Octopussy

Roger Moore plays James Bond once again in this thirteenth installment, where Bond. while tracking a stolen Faberge Egg, finds out about a plot by a renegade Russian general to detonate a nuclear missile on American soil, thereby striking first in a proposed third world war. The missile is traced to a circus(!) so Bond must go undercover to retrieve it, and defeat the general(played by Steven Berkoff). Story also takes him to India, where he meets up with the title character(Maud Adams) and her circus performers, staying with villain Kamal( played by suave Louis Jordan) who is involved with the evil plan.

Despite the sight of James Bond dressed as a clown(!) this entry is still a lot of fun, striking the right balance between seriousness and high adventure, resulting in a satisfying film, though it does go on a bit too long! (Not that bad a thing here.)

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!

"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

This was where my live for the James Bond franchise began. What a great character to follow for decades to come!

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!