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Octopussy (1983) More at IMDbPro »

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172 comments in total

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28 out of 35 people found the following comment useful :-
Bond had to catch that train..., 12 July 2005

Author: ironside (robertfrangie@hotmail.com) from Mexico

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

'Octopussy' begins at an East German circus, where 'a man in a clown suit' is chased through a dark wood by two circus knife-throwing experts… The clown eventually gets a dagger in his back, but survives long enough to drop a fake Fabergé Easter Egg at the feet of the British ambassador…

The clown is actually 009 in disguise, who is investigating a smuggling ring that uses carnivals and circuses for cover… But the plot is much more grave than that…

There is a rebellious Russian general called Orlov, assuming a fortuitous atomic explosion on an American Air Force Base in West Germany…

Orlov's connection is an exiled Afghan prince (Kamal Khan), who is willing to help the Soviet general smuggle his deadly A-bomb into West Germany in exchange for Kremlin most remarkable jewels…

James Bond enters the case, in London, to investigate the death of 009… He attends a sale at Sotheby's where a priceless super green egg (used by Czar Nicholas in 1897) is auctioned… There he first sees Kamal Khan and his lady friend, Magda…

Aware that Khan will get the Imperial Egg to fulfill some unknown but obviously vital purpose, 007 actually bids against the exiled Afghan prince, raising its market value over the top… Although Khan eventually outbids him, Bond is clever enough to switch the real Fabergé egg with a perfect replica…

Convinced that Khan is somehow mixed up in 009's murder, Bond is soon sent to India to find out why 009 was murdered…

Bond remains the sophisticated man with a price on his head… He pays a surprise visit to an island exclusively populated by attractive women… He seems to like 'eggs, preferably Fabergé and dice, preferable loaded.' He maneuvers the world's smallest jet, and swings through the high trees to someone else's tunes… He orders a ferocious beast to sit, and creates a spontaneous mass action by flinging 'hard currency' in the air... In a crucial moment, he appears to have a 'very good memory for faces and figures, survives a series of throwing knives, and gets caught on a train tracks… He follows a plane on horseback for a terrific mid-air fight sequence…

Maud Adams' Octopussy serves little purpose in the story taking a backseat to Kamal Khan's disloyalty… Nevertheless she is a statuesque resourceful woman living with her stupendous sexy acrobats on a floating palace, developing a talent for illegal activities…

Christina Wayborn's Magda actually steals the show from Maud Adams… Magda is by far the prettiest of Kamal's friends exposing a 'little Octopussy' tattoo on her lower back…Her dramatic exit from 007's bedroom certainly must rank up as one of the best memorable escape in any Bond movie…

Louis Jourdan brings poetic elegance to a treacherous character… He is quite sure that Bond is 'indeed, a very rare breed soon to be made extinct.'

Kabir Bedi plays the villain Gobinda, with strong hands that can pulverize so easily a pair of dice…

Steven Berkoff plays Orlov, the wonderful Russian villain who surely is leaving the way clear for a full-scale Russian invasion of Europe…

With John Barry beautiful score; the snake charmer playing the 'James Bond' theme; the disturbed fakir resigning his bed of nails; Bond climbing at a steep angle of an engaging décolletage; John Glen's 'Octopussy' is exotic, lush, very enjoyable and highly entertaining…

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21 out of 30 people found the following comment useful :-
Anther great one, 4 October 2005
Author: michelerealini from Switzerland

"Octopussy" is really peculiar in the series. Because, for example, we see Bond dressed like a clown or keeping a plaster; there's an exotic and romantic atmosphere -which reminds us of some adventure books (like Emilio Salgari's "Sandokan" and "The count of Monte-Cristo"...) Here 007 has to travel between India and Germany for stopping a catastrophic plan of Soviet General Orlov and Afghan prince Khamal Khan.

With a little more parody than in the previous film "For your eyes only", "Octopussy" continues in the line of more down to earth Bond adventures.

Roger Moore's performance is good as usual, the cast is also remarkable -Louis Jourdan is one of the French actors who built a good Hollywood career, starring in films like Hitchcock's "The Paradine case" and Vincente Minnelli's "Gigi". He's Kamal Khan, a very charming and sophisticated villain -he's the criminal equivalent of Bond. Jourdan brings a special touch of glamour -you see he's an actor of the golden years of Hollywood!

Maud Adams is the only actress who played twice a Bond girl -she was Andrea in "The man with the golden gun".

Steven Berkoff is an established English actor, mainly for theater, but he played also in Stanley Kubrick's "Barry Lyndon".

Kabir Bedi is an Indian actor very popular in the second half of the Seventies -he was "Sandokan" in a famous TV film made by RAI, Italian public TV.

John Glen directs the film with a lot of fun and assures a great show. The film doesn't disappoint.

"Octopussy" is the last great Roger Moore movie as Bond, and maybe the last BIG Bond of the series as well -because it's original, lavish, acrobatic, romantic and pompous.

8,5/10

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25 out of 40 people found the following comment useful :-
Bond As Indiana Jones, 23 March 2006

Author: ccthemovieman-1 from Lockport, NY, United States

Was there ever a James Bond like this one? Oh, there were better Bond stories, no doubt, but I do doubt there were any more entertaining than this one.

In "Octopussy," we get more of an Indiana Jones-type adventure story than the usual spy farce. In fact, there is so much adventure in here it gets tiring, to be frank. It's almost too much....but it is a lot of fun along the way.

The best part of the film isn't the wild adventure, either: it's the humor. This has more laughs in it - stupid and clever - than any Bond film I can recall.

Roger Moore, Maud Adams, Louis Jordan, Kristina Wayborn, Steven Berkoff and Kabir Bedi must have had a lot of fun - and been worn out - making this film. By the way, itt's always interesting to see the intriguing Adams.

This and "Goldfinger" are my two favorites of the Bond series, and I'm glad to see so many others here share that opinion.

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21 out of 35 people found the following comment useful :-
Roger Moore's Best Bond Film, 5 September 1999
Author: Eric-62-2 from Morristown, NJ

This is by far the best of the Roger Moore Bond films in my opinion. I may be prejudiced since "Octopussy" was the first Bond film I saw theatrically, but I absolutely loved it back then and it still holds up today. The plot is a fine blend of the serious stories of the early Connery films and the humorous touches of the Moore era. Add to that a smooth villain in Louis Jourdan, delicious over-the-top counterpoint from Steven Berkoff, a formidable henchman in Kabir Bedi, two exotic Bond girls in Maud Adams and Kristina Wayborn, beautiful location photography in the rich "travelogue" style (did India ever look as good as it does here?) and a great John Barry score and you can't go wrong with it at all. The tense buildup in the bomb countdown which has Bond donning clown makeup at one point is probably one of the most exciting in any Bond film.

Roger Moore hit his peak playing Bond in this film and the proof is how he seems so much better than Sean Connery does in the inferior "Never Say Never Again" that came out that same year. It's a pity that Moore didn't go out with this one, since "A View To A Kill" was so poor by comparison.

By all means rent this, watch it and have fun!

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11 out of 16 people found the following comment useful :-
Octopussy (1983), 8 November 2005

Author: Boromir007 from Belgium

Out of all the Bondfilms with Roger Moore as 007, Octopussy is the one with the most Cold War aspects, and yes, what a great atmosphere I experienced when I saw the scenes in East-Germany, truly magnificent. If you are talking about those Cold War aspects you should not forget to mention Steven Berkoff his performance of an insane Soviet general with a hunger for power. Wonderful. The other villains are memorable as well: Louis Jourdan with style and sophistication; Kabir Bedi as one of those invincible henchmen and David Meyer & Tony Meyer are deadly twin brothers with an advanced skill in the trowing of daggers. As for the girls this one features two Swedish ladies: Maud Adams and Kristina Wayborn. Both of them are very strong and they have both some lovely scenes. Vijay Amritraj is Bond his ally in India: worth watching. This is also the first of four films to feature Robert Brown as Bond his superior M. John Barry is once again present with a truly wonderful soundtrack. The film is really amusing and has a great atmosphere. Despite the claim of many critics, Roger Moore is still in good shape. The only scene that disappointed me was the one where 007 is disguised in a circus clown, that will be painful for Bondfans, but the rest of the film is great. Do not skip this one.

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12 out of 18 people found the following comment useful :-
Auto-rickshaw chases and Fabergé eggs, 22 March 2008
Author: AdnanZ

I see that I wrote a fairly enthusiastic comment on this film earlier this year. "Octopussy" is actually one of three Bond films I have only seen three times, and I'm not quite sure why I liked this one on my previous two viewings, as I found it rather intolerable in places this time around, in spite of the presence of some fun action scenes. I never thought I'd say it, but "Never Say Never Again" might just be the better film from 1983 to feature James Bond.

"Octopussy" sees Bond head to India, something which seemed inevitable but took the series a long time to get to. The setting works in favor of the film, but there are just so, so many ill-advised moments here. Bond zooming in on a woman's breasts seems so out of character for him regardless of how much of a womanizer he is, and then there's the Croco-Sub, which is probably one of the most ludicrous gadgets in the series. It even accomplishes the unbelievable feat of packing in more ridiculous sexual innuendo than "Moonraker". It's amazing how the sex jokes in the 60's Bond movies came off so well in comparison to those in the Moore era. It's called lazy writing, I suppose.

The film is not terrible, though. It does have some real positives in the action scenes and the relatively solid direction by John Glen, but it is far from an accomplished effort overall and instead of just falling flat like "Never Say Never Again" did it has big ups and big downs, and they ultimately cancel each other out leaving a confusing and lacking film. Not nearly as bad as the following entry, though, and at least John Barry returns for this one.

5/10

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22 out of 39 people found the following comment useful :-
James Bond at his very best!!, 9 September 1998

Author: David ESPESSET from Marseille, France

As a Bond fan for more than 20 years, I must admit I love all Bond films. But OCTOPUSSY is the best of all them all; it's also my favorite movie. Roger Moore is in top form, John Glen's direction is excellent, the plot is complex and rich, and John Barry's music is wonderful. Moreover, Louis Jourdan is a beautiful baddie, Maud Adams is one of the most interesting leading ladies, and Steven Berkoff is amazingly frightening. The cinematography is very impressive, as is the production design by Peter Lamont.

What more can I say? OCTOPUSSY is skillfully made and astonishingly thrilling from its breathtaking precredits sequence to the very end. Nobody does it better!!

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4 out of 4 people found the following comment useful :-
Best of Roger Moore's 007's, 3 October 2006

Author: DKOSTY from United States

I have a spot for this film. The photography on location in India & Eastern Europe is top notch. The women in this film are to me the most beautiful ones of the Bond series. Not only is Maud Adams just wonderful, but Kristina Wayborn looks great too. The action sequences in this one are among the best of the series & the humor is great. Louis Jourdan is a great bad guy & the film based upon 2 of Ian Flemings short stories put together by George MacDonald Fraser works well. This film has a pace to it, & you just can enjoy the ride when you watch it. The opening sequence has nothing to do with the rest of the film.

I often still imagine Kristina Wayborn as my girl instead of a Bond girl. The brunette in the opening sequence is a looker too. What I love about the opening is that it sets the tone for the rest of the movie. While the stunts look awesome, this film is played for a lot of laughs along with the action. It succeeds on both counts, & truly is the "Property of a Lady" with so many good looking Bond Women.

Rita Coolidge had her all time best song with the theme song for this film which seems to have been written for her voice. It's an all time high from Louis Jourdan (Kamal) to Bond in a gator tuxedo!

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5 out of 7 people found the following comment useful :-
I like Roger Moore, but this is not one of the better Bond movies., 5 September 2005
Author: TxMike from Houston, Tx, USA, Earth

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

Last week one of the network TV stations was showing "Octopussy". I watched a few minutes of it, including the early sequence where James Bond wheels a mini-jet airplane out of a fake horse trailer and flies it through an airplane hangar. I figured that this is a movie that should be watched on DVD, so I turned off the TV and went to my public library website to request it.

The DVD indeed is pretty good, and the scenes with the mini-jet are good. Unfortunately, that was the most interesting part of the movie. The story in a James Bond movie has to be crisp and clear. We don't expect a lot there, the fun is in watching Bond do his thing, foil the crooks, romance the pretty ladies. Last week I watched "Goldfinger", a good example of a Bond movie with a crisp, clear story. Plus Sean Connery!

I believe Roger Moore as James Bond was already in his 50s, and nearing the end of his Bond roles. Maud Adams was good as Octopussy, but I don't consider her to be a desirable, great beauty. I especially liked Louis Jourdan as the evil Kamal Khan. It is always fun to see Bond fighting for his life against someone trying to kill him, then a day later they can be in the same room having a rather pleasant discussion.

Anyway, the story involves a Faberge egg, one real and one fake, plus an auction. Then there is the German who wants to set off a nuclear device and make it look like the Americans did it to start a war.

Ultimately a forgettable Bond movie. But I thought it very strange that a man would give his young daughter the pet name "Octopussy."

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2 out of 2 people found the following comment useful :-
One of the Best Bond movies, 4 September 2001

Author: filmbuff69007 (filmbuff69007@aol.com)

A good story with a great cast.Louis Jordan is a excellent villain in classic bond tradition.Kabir Bedi is a memorable Henchman that also gets one of the biggest laughs.Maud Adams is clearly nearer to Moores age thus looking a more belivable screen couple.the action is as good as ever.the cast look like they are having fun.and that fun was enjoyed by the audience i saw it with when i was 13 back in 1983.on dvd the print and sound could be better but the movie is so good i easily overlooked itsless than impressive transfer.i love the scene Bond tries to hitchike which is as real as it can get.i should also mention Steven Berkoff who went on to even more famous screen villains in Beverly hills cop and Rambo First blood 2.

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