Octopussy (1983)

Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

The movie really just wants to entertain people.

Blistering performances.

British agents including Roger Moore in clown make-up? How inane. It mimics and looks like it could have been filmed inside "Circus Circus" in Las Vegas but apparently it was not. Unintentionally funny, especially with an exaggerated "side show", again similar to Circus Circus. There is a cheapness about the whole production. The best part of the movie is the title theme song by John Barry. A nuclear bomb inside a circus cannon? Almost an act of terrorism, unheard of in those days. The only saving grace is two bombastic Bond Girls. People who like this entry must be watching a different movie than me. I guess a provocative title goes a long way? That's one reason that "The Mexican" and "John Carter" were "duds" at the box office.

The the 13th James Bond Movie and the next to last Roger Moore, is Not Bad but it seems They just couldn't Help including One Cringe for every Thing They Got Right.The Film Looks Sharp and John Barry Returned and Composed the Score to try and Erase the Memory of that Awful Bill Conti Debacle in the Previous Movie. There are Numerous Nail-Biting Scenes on Planes and Trains and then there is 007, a Man with a "License to Kill", Sliding down the Bannister, Machine Gun in Hand, like an Eight Year Old.The Opening Pre-Title Escape from a Cuban Prison is a Perfect Beginning and is Exciting and Heart Pounding until the "Fill er' Up" Line. That's pretty much how the Movie Goes. It's Great and then Not.The Movie is Entertaining, to a point, if Repeatedly Frustrating with its Silliness (the Tarzan yell). It Routinely Stops the Tension with Buffoonery, Loons, and Goons.Overall, Mid-Range Bond, with some Severe Over-Acting and Over-the-Top Stuff. Probably More Bond Girls here than in any other. Some of the Violence is Visceral and Brutal but doesn't Mix all that well with the Goofing Around.Maud Adams and Her Chiseled Cheek Bones is the Title Character, but Her Acting is Awful and Her Pet has more Charisma. As a James Bond Movie it is a very Mixed Bag, but as a Fluffy Popcorn Film, it can be Fun.

This film came out in 1983, the same year as the unofficial Bond film, "Never Say Never Again" starring Sean Connery. They had a box-office battle called "The Battle of the Bonds," and this film grossed a lot more and was, by a long shot, the better film as well. This is another fun Bond adventure with plenty to like.Roger Moore is starting to show his age a little bit in this film, but he's still has his charm and can still seduce women and deliver the one-liners. Maud Adams, who was previously in "The Man With The Golden Gun," once again is pretty much wasted, which is a shame since she's the title character.Louis Jordan as Kamal Khan is a very smooth and cool villain, and Steven Berkoff isn't as bad as most people say. The plot may be convoluted for some, but it's actually another fairly down-to-earth spy story.The locales in India are very beautiful and the film doesn't disappoint as far as action goes. It has a brilliant plane chase in the pre-credit sequence, a chase through the streets of India, a struggle on top a train, and a nerve-racking climax with Bond hanging on to Khan's areoplane.There are some incredibly silly elements that this film is infamous for. Bond dressing in a clown costume is one thing, but the Tarzan yell is a bit much. You'll enjoy the film if you just ignore those.By no means is this Bond's "All-Time High" like Rita Coolidge's theme song says, but this is still a fun, suspenseful, action-packed entry in the Bond series. Well worth a look.RATING: B

Octupussy is a decent movie with a reasonably well written storyline and a talented cast. It's an enjoyable Bond film, mostly because of Roger Moore, who is still terrific in the lead role in his sixth outing as 007, he's cool, slick and very funny, his one liners here are particularly excellent and it's what makes him stand out from other Bond actors, his scenes with Maud Adams are the best as the two have undeniable chemistry. It's biggest problem is that it never takes itself seriously, Moore is fine but other characters have comedic lines and it dosen't suit, I liked how it worked in previous movies, where every other character was dead serious while Moore made jokes that they didn't respond to, it almost feels like a parody of a Bond film at times instead of an official entry in the series, seeing Bond dressed as a clown is simply ridiculous. The story is also far too predictable, you can tell every move that is going to be made ten minutes before it happens, it's formulaic and never really tries to stand out from other Bonds, it's also very slow moving with too much dialogue and not enough action. It has many flaws, if you're a fan of James Bond, and particularly Roger Moore, then you should certainly watch Octupussy, but if you're looking for a genuinely good adventure film, give it a miss. James Bond is assigned to solve the murder of an agent who was killed while clutching a fake Faberge egg. Best Performance: Roger Moore