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DVD Octopussy
Roger Moore was nearing the end of his reign as James Bond when he made Octopussy, and he looks a little worn out. But the movie itself infuses some new blood into the old franchise, with a frisky pace and a pair of sturdy villains. Maud Adams--who'd also been in the Bond outing The Man with the Golden Gun--plays the improbably named Octopussy, while old smoothie Louis Jourdan is her crafty partner in crime. There's an island populated only by women, plus a fantastic sequence with a hand-to-hand fight that happens on a plane--and on top of a plane. The film even has an extra emotional punch, since this time out 007 is not only following the orders of Her Majesty's Secret Service, but he is also exacting a personal revenge: a fellow double-0 agent has been killed. Two Bond films were actually released in 1983 within a few months of each other, as Octopussy was followed by Sean Connery's comeback in Never Say Never Again. The success of both pictures proved that there was still plenty of mileage left in the old license to kill, though Moore had one more workout--A View to a Kill--before hanging it up. And that title? The franchise had already used up the titles to Ian Fleming's novels, so Octopussy was taken from a lesser-known Fleming short story. --Robert Horton
Roger Moore's sixth and penultimate Bond film is an uneven one but still manages to be an entertaining entry. Octopussy's (sheesh what's with that title?!?) main problem is that it wavers between two extremes. At times it's a typical Moore Bond with plenty of tounge-in-cheek elements. The biggest culprits are Bond's tarzan yell and the his disguising as a clown to inflitrate a circus! At other times though, the film recalls some of the gritty fevor of the more serious For Your Eyes Only (which I would say is Moore's finest). I can only imagine the filmmakers were trying to please both camps of fans but frankly it does the movie no favors.
However, this manages to be enjoyable. Moore is as charming and witty as before. Some of his trademark goofiness is still evident but he does act more serious when the time is right. There's good action and the villians, Kamal Khan and General Orlov, are OK. And personally, I thought it was nice, in a way, to see Bond get an older lady (Maud Adams, around 37 at the time)instead of a woman 30 years younger. The theme song by Rita Coolidge, All-Time High, is a simple and pleasant romantic song.
For once, I'll actually comment on a DVD itself. This is a pretty good one with fine picture quality and some nice bonus features. I always the enjoy the making-of documentaries even if they are on the short side. By todays standards, this disc is a bit thin on extras but I guess this forgivable in light of it's age.
Darkhorse86
Back to the Well Once Moore
When Octopussy came out, the Bond series was in its early 20s and Roger Moore was in his mid 50's. Unfortunately, both were beginning to show their age. This is Roger's sixth. His contract expired after For You Eyes Only but the Bond braintrust asked him back. I guess the fact that Moore was a known quantity was the selling point. He looks every bit the middle aged man trying to pass for younger. One can't help but role one's eyes watching masterspy 007 ogle and be ogled by women less than half his age. Bond movies have always been a bit crude but Octopussy is one of the few that is a bit vulgar. Lots of boob shots and smarmy remarks. Octopussy is the 13th Bond movie and surprisingly little was done to pep things up a bit. Same old, same old. Two Cold War stereotypes are on full display here: The "mad Russian" General & the creepy oily middle eastern playboy. Moore's Bond veers wildly back and forth from horny old goat to suave consummate professional. No doubt a reaction to the wildly successful but critically panned goof-fest Moonraker and the modestly successful and critically praised straight-arrow FYEO. There are some rousing action scenes (particularly the train roof fight), a tremendous number of gorgeous babes, and some very nice location camerawork done in India. In the end, Octopussy ends up being really just one of several Bond movies that fail to distinguish themselves.
Moore's worst, along with VIEW TO A KILL
What an embarassment to the series! This film pushed the humor button so many times, it was almost a comedy! EVERY single action had to have a one-liner following it - case-in-point: the golf-cart chase sequence. Joke after Joke and sight-gag after sight-gag slow the scene down to the point it is laughable. And how about that jungle escape scene? Let's see - Moore is being chased by the bad guy (who is riding an elephant) - he swings on a vine and we get a Tarzan yell from the soundtrack for it - then he is attacked by what truly looks like a stuffed animal tiger - and then, after landing in the water for about 5 seconds, is covered in leeches! The producers were trying to throw every exotic aspect of the jungle at you in about 60 seconds!
Add to all this the least interesting Bond girl (Maud Adams) who for once actually looks Moore's elderly age. Maud already underwhelmed us in MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN as a different character. Why they liked her enought to give her a new role is beyond me.
The film only manages to shine in its final act during a truly exciting train chase sequence. I love the image of Bond driving a car with blown-out tires on a railroad track! The film also featured one of the better opening sequences. (In fact, Moore seems to have had almost all of the best opening sequences - too bad his entire movies couldn't have been as good as their openings!)
I waver over whether this or VIEW TO A KILL is the worst of Moore's series - but I usually tend to award that distinction to this one, simply for the silliness factor. I mean, I know Bond is a sex addict - but he's not supposed to be so immature as to zoom a camera into a woman's cleavage over and over!! That's the sort of thing that belongs in an Austin Powers movie!
Roger Moore's last outing as James Bond is evidence enough that it was time to pass the torch to another actor. Beset by crummy action (an out-of-control fire engine?) and featuring a fading Moore still trying to prop up his mannered idea of style, the film is largely interesting for Christopher Walken's quirky performance as a sort-of supervillain who wants to take out California's Silicon Valley. Grace Jones has a spookily interesting presence as a lethal associate of Walken's (and who, in the best Bond tradition, has sex with 007 before trying to kill him later), and Patrick Macnee (Steed!) has a warm if brief bit. Even directed by John Glen, who brought some crackle to the Moore years in the Bond franchise, this is a very slight effort. --Tom KeoghMore Info about this DVD Actor(s): Roger Moore - Christopher Walken Director(s): John Glen (II) DVD Release Date: Released the 17 October 2000 This item is currently not available.
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Roger Moore was introduced as James Bond in this 1973 action movie featuring secret agent 007. More self-consciously suave and formal than predecessor Sean Connery, he immediately reestablished Bond as an uncomplicated and wooden fellow for the feel-good '70s. This film also marks a deviation from the more character-driven stories of the Connery years, a deliberate shift to plastic action (multiple chases, bravura stunts) that made the franchise more of a comic book or machine. If that's not depressing enough, there's even a good British director on board, Guy Hamilton (Force 10 from Navarone). The story finds Bond taking on an international drug dealer (Yaphet Kotto), and while that may be superficially relevant, it isn't exactly the same as fighting supervillains on the order of... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Roger Moore - Yaphet Kotto Director(s): Guy Hamilton DVD Release Date: Released the 19 October 1999 This item is currently not available.
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For Your Eyes Only, I think, is the best Bond film of all time. It has it all- exciting and realistic action, brilliant acting, beautiful settings, superb directing and productions, excellent production design and a thrilling music score. Roger Moore gives his best and most dangerous performance as Agent OO7. The locations- Madrid, Cortina and Greece, are some of the best in a Bond film. The action is brilliant- the ski and the motorbike chase, the opening helicopter sequence and the climax scene where Bond must climb a massive mountain. The music is also brilliant. This is so much better than Moonraker, or any other Bond film. Buy this one! More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Roger Moore - Carole Bouquet Director(s): John Glen (II) DVD Release Date: Released the 19 October 1999 This item is currently not available.
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This was the first James Bond adventure produced after the success of Star Wars, so it jumped on the sci-fi bandwagon by combining the suave appeal of Agent 007 (once again played by Roger Moore) with enough high-tech hardware and special effects to make Luke Skywalker want to join Her Majesty's Secret Service. After the razzle-dazzle of The Spy Who Loved Me, this attempt to latch onto a trend proved to be a case of overkill, even though it brought back the steel-toothed villain Jaws (Richard Kiel) and scored a major hit at the box office. This time Bond is up against a criminal industrialist named Drax (Michel Lonsdale) who wants to control the world from his orbiting space station. In keeping with his well-groomed style, Bond thwarts this maniacal Neo-Hitler's scheme with... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Roger Moore Director(s): Lewis Gilbert (II) DVD Release Date: Released the 16 May 2000 This item is currently not available.
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Sean Connery retired from the 007 franchise after You Only Live Twice (replaced by George Lazenby in the underrated and underperforming On Her Majesty's Secret Service) but was lured back for one last official appearance as James Bond in Diamonds Are Forever. He's in fine form--cool but ruthless--in a sharp precredits sequence hunting the unkillable Blofeld (a suavely menacing Charles Gray in this incarnation), but the MacGuffin of a story (involving diamond smuggling, a superlaser on a satellite, and Blofeld's latest plot to rule the world ) is full of the groaning tongue-in-cheek gags that Roger Moore would make his signature. Goldfinger director Guy Hamilton keeps the film zipping along gamely from one entertaining set piece to another, including a terrific... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Sean Connery - Jill St. John Director(s): Guy Hamilton DVD Release Date: Released the 17 October 2000 This item is currently not available.
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