I found Octopussy to be the one of the intriguing entries in the Bond franchise for an interesting reason. It features a great number of the problems that I’ve had with certain Roger Moore 007 pictures. It tends to copy and, at least, heavily “borrow from” hot trends of the time. It tends to rely on silliness and overly comedic situations.
However, a strange occurrence took place upon my viewing of it. Despite its flaws, the fact is: Octopussy is just a tremendously fun picture. A lot of it doesn’t necessarily feel like a Bond movie, but I found that not bothering me so much. Why? Mostly because the action sequences, done under the sturdy direction of John Glen, are just terrific. And this Bond entry, probably more than any other, is mostly wall-to-wall action set pieces that are amazingly handled.
The film opens with one of those exciting sequences with Bond flying his jet, literally, out a horse’s ass. A fake horse’s ass, mind you. Like other Moore features, the opening sequence doesn’t have much to do the plot, but it’s good stuff.
For the theme song, we have “All Time High”, performed by Rita Coolidge. It’s a solid enough ballad. The track is probably most well known to you right now as the song Mark Wahlberg sings to Mila Kunis to win back her affection in this past summer’s comedy hit Ted. Strangely enough, the opening title sequence with the song is the only one so far that I couldn’t find on YouTube, but here’s the track:
The plot doesn’t really matter in a Bond movie like this one and granted, it’s a silly one. Bond’s colleague 009 is killed (wearing a clown disguise) while carrying an expensive (or possibly fake) Faberge egg. Told ya. 007 is put on the case and this leads him to a variety of villains. The main one is Kamal Khan, a Middle Eastern prince. A lot of the plot, at least for a while, deals with this Faberge artifact and I was left wondering: really? That’s what this movie is about? Alas, Khan is also in bed with the Soviets, who have a more dastardly plan that involves setting off a nuclear bomb. Much more Bond like!
Our main Bond girl is the title character, Octopussy, played Maud Adams. Interestingly, Adams also appeared in The Man With the Golden Gun as a completely different character. Her part here is of a jewel smuggler who happens to live at a palace only populated with beautiful women who are trained to be in a circus she runs as a side business.
I know. I know. While you’re reading this, you’re probably thinking this sounds like the stupidest James Bond film ever. And if you concentrate only on the plot – well, there’s a lot left to be desired.
However, the story line in many a 007 flick is not all that important. This is a prime example. Here’s what I found important:
1) There is a totally awesome sequence where Khan and his army of henchmen hunt 007 down in the jungle. In this sequence, Bond not only has to deal with these ruthless human baddies, but also tigers, snakes, elephants, leeches, spiders, and alligators.
2) There is the best train action sequence since From Russia with Love.
3) The main female character is both a fairly interesting character and has great chemistry with Roger Moore. She’s not portrayed as an airhead and seems smarter than most of the other characters. These are compliments I cannot pay to many other Bond women, especially those in the Moore films. And Maud Adams’ performance is solid.
4) While not one of the great 007 villains, Louis Jourdan’s performance as Khan is a good one. Here’s a good scene between him and Bond playing backgammon and wagering on that all-important Faberge egg.
5) The way the action sequences are shot and choreographed represent some of the best work of the series.
Is this film overly silly? Oh yes. We get treated to the sight of 007 in a gorilla suit and made up as a clown. We get more over-the-top villains than we can count, including Steven Berkoff (who played the main baddie in Beverly Hills Cop) hamming it up as Soviet general.
Yes it’s ridiculous, but did it bother me as much as it did in other 007 films like Diamonds Are Forever, The Man with the Golden Gun, or Moonraker? No. Octopussy may not always feel like a Bond film. In fact, the first half especially is closer in tone to a film that came out two years prior in 1981: Steven Spielberg’s Raiders of the Lost Ark.
The fact that Octopussy is set in India that helps contribute to this. It’s not just that, however. The tone of the picture feels more like a Saturday afternoon serial. I suspect the producers were going for that Indiana Jones vibe here after seeing its massive success, just as they did with Moonraker, which was released two years after Star Wars. Call this Indiana James or Raiders of the Lost Faberge Egg.
Call it whatever you want, but I was surprised by how much I liked it, especially considering its mediocre reputation. Like most of the other 007 flicks, it had been years and years since I’d seen Octopussy. I remember loving it as a kid. There are many who disagree in principle with a Bond movie being this over-the-top and I understand. I prefer a darker Bond, too. To me, this is the one “silly” Bond movie though that seems to get it right, at least on its own terms. The reason is simple: the action is so well-handled and exciting that you don’t really give a damn how silly it is.
Octopussy would post solid box office numbers, earning slightly under $200 million worldwide, close to the numbers of its predecessor For Your Eyes Only. Domestically, it would outshine that movie with a U.S. gross of $67 million, compared to $54 million for Eyes Only.
If you choose to accept Octopussy for what it is and just go along for the ride, it is a worthwhile entry in the 007 franchise.
As a side note, the year 1983 is a significant one in 007’s history in that there were two competing Bond films. Octopussy would be the official picture that came from the Bond camp, but Sean Connery would reprise his portrayal of 007 in Never Say Never Again. That film was produced by a different company after a protracted legal battle over rights to the story allowed it. The Connery adventure would do well at the box office, but would not match the numbers of Octopussy, much to the delight of the Bond team. Never Say Never Again is not considered part of the official 007 cannon and therefore will not be included in “The 007 Files”. In fact, it’s even hard to get a copy of the DVD at anything approaching a worthwhile price. If and when I do purchase it, expect a separate blog entry in the future.
Here are the facts:
Film: Octopussy
U.S. Release Date: June 10, 1983
Director: John Glen
Screenplay: George MacDonald Fraser, Michael G. Wilson, and Richard Maibaum
Bond: Roger Moore
Main Bond Villain: Kamal Khan (Louis Jourdan)
Main Bond Girl: Octopussy (Maud Adams)
Theme Song: “All Time High” – performed by Rita Coolidge
Budget: $27.5 million
Worldwide Box Office: $187.5 million
My James Bond blog series will return in “The 007 Files: A View to a Kill”
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