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WELCOME TO THE NEW TERRITORY! My first Bond movie that I never got to on the old account!
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OCTOPUSSY- 1983.
As I've said before, Octopussy is kind of a 'twin movie' to For Your Eyes Only. It may have something to do with both films being helmed by John Glen, who remains probably my favorite Bond director. But there's more to the familial connection of course.

As with its predecessor, Octopussy relies much more on taut espionage and complex plot (perhaps too complex/contrived?) than bombastic spectacle. The sets, while gorgeous-chiefly Octopussy's island and the Monsoon Palace- are gorgeous, they are not DISTRACTINGLY gorgeous and rooted in practical (if incredibly luxurious) realism. Peter Lamont really came into his own in this film as chief art director. I will comment that the Soviet conference room was gorgeous and could have come from Ken Adams for its novel complexity.

As with Eyes, I love every one of the guest actors for their roles here. Louis Jordan as Kamal Khan works very well as a big game hunter under a veneer of English upper class sophistication, and while they do use the game hunt theme once as Bond escapes the Monsoon Palace, I do think the film could have worked better if the climactic battle had involved a similar 'hunt'.

Maud Adams, exudes a grace and dignity, and her chemistry with Roger is convincing. Could it be because they already worked together on "The Man with the Golden Gun"? There were moments when I felt her acting was less than stellar but I think that has more to do with rushed scenes and lapses in the screenplay.

Kabir Bedi was wonderful as Gobinda. He was tall, obviously capable of doing Bond great harm. He was intimidating, and that STARE! No- GLARE! Wow! He exuded rage, barely kept in check. Perfect as a henchman, he almost steals the show from Louis Jordan.

Kristina Wayborn was a lovely henchwoman(?) and worked very well. I suppose you could call her something of a turncoat until you realize she was really only loyal to Octopussy herself.

But if any of the guests in this film truly steal the show it is clearly Steven Berkoff. When and actor, in his first scene can delight me purely by his pronunciation of Chekloslovakia, he can be assured he has my attention. Berkoff brought an almost maniacal exhuberance to the movie. There's a charm to his madness that makes you want to keep watching him.

Plot-wise, as I mentioned above perhaps TOO complex(?), is again a continuation of the detective style adventure that marked FYEO's turn of the franchise. I enjoy piecing together the mystery, but at the payoff, I still feel like the connection between jewelry smuggling and a plot to blow up a nuclear bomb is frankly a bit thin. I realize Orloff had to execute his plan without the knowledge of the Soviet government but I don't quite follow the connection based solely on the events of the film. Or perhaps more acurately I don't see why it had to be jewelry smuggling, and fake jewelry at that.
Regardless, taken as a whole, the concept of a rogue Soviet general bent on invading western Europe before negotiations can waste away a Soviet military advantage is at the least serviceable as a plot for a spy movie.

More serviceable than launching a few nukes to kick off a war to erase civilization from the stolen submarines you're hiding in your supertanker anyway.

Previous entry

Description
WELCOME TO THE NEW TERRITORY! My first Bond movie that I never got to on the old account!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

OCTOPUSSY- 1983.
As I've said before, Octopussy is kind of a 'twin movie' to For Your Eyes Only. It may have something to do with both films being helmed by John Glen, who remains probably my favorite Bond director. But there's more to the familial connection of course.

As with its predecessor, Octopussy relies much more on taut espionage and complex plot (perhaps too complex/contrived?) than bombastic spectacle. The sets, while gorgeous-chiefly Octopussy's island and the Monsoon Palace- are gorgeous, they are not DISTRACTINGLY gorgeous and rooted in practical (if incredibly luxurious) realism. Peter Lamont really came into his own in this film as chief art director. I will comment that the Soviet conference room was gorgeous and could have come from Ken Adams for its novel complexity.

As with Eyes, I love every one of the guest actors for their roles here. Louis Jordan as Kamal Khan works very well as a big game hunter under a veneer of English upper class sophistication, and while they do use the game hunt theme once as Bond escapes the Monsoon Palace, I do think the film could have worked better if the climactic battle had involved a similar 'hunt'.

Maud Adams, exudes a grace and dignity, and her chemistry with Roger is convincing. Could it be because they already worked together on "The Man with the Golden Gun"? There were moments when I felt her acting was less than stellar but I think that has more to do with rushed scenes and lapses in the screenplay.

Kabir Bedi was wonderful as Gobinda. He was tall, obviously capable of doing Bond great harm. He was intimidating, and that STARE! No- GLARE! Wow! He exuded rage, barely kept in check. Perfect as a henchman, he almost steals the show from Louis Jordan.

Kristina Wayborn was a lovely henchwoman(?) and worked very well. I suppose you could call her something of a turncoat until you realize she was really only loyal to Octopussy herself.

But if any of the guests in this film truly steal the show it is clearly Steven Berkoff. When and actor, in his first scene can delight me purely by his pronunciation of Chekloslovakia, he can be assured he has my attention. Berkoff brought an almost maniacal exhuberance to the movie. There's a charm to his madness that makes you want to keep watching him.

Plot-wise, as I mentioned above perhaps TOO complex(?), is again a continuation of the detective style adventure that marked FYEO's turn of the franchise. I enjoy piecing together the mystery, but at the payoff, I still feel like the connection between jewelry smuggling and a plot to blow up a nuclear bomb is frankly a bit thin. I realize Orloff had to execute his plan without the knowledge of the Soviet government but I don't quite follow the connection based solely on the events of the film. Or perhaps more acurately I don't see why it had to be jewelry smuggling, and fake jewelry at that.
Regardless, taken as a whole, the concept of a rogue Soviet general bent on invading western Europe before negotiations can waste away a Soviet military advantage is at the least serviceable as a plot for a spy movie.

More serviceable than launching a few nukes to kick off a war to erase civilization from the stolen submarines you're hiding in your supertanker anyway.

Previous entry