Octopussy will always have a place in my Top 5. Intriguing story, excellent villains, Maud Adams is fantastic & Moore was never better. People rag on the clown disguise but that sequence in the circus as Bond races to find the bomb is wonderfully tense & Moore plays it so perfectly.
Your channel is new to me so this is the first video of yours I've seen. Great points with a really light-hearted tone. Although Goldeneye is my favourite, this is my second favourite and Moore was my favourite Bond. Many of the Bond movies were regular TV viewing when I was younger. Because recording movies or physical media wasn't ubiquitous, people had to make time in their schedule to watch it. Although I get why other Bond actors are more popular in polls, the Moore films were most in vogue when I was younger, I always felt that with Bond being a spy, he should survive more on his wits than by his brawn. Dalton was also underrated as Bond for similar reasons. Although he only did 2 movies, there were strong entries into the franchise. When I have more time I will check out more of your work.
@@AnalyzeThisMisterBond As I said, both of his movies were solid. If he’d got another couple under his belt he’d get more recognition for his Bond performances. Also, I love Dalton in Hot Fuzz.
I would argue that “Octopussy” is the best of the Roger Moore Bonds. This is the one inspired by “Raiders of the Lost Ark” and its rollicking, old-fashioned tone suits its leading man very well.
Roger is great as Bond in Octopussy which is also my fav. Bond movie. So true, there was good chemistry between Maud Adams and Roger. To note; Roger mention in his book that had they not done Octopussy, Pinewood studios would had close down as no other film were being made as the industry was at its lowest.
I appreciate your comment about approaching the Bond series non-chronologically. I had slowly collected most of the movies on DVD, more or less in order of familiarity. I'd left four acquisitions last, based on general reviews and rankings from friends. That left DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER, MAN WITH GOLDEN GUN, MOONRAKER and OCTOPUSSY. In all four cases, I was pleasantly surprised: DIAMONDS is a guilty pleasure (despite bailing on Tiffany Case's tough-girl persona in the final act); GOLDEN GUN is a great match up between Moore and Lee (though again, the ladies are treated badly) and MOONRAKER is another guilty pleasure (because the villains are so delicious). OCTOPUSSY was the biggest surprise. It's probably one of Moore's best, with the serious-to-goofy balance in favour of high tension and big stakes. The clown suit stuff works for me because it was foreshadowed dramatically at the beginning. The villains are nearly equal to Bond (suave but more than a little insane), Gorbinda's emotionless henchman is both menacing and a very funny straight man to Moore's quips, and Vijay plays a refreshingly effervescent assistant (too bad he's dispatched so cruelly). All of these characters, plus the locations and stakes, would make this a "good" Bond flick. However, Maud Adams in the titular role elevates this into the Top Third of the franchise for me. She's smart, resourceful, beautiful and independent. Adam's the right age for Moore, allowing for a satisfying romance as well as forcing Bond to up his game in trying to win her trust and cooperation. I don't even mind the jungle miscues; the only thing that doesn't work is the boring title song. Overall, a quality Bond movie. Great analysis, sir!
I love both "Octopussy"(1983) and "NSNA"(1983)! I think both men: Roger Moore(55) and Sean Connery(53) were brilliant in these films! The most unique James Bond year ever: 1983!!!
the Connery performance in NSNA is criminally underrated...I only hear people complain about the movie itself, but they rarely talk about Connery being in top form again as Bond
I will always believe "The Spy Who Loved Me" is Roger Moore's best Bond movie -- it's the movie that made me a Bond fan! -- but he gives his best performance as Bond in "Octopussy." Roger has such an easy, total mastery of the character in this film. Nobody else, not even Connnery, could have pulled off the "double sixes" moment.
Octopussy is an entertaining Bond film. I personally never had a deep problem, or outright dislike, for the film like other viewers have had. I think some people often do cite the "Bond in clown disguise" scene as the main issue, which is actually, IMO, a quite unfair critique to encompass over the whole film. It actually enhances the intensity of the scene, because no one is taking the man seriously when he's trying desperately to convey the horrifying danger everyone is in. Even Octopussy and Magda are thinking this spy's trying to tamper with their smuggling enterprise instead of second-guessing their snake-like partner Kamal Khan. Not to mention that I doubt many viewers were put off by the exceptional, surreal "horror movie" scene where 009 (in clown costume) was being stalked in the woods by the Circus Twins. I do agree Bond put that makeup on too superhumanly quick, though, lol. Also like the fact that they were able to excellently slide in two of Fleming's short stories and the gambling scene from the Moonraker novel. I also do think its depiction of Indian city life is stereotypically offensive. It's equivalent to Bond walking through, say, the most poverish slums in London, playing up the perceived stereotypes living there, and leaving it at that; no other areas in town explored. They could've visualized India's scene much more tastefully. You definitely can tell they were inspired by Raiders of the Lost Ark (a personal favorite film of mine) and wanted to emulate it (and to be fair, even I have problems with Egypt's depictions in that film as well. And Temple of Doom's depictions of Indian culture are even worse than Octo's). There is one more thing in the film that always never sat well with me. After the attack at the Floating Palace, I would've liked a brief scene of Octopussy confronting Kamal. It's established earlier in the film that Octo knows Kamal, well enough to figure out that he was more than capable of paying off some goons to kill Bond. That was no random attack, and it was brought to her home, putting not only Bond in danger (she warned Kamal twice not to harm him), but also endangering her and her Amazon tribe. Of course, Kamal would deny this, and would weasel his way out of the confrontational, but this time Octopussy would stand firm, and say something like, "This is the last time we work together, Kamal. I can no longer trust you." Of course Kamal would've just gently closed it with a "Let's get back to work. We'll discuss this after the operation." It would've, I believe, hit even more for her when Bond reveals to bomb threat to her and the American general. Sorry for the length, again, lol. Great review as always :)
Joe Darlington is gonna love this review :). Octopussy has been moving up consistently over the past few years, and barring the Tarzan swing, Gorilla suit, and Croc disguise, would have already appeared at its all time high on my personal list...just Soo many eye roll moments bogs it down for me. Shame. I actually don't mind the clown ending because the costume contrasts in an interestingly surreal way with the task before him.
Joe did enjoy it! All that stuff is silly, but, I dunno, it just kinda washes over me because I'm having a good time with the rest of it. Besides, when you've seen each of these movies 10+ times apiece, they become so familiar that their rough edges become less abrasive.
Great video! I really wish the would bring back a little more moore charm to the next james bond actor. Craig was peak gritty, grimey bond. So I think it's time for a more charming bond to come back.
Octopussy has grown on me over the years. I’m starting to think it might be Moore’s finest hour. Fantastic adventure with some excellent Bond girls (love Magda) and an assorted mix of villains. I wonder if the movie would be even better if Octopussy turned out to be the main villain in the end
A lot of people hate the clown costume in Octopussy(1983). I was quite okay with it. We have to understand that he didn't want to wear it. He had to wear it! And the command: "Sit!" is okay too. What would you have done in similar situation? By the way, basically, a tiger is just a big cat. It might work! The one and only big mistake in this film is Tarzan yell. It should be removed. Maybe not the video but definitely the audio! ***** Overall, Octopussy(1983) is a great James Bond film! Please, do NSNA(1983) movie review too! And please don't hate it! NSNA is a good movie! Even better than many of the "EON Productions" films...
The clown chase in the begining of Octopussy really got me hooked. So its full circle when Roger ends up wearing a clown suit at the end. Not sure why its such an issue for some. The Circus is a great way to smuggle a bomb into the base too. Agree. The Tarzan yell has not aged well, even though, it went down very well with the audience when i saw it back then. Still its a sad excuse not to like the whole movie because of that since there are no perfect Bond movie out-there anyway ; )
This is definitely one of the most promising films in the series, but unfortunately it falls short and is struggles with it's overall tone throughout. Firstly, I think they should have gone with an alternate title, such as The Property of a Lady, as seen in the auction scene. There are lots of promising elements to the villains and the plot is one of the more complex ones. I particularly like Orlov's plan because it is actually very realistic. I also like Magda's character and how she's essentially also a victim, caught up in all this. There are some really great moments, but also some silly, over the top moments put in there to appease certain fans. Perhaps with a more clear vision, they could have made a more grounded spy thriller in the vain of For Your Eyes Only, retaining some sly humour here and there, but not going overboard a la Tarzan.
OCTOPUSSY is defo a great magical Movie where they really wanted to show that Bond still has it and theyre gonna give it to us and you dont care weather things dont quite mix because youve just watched an incredible adventure. 2:13 yeah thats why i dont get certain people who feel 'Live and Let Die' is Rogers best performnace. Its good, but he excells more in his later movies honestly. and Yes it maybe his best Bond movie because it shows Rogers strenghs as an actor and with what he can do. 13:03 ooooo yeah I like it, its certanly very much what he does in GOLDFINGER when he annoys Auric and Oddjob I'm not sure if this or TLD could be JOhn Glens best Bond movie, I always debate that with myself. 31:55 I feel if your a kid and you do that, you enjoy the movies even more to a certain degree. People later on in life, if they watch the Bond movies in order for the first time, they tend to really REALLY not like the weaker Bond movies and wont wanna watch them again. Where as Bond fans whove grown up with them can at least have that love and patience to sit through any of them and appreciate what each were trying to do.....and YES, even if that is Die Another Day hahah
Totally agree! Moore really shows a range of emotions. He is smart, witty (he could probably use less one-liners), can play sadness (Vijay's death), and he can be intense even dressed as a clown. The problem is the movie, not Moore. I think it's a good movie, a fun watch, but they've put Moore in certain situations just as a comic relief. The bed of nails, the sword swallower, the sheep's head (all bad representations of India, as you mentioned), the tiger, the tarzan shout, the ghost sound when he's in a body bag, the ape costume. And he ends up with the head of a criminal organization!! (Ok, I'm willing to overlook this one, but Octopussy is still a vilain who smuggled jewels and should face justice).Take those out, and you get an even greater Bond movie with an excellent Roger Moore, at his best, as you say. On that note, great video, as always! Can't wait for the next one!
A good Bond film, not a great one but a fun, solid adventure film. Yes, a high point was that the romance is one of the few adult relationships, especially for Roger. The bomb diffusing scene for me has the same flaw as his corkscrew car jump in TMWTGG. A great scene tainted by a ridiculous sour note. The intensity of the car jump sullied by a slide whistle and this film had tension of a nuclear bomb defusal alleviated by Bond in a clown suit. Somehow I could never imagine Fleming's Bond would don full clown makeup.
It's lame, but the slide whistle never really fazed me, I gotta say. (Weirdly enough, John Barry is to blame for it. The producers didn't want the slide whistle and Barry pushed for it.)
As another commenter mentioned, the tonality of the film is a little scattered. I don't dislike the film, but there are parts that I really detest (the India market chase, elephant/tiger chase through the marsh), but I still enjoy a lot of the film. I think that David at the Bond Experience describes Octopussy as "gooey, cheesy pizza", in the sense that it's a fun film to watch. It's certainly not nearly as dour as FYEO, and not as trite as a lot of AVTAK. I can see why folks love this film, and while I like it a fair bit, it's still not one that ranks exceptionally highly for me, whether in Moore's tenure, or in the grand-Bond lineup. It ranks #19th for me, but that's still 6 podium places above the bottom of the films for me. Fortunately (or unfortunately), you'll be covering my least favorite Bond film next. I recently rewatched it, and man, it just confirmed my feelings for it. But hey, I'll save those for the next video. Thanks for the analysis Ryan! Always happy to see it pop up in the feed!
A View to a Kill is not a strong note for Moore to go out on, but I still (subjectively) prefer it to For Your Eyes Only for reasons I'll get into later. I am very energized by Bond movies that showcase Bond's intelligence, and whatever else you might say about it, Octopussy gives Bond a lot of opportunities to be clever.
One of the down points of the Moore era.....he was showing his age and the movie was more of a Bond spoof then a Bond film. Once they put in the Tarzan yell I was out.
I think my struggle with OCTOPUSSY is that it is THIS close to being something great, held back by only a few small moments... but those moments are among the most dire, tonally-jarring, and cringe-inducing of the whole franchise for me. I kind of hold it against the movie that it only almost really works. If they played the jungle hunt sequence totally straight, and then paid-off that tension with the "economy tour" line as the single humorous grace note that the end of it, the movie would probably instantly jump several spots in my personal rankings, just as an example. That said, the last time I revisited it, I enjoyed more than I probably ever have because the things that are good (Louis Jourdan, Steven Berkoff, the Moore-Adams pairing) are REALLY good.
I don't find them that totally jarring, I suppose. It's a pretty jaunty movie! But I'm also pretty forgiving of big tonal swings as long as moment to moment a movie is diverting, and, even at its silliest, I think OCTOPUSSY is pretty diverting.
I *will* defend Bond in a clown suit. Ha. Well, I’ll defend it within the confines of this movie. For me, he almost HAS to go full clown after everything else in this movie. If not logically, then tonally. After everything else I’d be unsatisfied if he didn’t. It also calls back to 009. As I recall hearing the Fleming clown idea, or probably how I imagine it, both Bomd and a baddie would be dressed as clowns fighting and the audience thinks it’s an act. It’s a perfectly absurd idea to me.
First of all, ”charm” was not the main feature of Ian Fleming’s James Bond. After his one good performance as Bond (“For Your Eyes Only”), Roger Moore reverted to the smug, ain’t-I-cute, waltzing-through-the-role style of his wretched first two films. In “Moonraker”, you barely notice Moore, amidst the sci-fi clutter. As for this particular film, what’s not to dislike? Let’s see: The Tarzan yell; the tiger taming; the backgammon confrontation; Louis Jourdan as an “Afghan” prince; the Indian scooter-taxi chase (done at Pinewood); tossing cash to villagers; the tennis racquet sequence; “Here, this should keep you in curry for awhile”; the tiresome business with Q; the hot-air balloon; the clown disguise; and the totally asinine plane sequence at the climax. All mixed in with another crazed Russian yearning for World War III (YAWN!). And Maud Adams, really? No Indian actresses available? Thank you for noting the stereotypical view of India. But to me, “Octopussy” basically represents an unproductive holiday jaunt to a five-star Indian hotel (probably the only real locale), at a time when several films were using India as a setting. And don’t get me started on the next film, happily Moore’s last. Talk about overstaying your welcome!
Great commentary!! So nice to see Octopussy get the praise it deserves! Well done Ryan!
Cheers, Joe!
Octopussy is my kind of entertainment.
Octopussy will always have a place in my Top 5. Intriguing story, excellent villains, Maud Adams is fantastic & Moore was never better. People rag on the clown disguise but that sequence in the circus as Bond races to find the bomb is wonderfully tense & Moore plays it so perfectly.
Agreed about how well Moore plays the bomb defusal sequence.
Your channel is new to me so this is the first video of yours I've seen. Great points with a really light-hearted tone. Although Goldeneye is my favourite, this is my second favourite and Moore was my favourite Bond. Many of the Bond movies were regular TV viewing when I was younger. Because recording movies or physical media wasn't ubiquitous, people had to make time in their schedule to watch it. Although I get why other Bond actors are more popular in polls, the Moore films were most in vogue when I was younger, I always felt that with Bond being a spy, he should survive more on his wits than by his brawn. Dalton was also underrated as Bond for similar reasons. Although he only did 2 movies, there were strong entries into the franchise. When I have more time I will check out more of your work.
Thank you for the kind words, James.
For what it's worth, I really love Dalton's Bond!
@@AnalyzeThisMisterBond As I said, both of his movies were solid. If he’d got another couple under his belt he’d get more recognition for his Bond performances. Also, I love Dalton in Hot Fuzz.
I always liked how this film incorporates two Ian Fleming stories into the film: “Octopussy” naturally, but also “The Property of a Lady”.
Yeah, that's a nice thing about this (and many of the other 1980s films). Lots of Fleming material combined together.
I soo wish Dalton would have gotten his 3rd Bond film, which was apparently entitled "The Property of a Lady"
It’s a great Moore Bond and a pleasure to watch. However I rarely watch it unless it’s on tv
I feel that FOR YOUR EYES ONLY AND OCTOPUSSY are the 2 best Roger Moore's 007s.
I would argue that “Octopussy” is the best of the Roger Moore Bonds. This is the one inspired by “Raiders of the Lost Ark” and its rollicking, old-fashioned tone suits its leading man very well.
He's dressed as a clown disarming a nuclear weapon. Such a stupid movie 🤮
At this moment, it is probably my favorite of the Moore Bonds, as well.
Roger is great as Bond in Octopussy which is also my fav. Bond movie. So true, there was good chemistry between Maud Adams and Roger. To note; Roger mention in his book that had they not done Octopussy, Pinewood studios would had close down as no other film were being made as the industry was at its lowest.
That's a great tidbit.
I appreciate your comment about approaching the Bond series non-chronologically. I had slowly collected most of the movies on DVD, more or less in order of familiarity. I'd left four acquisitions last, based on general reviews and rankings from friends. That left DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER, MAN WITH GOLDEN GUN, MOONRAKER and OCTOPUSSY. In all four cases, I was pleasantly surprised: DIAMONDS is a guilty pleasure (despite bailing on Tiffany Case's tough-girl persona in the final act); GOLDEN GUN is a great match up between Moore and Lee (though again, the ladies are treated badly) and MOONRAKER is another guilty pleasure (because the villains are so delicious). OCTOPUSSY was the biggest surprise. It's probably one of Moore's best, with the serious-to-goofy balance in favour of high tension and big stakes. The clown suit stuff works for me because it was foreshadowed dramatically at the beginning. The villains are nearly equal to Bond (suave but more than a little insane), Gorbinda's emotionless henchman is both menacing and a very funny straight man to Moore's quips, and Vijay plays a refreshingly effervescent assistant (too bad he's dispatched so cruelly). All of these characters, plus the locations and stakes, would make this a "good" Bond flick. However, Maud Adams in the titular role elevates this into the Top Third of the franchise for me. She's smart, resourceful, beautiful and independent. Adam's the right age for Moore, allowing for a satisfying romance as well as forcing Bond to up his game in trying to win her trust and cooperation.
I don't even mind the jungle miscues; the only thing that doesn't work is the boring title song.
Overall, a quality Bond movie. Great analysis, sir!
I nodded along with most of what you wrote here. Octopussy is a winner. Thanks for watching!
I love both "Octopussy"(1983) and "NSNA"(1983)! I think both men: Roger Moore(55) and Sean Connery(53) were brilliant in these films! The most unique James Bond year ever: 1983!!!
the Connery performance in NSNA is criminally underrated...I only hear people complain about the movie itself, but they rarely talk about Connery being in top form again as Bond
I will always believe "The Spy Who Loved Me" is Roger Moore's best Bond movie -- it's the movie that made me a Bond fan! -- but he gives his best performance as Bond in "Octopussy." Roger has such an easy, total mastery of the character in this film. Nobody else, not even Connnery, could have pulled off the "double sixes" moment.
I totally agree re: OP. Moore has never been more effortlessly confident.
Roger Moore was a legend r.i.p. 🕊🕊🕊🕊
Agreed!
The second best Bond film the 1980s was made for!
It's such a good one!
Octopussy is an entertaining Bond film. I personally never had a deep problem, or outright dislike, for the film like other viewers have had. I think some people often do cite the "Bond in clown disguise" scene as the main issue, which is actually, IMO, a quite unfair critique to encompass over the whole film. It actually enhances the intensity of the scene, because no one is taking the man seriously when he's trying desperately to convey the horrifying danger everyone is in. Even Octopussy and Magda are thinking this spy's trying to tamper with their smuggling enterprise instead of second-guessing their snake-like partner Kamal Khan. Not to mention that I doubt many viewers were put off by the exceptional, surreal "horror movie" scene where 009 (in clown costume) was being stalked in the woods by the Circus Twins. I do agree Bond put that makeup on too superhumanly quick, though, lol. Also like the fact that they were able to excellently slide in two of Fleming's short stories and the gambling scene from the Moonraker novel.
I also do think its depiction of Indian city life is stereotypically offensive. It's equivalent to Bond walking through, say, the most poverish slums in London, playing up the perceived stereotypes living there, and leaving it at that; no other areas in town explored. They could've visualized India's scene much more tastefully. You definitely can tell they were inspired by Raiders of the Lost Ark (a personal favorite film of mine) and wanted to emulate it (and to be fair, even I have problems with Egypt's depictions in that film as well. And Temple of Doom's depictions of Indian culture are even worse than Octo's).
There is one more thing in the film that always never sat well with me. After the attack at the Floating Palace, I would've liked a brief scene of Octopussy confronting Kamal. It's established earlier in the film that Octo knows Kamal, well enough to figure out that he was more than capable of paying off some goons to kill Bond. That was no random attack, and it was brought to her home, putting not only Bond in danger (she warned Kamal twice not to harm him), but also endangering her and her Amazon tribe. Of course, Kamal would deny this, and would weasel his way out of the confrontational, but this time Octopussy would stand firm, and say something like, "This is the last time we work together, Kamal. I can no longer trust you." Of course Kamal would've just gently closed it with a "Let's get back to work. We'll discuss this after the operation." It would've, I believe, hit even more for her when Bond reveals to bomb threat to her and the American general.
Sorry for the length, again, lol. Great review as always :)
I agree with nearly all of this!
Joe Darlington is gonna love this review :). Octopussy has been moving up consistently over the past few years, and barring the Tarzan swing, Gorilla suit, and Croc disguise, would have already appeared at its all time high on my personal list...just Soo many eye roll moments bogs it down for me. Shame. I actually don't mind the clown ending because the costume contrasts in an interestingly surreal way with the task before him.
Joe did enjoy it!
All that stuff is silly, but, I dunno, it just kinda washes over me because I'm having a good time with the rest of it.
Besides, when you've seen each of these movies 10+ times apiece, they become so familiar that their rough edges become less abrasive.
@@AnalyzeThisMisterBondVery true!
One of my favourite bond films- underrate
I think folks are finally coming around to this one.
Great video! I really wish the would bring back a little more moore charm to the next james bond actor. Craig was peak gritty, grimey bond. So I think it's time for a more charming bond to come back.
Couldn't agree more!
Yes! Yes! and...................YESSSSS!
Octopussy has grown on me over the years. I’m starting to think it might be Moore’s finest hour. Fantastic adventure with some excellent Bond girls (love Magda) and an assorted mix of villains. I wonder if the movie would be even better if Octopussy turned out to be the main villain in the end
It may indeed be Moore's finest!
A lot of people hate the clown costume in Octopussy(1983). I was quite okay with it. We have to understand that he didn't want to wear it. He had to wear it! And the command: "Sit!" is okay too. What would you have done in similar situation? By the way, basically, a tiger is just a big cat. It might work! The one and only big mistake in this film is Tarzan yell. It should be removed. Maybe not the video but definitely the audio! ***** Overall, Octopussy(1983) is a great James Bond film! Please, do NSNA(1983) movie review too! And please don't hate it! NSNA is a good movie! Even better than many of the "EON Productions" films...
I'll cover NSNA when I do the Connery era!
The clown chase in the begining of Octopussy really got me hooked. So its full circle when Roger ends up wearing a clown suit at the end. Not sure why its such an issue for some. The Circus is a great way to smuggle a bomb into the base too. Agree. The Tarzan yell has not aged well, even though, it went down very well with the audience when i saw it back then. Still its a sad excuse not to like the whole movie because of that since there are no perfect Bond movie out-there anyway ; )
It was a copy of Barbara wood house with her dog training tv show. Sitt she would say to all the dogs to sit down.
This is definitely one of the most promising films in the series, but unfortunately it falls short and is struggles with it's overall tone throughout. Firstly, I think they should have gone with an alternate title, such as The Property of a Lady, as seen in the auction scene. There are lots of promising elements to the villains and the plot is one of the more complex ones. I particularly like Orlov's plan because it is actually very realistic. I also like Magda's character and how she's essentially also a victim, caught up in all this. There are some really great moments, but also some silly, over the top moments put in there to appease certain fans. Perhaps with a more clear vision, they could have made a more grounded spy thriller in the vain of For Your Eyes Only, retaining some sly humour here and there, but not going overboard a la Tarzan.
Tonal inconsistency doesn't bother me very much (as long as the movie is still entertaining minute by minute).
Interesting review! Please keep posting videos. 😀
Thank you!
OCTOPUSSY is defo a great magical Movie where they really wanted to show that Bond still has it and theyre gonna give it to us and you dont care weather things dont quite mix because youve just watched an incredible adventure.
2:13 yeah thats why i dont get certain people who feel 'Live and Let Die' is Rogers best performnace. Its good, but he excells more in his later movies honestly. and Yes it maybe his best Bond movie because it shows Rogers strenghs as an actor and with what he can do.
13:03 ooooo yeah I like it, its certanly very much what he does in GOLDFINGER when he annoys Auric and Oddjob
I'm not sure if this or TLD could be JOhn Glens best Bond movie, I always debate that with myself.
31:55 I feel if your a kid and you do that, you enjoy the movies even more to a certain degree. People later on in life, if they watch the Bond movies in order for the first time, they tend to really REALLY not like the weaker Bond movies and wont wanna watch them again. Where as Bond fans whove grown up with them can at least have that love and patience to sit through any of them and appreciate what each were trying to do.....and YES, even if that is Die Another Day hahah
Yes, Moore is very at ease here!
Totally agree! Moore really shows a range of emotions. He is smart, witty (he could probably use less one-liners), can play sadness (Vijay's death), and he can be intense even dressed as a clown. The problem is the movie, not Moore.
I think it's a good movie, a fun watch, but they've put Moore in certain situations just as a comic relief. The bed of nails, the sword swallower, the sheep's head (all bad representations of India, as you mentioned), the tiger, the tarzan shout, the ghost sound when he's in a body bag, the ape costume. And he ends up with the head of a criminal organization!! (Ok, I'm willing to overlook this one, but Octopussy is still a vilain who smuggled jewels and should face justice).Take those out, and you get an even greater Bond movie with an excellent Roger Moore, at his best, as you say.
On that note, great video, as always! Can't wait for the next one!
I'm sure the A View to a Kill video will have some spicy conversation in the comments.
General Orlov is the Russian bad guy. Bond and Gogol have mutual respect that started in TSWLM and was cemented at the end of FYEO
24:26 General ORLOV (some major - pun intended - confusion there; Gogol appeared in several entries indeed) 😉📽
Oopsie
A good Bond film, not a great one but a fun, solid adventure film. Yes, a high point was that the romance is one of the few adult relationships, especially for Roger. The bomb diffusing scene for me has the same flaw as his corkscrew car jump in TMWTGG. A great scene tainted by a ridiculous sour note. The intensity of the car jump sullied by a slide whistle and this film had tension of a nuclear bomb defusal alleviated by Bond in a clown suit. Somehow I could never imagine Fleming's Bond would don full clown makeup.
It's lame, but the slide whistle never really fazed me, I gotta say. (Weirdly enough, John Barry is to blame for it. The producers didn't want the slide whistle and Barry pushed for it.)
As another commenter mentioned, the tonality of the film is a little scattered. I don't dislike the film, but there are parts that I really detest (the India market chase, elephant/tiger chase through the marsh), but I still enjoy a lot of the film. I think that David at the Bond Experience describes Octopussy as "gooey, cheesy pizza", in the sense that it's a fun film to watch. It's certainly not nearly as dour as FYEO, and not as trite as a lot of AVTAK.
I can see why folks love this film, and while I like it a fair bit, it's still not one that ranks exceptionally highly for me, whether in Moore's tenure, or in the grand-Bond lineup. It ranks #19th for me, but that's still 6 podium places above the bottom of the films for me. Fortunately (or unfortunately), you'll be covering my least favorite Bond film next. I recently rewatched it, and man, it just confirmed my feelings for it. But hey, I'll save those for the next video.
Thanks for the analysis Ryan! Always happy to see it pop up in the feed!
A View to a Kill is not a strong note for Moore to go out on, but I still (subjectively) prefer it to For Your Eyes Only for reasons I'll get into later.
I am very energized by Bond movies that showcase Bond's intelligence, and whatever else you might say about it, Octopussy gives Bond a lot of opportunities to be clever.
One of the down points of the Moore era.....he was showing his age and the movie was more of a Bond spoof then a Bond film. Once they put in the Tarzan yell I was out.
To each their own!
I think my struggle with OCTOPUSSY is that it is THIS close to being something great, held back by only a few small moments... but those moments are among the most dire, tonally-jarring, and cringe-inducing of the whole franchise for me. I kind of hold it against the movie that it only almost really works. If they played the jungle hunt sequence totally straight, and then paid-off that tension with the "economy tour" line as the single humorous grace note that the end of it, the movie would probably instantly jump several spots in my personal rankings, just as an example.
That said, the last time I revisited it, I enjoyed more than I probably ever have because the things that are good (Louis Jourdan, Steven Berkoff, the Moore-Adams pairing) are REALLY good.
I don't find them that totally jarring, I suppose. It's a pretty jaunty movie!
But I'm also pretty forgiving of big tonal swings as long as moment to moment a movie is diverting, and, even at its silliest, I think OCTOPUSSY is pretty diverting.
It's certainly an easy watch.
I *will* defend Bond in a clown suit. Ha. Well, I’ll defend it within the confines of this movie. For me, he almost HAS to go full clown after everything else in this movie. If not logically, then tonally. After everything else I’d be unsatisfied if he didn’t. It also calls back to 009.
As I recall hearing the Fleming clown idea, or probably how I imagine it, both Bomd and a baddie would be dressed as clowns fighting and the audience thinks it’s an act. It’s a perfectly absurd idea to me.
The idea is fine - the implausibly quick change into costume and full makeup is a bit too much, though!
OCTOPUSSY is awful, but the next one is the only Moore film I don't own. He's at his best in TSWLM.
First of all, ”charm” was not the main feature of Ian Fleming’s James Bond. After his one good performance as Bond (“For Your Eyes Only”), Roger Moore reverted to the smug, ain’t-I-cute, waltzing-through-the-role style of his wretched first two films. In “Moonraker”, you barely notice Moore, amidst the sci-fi clutter. As for this particular film, what’s not to dislike? Let’s see:
The Tarzan yell; the tiger taming; the backgammon confrontation; Louis Jourdan as an “Afghan” prince; the Indian scooter-taxi chase (done at Pinewood); tossing cash to villagers; the tennis racquet sequence; “Here, this should keep you in curry for awhile”; the tiresome business with Q; the hot-air balloon; the clown disguise; and the totally asinine plane sequence at the climax. All mixed in with another crazed Russian yearning for World War III (YAWN!). And Maud Adams, really? No Indian actresses available?
Thank you for noting the stereotypical view of India. But to me, “Octopussy” basically represents an unproductive holiday jaunt to a five-star Indian hotel (probably the only real locale), at a time when several films were using India as a setting.
And don’t get me started on the next film, happily Moore’s last. Talk about overstaying your welcome!
I love MOONRAKER!