| Octopussy (1983) | |
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Rating: 6.5/10 (112,573 votes) Director: John Glen Writer: George MacDonald Fraser, Richard Maibaum, Michael G. Wilson Stars: Roger Moore, Maud Adams, Louis Jourdan Runtime: 131 min Rated: PG Genre: Action, Adventure, Thriller Released: 10 Jun 1983 |
| Plot: A fake Fabergé egg recovered from the body of a fellow agent leads James Bond to uncover a jewel smuggling operation lead by the mysterious Octopussy, and a plot to blow up a NATO air base. | |
By the time of this film, Roger Moore had been infected by a disease that turns you into a plank of aged wood…or at least that is the only excuse I can think of for his dreary performance in this dreadful entry into the series. Jewel thieves, and a plot to disarm Europe with use of a nuclear device, seem serious enough, but the manner in which the film frivolously plays out sullied any potential the script had. Misguided ideas include stopping a chase scene half way through just to allow some cliche stereotypes to be thrown out, such as a bed of nails, sword swallower, and fire walkers. Sound effect choices also work against the film, from the sounds of a tennis match during a fight (they were using tennis rackets) to Bond’s Tarzan impression, comical layers of sound that work against the film. Lets not reflect on the “Sit!” command to a tiger, or the crocodile disguise.
Moore’s ever noticeable age doesn’t help matters either, seductive comments from adoring females come across more like desperate sales pitches from local hookers, whilst his own comments come over like those of a creepy grandad. Moore had planned to leave the franchise before this film, but was convinced to stay, and you can tell his heart isn’t really in it anymore.
Whilst the location shooting once again is very beautiful – that’s one thing the Bond franchise always manages to get right – the film just fails to deliver on many fronts. The story, as with the last two films, lacks any iconic moments (007 in a gorilla costume is not iconic), and also has yet another forgettable villain. The result is a film that runs at just over two hours, but feels about an hour too long! After this film, Moore would return for just one more turn as 007. After watching Octopussy, I can only see that as being a good thing.
