Fan Reviews - Octopussy
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"Octopussy" by Luds
Following the financial success of the latest two Bond movies
(Moonraker in 1979 and For Your Eyes Only in 1981), both grossing
around $200 Million worldwide, producers Albert R. Broccoli and
Michael G. Wilson would have to face a formidable opponent to
ensure financial success with the thirteenth movie.
Indeed, producer Kevin McClory, who participated in the creation
of the Thunderball script and movie in 1965 had rights to some
Bond material and intended to produce his own rival Bond franchise.
McClory’s movie, Never Say Never Again which was based on
Thunderball would star Sean Connery as James Bond! Bond versus
Bond, Sean Connery versus Roger Moore.
Broccoli, Wilson, and For Your Eyes Only (FYEO) director John
Glen decided to use two of Ian Fleming’s short stories (Octopussy
and Property of a Lady) as a basis for the story. The script would
contain more humour, an ingredient which was omnipresent in Moonraker
but almost unused in FYEO.
The movie starts off with a rather spectacular opening scene
as James Bond impersonates Luis Toro of the Cuban military to
gain access to hanger, where he is captured. With the help of
a female agent, Bond escapes using an Acrostar jet fighter and
blows up the hanger. Bond later arrives to London where he learns
of 009’s death carrying a Faberge egg. Following a lead
with Art expert Jim Fanning (Douglas Wilmer), Bond notices a man
who has a particular interest in the egg: Kamal Khan (Louis Jourdan).
Bond follows Khan to India where he meets the rather charismatic
ally Vijay (Vijay Amritraj). After escaping from Kamal’s
palace, he follows up on a lead to a palace owned by the mysterious
Octopussy (Maud Adams). 007 later travels to Karl Marxstadt where
Octopussy’s circus has set camp, where he discovers that
a bomb has been hidden in the circus cannon by General Orlov (Steven
Berkoff)’s men with the help from Khan. Bond disarms the
device and later attacks Khan’s palace with the help of
Octopussy’s ladies.
Octopussy’s could be described as a movie which contains
good ingredients and few major flaws. The story itself is rather
interesting, as Bond follows a clue left by a fellow 00-agent
who was murdered. The cast is impressive: Louis Jourdan plays
a cool Kamal Khan, clearly one of the best villains of the 80’s.
Henchman Gobinda (Kabir Bedi) is solid, secondary villain General
Orlov is a plays a believable mad-man, and Bond girls Octopussy
and Magda (Kristina Wayborn) are better than average characters.
While not being one of the best allies in the series (such as
Kerim Bey in From Russia With Love, Marc Ange Draco in On Her
Majesty’s Secret Service, and Colombo in FYEO) Vijay’s
performance is enough for him to be remembered as one of the “good”
allies. Octopussy also treats it’s viewers with an appearance
by General Gogol (Walter Gotell), M’s Russian counterpart.
John Barry’s score isn’t one of the best but is rather
good, as is Rita Coolidge’s theme song “All Time High”.
The only down side to Octopussy would be the rather disappointing
“Q scene” which is too silly, especially when Bond
focuses a camera on a lady’s cleavage which wouldn’t
be described as very “classy”. Many fans didn’t
enjoy seeing James Bond dressed in a clown costume, which to a
certain point can be tolerated as he tried to avoid the attention
of police officers in the circus.
Octopussy easily defeated the competition. Never Say Never Again
(NSNA) was clearly not an “official” Bond movie. Even
if it was based on one of the very best movies in Thunderball,
NSNA was a production nightmare which lacked almost everything
necessary to make a good Bond movie, elements that Octopussy succeeded
in delivering to the fans.
Rating
"Octopussy" by Overkill
“Bond hits an all time high!” bellowed Patrick Allen
in the trailer for the unlucky 13th Bond extravaganza. The conceit
was repeated in Rita Coolidge's forgettable theme tune.
Whilst OP eventually is less than the sum of its parts (and certainly
far from an all time high) it’s an entertaining diversion
and further enhanced Moore’s reputation as Bond.
This latter idea was made all the more important by virtue of
the fact that a certain Mr Connery was reprising the role himself
in a rival Bond picture the very same year…
The history of Never Say Never Again’s genesis is well
documented elsewhere, so I will only add that its production meant
that OP was really going to have to pull out all the stops to
ensure it won the ‘Battle of the Bonds’, which it
did… narrowly.
Early speculation suggested that OP would continue on from FYEO
in presenting Bond as a fallible hero in a gritty cold war thriller.
While the plot synopsis may back this up (Bond attempts to prevent
a mad Soviet general from detonating a nuclear bomb in West Germany)
the execution harks back to the razzle-dazzle, everything-but-the-kitchen-sink
productions of Connery’s heyday.
Bond finds himself in India following the trail of a fake Faberge
egg, which was briefly in the possession of a colleague, 009,
before he was killed by a pair of knife wielding twins.
Once there, Bond quickly jumps into bed with Magda, the villain’s
moll, and then follows this with a quickie with the titular Octopussy
(admittedly, a woman closer his own age for a change). Meanwhile
the egg (remember that) gets passed between Bond, villain, General
before getting confused with the original (not the fake, keep
up) which is eventually smashed. The fake ends up in a treasure
trove of fakery along with the aforementioned bomb on its way
with Octopussy’s circus to West Germany. If this all sounds
a bit convoluted and ridiculous well… that’s because
it is. But whereas confused plots had previously been a hindrance
to Bond movies (TMWTGG being the best example), here it’s
actually a bonus as it means we can concentrate on some good,
if understated, action and some genuine suspense.
Following FYEO’s lead, OP again features a great cast.
Maud Adams returns from TMWGG, this time bagging the female lead
she richly deserved. She has great chemistry with Moore, betraying
their off-screen friendship, but this helps their relationship
on-screen no end producing the only really convincing Moore-Bond
Girl tryst in his tenure.
Louis Jourdan, who almost played Hugo Drax in MR, is on superbly
slimy form as Kamal Khan, an exiled Afghan prince living it up
at OP expense whilst conducting his nefarious schemes behind her
back.
Kristina Waybourn is GORGEOUS, but has little to do as Magda,
expect look good in bed and make Moore look really old.
And Vijay Amritraj is an excellent ally during his brief moments
on screen (hard to believe this was his first acting role…).
But for me, and against the beliefs of many others, the show is
stolen by Steven Berkoff as general Orlov. I’m a huge admirer
of Berkoff’s theatre work, and whilst he admits he only
takes Hollywood roles to pay for his theatre projects, here is
one role where he seems to not only act his socks off, but enjoy
it immensely at the same time. Good work fella!
OP works only as entertainment, and nothing else. It’s
convoluted plot, confused characters (just who does Magda work
for?), and occasional casual racism are easily reduced by beautiful
photography, wonderful sets, relentless action (one critic said
OP had more climaxes than a porn film!) and wonderfully tongue-in-cheek
performance from Moore. Somehow it all hangs together. Watching
it now it reminds you why you loved watching Bond as a kid. Just
glamour, beautiful girls, dastardly villains and outrageous action.
Rating
"Octopussy" by NicNac
Director John Glen, having cut his directing teeth on For Your
Eyes Only, was given the equally difficult task of taking small
amounts of Ian Fleming material, and fashioning a new Bond movie
which would maintain the spirit of the series, but drag it all
up to date for an 80s audience enjoying the new over the top adventures
of Indiana Jones.
Octopussy was set primarily in India, and rather than dwell on
the poverty and hardship of living within the world's largest
democracy, Glen opted to portray the mysticism and romantic feel
of this country. In typical Bond fashion, India became an exotic
backdrop, conveniently presented to heighten Bond's exploits.
And anyone who was critical of this movie making device, probably
never really latched on to what Bond was all about in the first
place.
Roger Moore, older, heavier and less mobile than before, moves
effortlessly through his scenes, comfortable in his role, but
presenting a slightly more cynical Bond. While much is made of
his tough-guy cliff top kick in FYEO, here in Octopussy he bates
his enemy, kills just as ruthlessly as ever before, and gets surprisingly
angry when he confronts Orlov on the train and realises what the
mad General is planning. This is arguably Moore's best performance
as Bond, only spoiled by his ageing appearance.
The support cast including Stephen Berkov, Maud Adams, Kabir
Bedi and Louis Jourdan, is truly excellent. (Berkov's exaggerated
madman is entertaining when it could have so easily been irritating.)
The plot? I have always been slightly thrown by the involvement
of real and fake Faberge, and how it all links in with the smuggling,
and the bomb on the airbase. And every time I see the film and
satisfactorily resolve it all in my own head, I have just as surely
forgotten it all again by the next time I see it. As a result,
I have now conditioned myself to pay no attention to it, but to
simply admire the way Octopussy flows so nicely, integrates the
action sequences in an unforced manner (unlike the last 3 movies),
presents a beautiful romantic side plot between Bond and Octopussy,
and includes Ian Fleming's short stories 'Octopussy' and 'Property
of a Lady' in a respectful, un-showy manner.
The music is beautiful as befitting this movie, the stunt work
and fight sequences of a high order, and of course the pre credit
sequence satisfyingly breath-taking.
Naturally the gripes are to do with Bond's need to reflect current
cinema trends (in this case Indiana Jones), rather than create
them, as was the case in the 60s.
And of course, the jaw dropping moments of Carry-On comedy involving
Tarzan and a tiger. Unnecessary by 1983, but somehow Glen could
not have felt totally sure that his material was good enough to
stand up by itself without throwing in a couple of Moonraker inspired
gags.
The material was good enough, but it's all too late, and the Tarzan
yell has taken its rightful place besides the doo-wop sound effect
in TMWTGG as the car jumps the bridge, and Jaws 'Here's to us'
line in Moonraker as truly badly judged moments of comedy in the
Bond series.
The overall effect however, is satisfying. OP has not aged well,
and critics are sadly quite harsh in their judgment. It certainly
deserves reappraisal. It a fast paced, exciting and romantic film.
And it was of course, Moore's last Bond film. Sorry, I mean it
should have been Moore's last Bond film.
Rating
