meet again. The Western Star resides in the famous Yardley collection in England, while the Star of the East belongs to an actress about to film on the Yardley estate...

"How Does Your Garden Grow?" The old lady wrote to Poirot on a matter requiring such discretion that she would not commit it to a letter. Alas, she died before her commission ever reached him...

"The Kidnapped Prime Minister" - Viewed solely on its own merits, an interesting case. Viewed as an adaptation, however, it is flagrantly unfaithful to the source; the writers seem to have had a free hand in adjusting matters to make a more dramatic and puzzling story. The action now occurs between wars instead of during WWI, so the motive has altered and the kidnappers by necessity are a somewhat different group than in the original story. Written early in Christie's career, the victims and witnesses were just stage props leading up to one of Poirot's flashy conjuring tricks, with no depth or personality. While this worked in short story form, I can see the inherent difficulty in adapting it for the screen, so while I ordinarily deplore heavy revision, I concede the need for it here. Not to put too fine a point on it, the revision helped this story no end, and it's much more interesting on video than in its original form.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Poirot Does it Again!, June 25, 2001

By 

"face-garak" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Agatha Christie's Poirot, Vol. 3 [VHS] (VHS Tape)

How Does Your Garden Grow? - Good mystery, not too much depth, but at least Miss Lemon gets to leave the office! And it's always fun when Agatha Christe uses nursurey rhymes as plot devices. It creates sort of a surreal atmosphere. - 4 stars

The Adventure of the Western Star - More typical Poirot. It's easy to get used to how wonderful these are and start treating their greatness casually! My favorite part of this one is Hastings and his China-man! - 4 stars

The Kidnapped Prime Minister - Ireland gets some of the lime-light in this one as Russia did in the first. My favorite part of this one is when Miss Lemon is trying to remember the name of the castle! - 4 stars

Box Set Overall score (Not an Average) - 4 stars