"You have a nasty habit of surviving." "Well you know what they say about the fittest!"
The biggest threat facing the Bond team in 1982 when they began work on Octopussy, apart from the fact that this was to be the 13th official film in the series – unlucky for some – was the fact that Kevin McClory was teaming with Sean Connery for a rival Bond film based on Fleming’s Thunderball to be ironically titled Never Say Never Again. Having secured Moore for his 6th outing as the British secret agent, production began on the film on August 10th 1982 in East Berlin.
Kabir Bedi as Kamal's villainous right hand man Gobinda
Octopussy brings together a fascinating cast of characters for a Bond film. Louis Jourdan is superb as the head villain Kamal Khan and Kabir Bedi is also excellent as Gobinda, the more physical heavy in the same tradition as Jaws or Oddjob. The film also saw the return of Maud Adams as the title character Octopussy. Though not revealed facially in the film until nearly half the way through, Adams makes her presence known and is still one of the best leading ladies to act opposite Moore in any of his films. There is a certain grace to her performance despite the fact that she is involved with jewel smuggling. Having said this, her role as the ill fated Andrea Anders in The Man With The Golden Gun, her first foray into the Bond series, is ultimately more successful.
Maud Adams and Roger Moore on set
Kabir Bedi as Kamal's villainous right hand man GobindaOctopussy brings together a fascinating cast of characters for a Bond film. Louis Jourdan is superb as the head villain Kamal Khan and Kabir Bedi is also excellent as Gobinda, the more physical heavy in the same tradition as Jaws or Oddjob. The film also saw the return of Maud Adams as the title character Octopussy. Though not revealed facially in the film until nearly half the way through, Adams makes her presence known and is still one of the best leading ladies to act opposite Moore in any of his films. There is a certain grace to her performance despite the fact that she is involved with jewel smuggling. Having said this, her role as the ill fated Andrea Anders in The Man With The Golden Gun, her first foray into the Bond series, is ultimately more successful.
Maud Adams and Roger Moore on setMoore seems confident with the material he is given and delivers some excellent dialogue in a straight faced approach, in particular when he is conversing with the maniacal General Orlov aboard the carriage housing the bomb. Moore always manages to inject some great humour and overall fun in his Bond films and Octopussy is no exception. Whilst the costume is a little dubious, it seems perfectly acceptable that Bond would adopt a clown disguise to stop a bomb from exploding in a circus and killing thousands of innocent people. The scene in which he tests Khan’s desperation for the egg at the auction with Fanning is also another example of Moore delivering the comedic goods.
The villain of the film Kamal Khan as portrayed by Cubby Broccoli's friend Louis Jourdan
It is the climax of the film that seems a little lacklustre and over before it has even begun. The fight between Gobinda and Bond atop the plane feels like a recycled version of a Bond scene that has been orchestrated many times beforehand but then this is Bond 13 and there is a lot to live up to. The title song is also a little under par compared to some of the other classics preceding it – gone is the joy of Live and Let Die or the classics like Nobody does it better in favour of a drab ballad. The one good thing is that John Barry rightly tried not to introduce the film’s title into the song. What rhymes with Octopussy? Barry’s score is however another great effort and lends some great tension to some sequences – in particular the 009 assassination sequence after the titles which is one of the best moments in the film.
Ultimately, whilst not Moore’s All Time High, as professed by Pfeiffer and Worrall in their compendium The Essential James Bond, it is a fine entry in the Bond series with exotic locations, beautiful women, a circus, a bomb and so much more. Octopussy out grossed its competitor on release in 1983 and became a top grossing Moore Bond film. No chance of Bond becoming extinct any time soon – even if Moore is starting to look as though he may need a lie down.
The villain of the film Kamal Khan as portrayed by Cubby Broccoli's friend Louis JourdanIt is the climax of the film that seems a little lacklustre and over before it has even begun. The fight between Gobinda and Bond atop the plane feels like a recycled version of a Bond scene that has been orchestrated many times beforehand but then this is Bond 13 and there is a lot to live up to. The title song is also a little under par compared to some of the other classics preceding it – gone is the joy of Live and Let Die or the classics like Nobody does it better in favour of a drab ballad. The one good thing is that John Barry rightly tried not to introduce the film’s title into the song. What rhymes with Octopussy? Barry’s score is however another great effort and lends some great tension to some sequences – in particular the 009 assassination sequence after the titles which is one of the best moments in the film.
Ultimately, whilst not Moore’s All Time High, as professed by Pfeiffer and Worrall in their compendium The Essential James Bond, it is a fine entry in the Bond series with exotic locations, beautiful women, a circus, a bomb and so much more. Octopussy out grossed its competitor on release in 1983 and became a top grossing Moore Bond film. No chance of Bond becoming extinct any time soon – even if Moore is starting to look as though he may need a lie down.
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