Octopussy

I can't help but think that Ian Fleming giggled when he thought of the title "Octopussy" for his final Bond novel. I'd like to think the creators got a chuckle out of the name too when the movie was made. All I know is that anytime it's mentioned around guys, old and young, it gets a laugh. We're lucky then that 1983's Octopussy is a really strong entry into the Bond story.

One of Bonds' fellow agents, 009, has been murdered in East Berlin but not before leaving a clue at the British Embassy; a perfectly made faberge egg but it's a duplicate. MI6 thinks duplicates are being made and auctioned off in order to fund a terrorist attack. Following the trail of one of the buyers, Bond discovers a smuggling ring that leads to bigger things. The woman at the head of the smugglers, Octopussy, may not be completely evil but it looks like she's being played by a partner and a rogue Russian general. It's only at the last minute that Bond figures out their plan, blow up a nuclear bomb on an American Air Force base in Germany and in the world-wide chaos that follows, the Russian army sweeps across Europe.

After the god-awful Moonraker, the Bond series was back on the track with 1981's For Your Eyes Only and then this 1983 entry. I try not to compare the Bond movies, especially right after I watch one, but I can't help it. Behind The Spy Who Loved Me, this is easily the 2nd best Roger Moore Bond movie. I'm appreciating Moore a little more with each movie. A lot of Bond fans don't approve of him or even dislike him, but I started to like his movies more when I realized 'hey, this guy isn't Sean Connery.' He puts a completely different spin on the character, and by Octo, his 6th of 7, he knows the character in and out.

One of the reasons this gets a high ranking for me is that it's somewhat based in reality. The villains intend to steal millions and take over the world, but their plan at least makes sense. No huge space lasers or anything of the sort. In her second Bond movie but as a different character, the gorgeous Maud Adams is older than your typical Bond girl as Octopussy, but that's what is interesting about the character. It stretched the imagination too much that a 40-some Moore could so easily seduce so many women half his age. Adams and Moore are a more likely pair. The character Octopussy is a bad guy of sorts, but she's in that middle ground. Not evil but not good either. She is a smuggler after all.

Other villains include Kamal Khan (Louis Jourdan), a smuggler always looking for an easy buck, and General Orlov (Steven Berkoff), a power hungry Russian general who wants the Soviets to show off their power and not negotiate with NATO. Khan is the real villain here with his lead henchman, Gobinda (Kabir Bedi). More than a little wooden, Kristina Wayborn plays Magda, a woman seemingly working for all sides. And what would a Bond film be without some quirky casting of a villain or henchmen like Jaws or Oddjob? Here we get two knife-wielding acrobatic twins, played by David and Tony Meyers.

One of the keys to a good Bond movie is the pre-credit action sequence. It doesn't have to be great, but it surely can derail the movie. Octopussy's goes right into my top 5, check it out here. The action across the board is top-notch here, including a car chase through the crowded streets of Delhi and the crazy finale as Bond jumps on-board a small plane before it takes off. It's such a cool stunt with the plane clearly flying several thousand feet up that you won't even care that it's a stuntman. Props to that stunt man. Of course, I can't find any video for it so I'll say just go see it.

Like the other good Moore entries, this one doesn't try too hard to be an action movie or a tongue-in cheek spoof with a ton of forced humor. Entertaining from start to finish with Moore at the top of his game at the head of a great cast of Bond girls, villains, and henchmen. Definitely check Octopussy out, and yes, I am giggling like a little boy as I type that. Here's the trailer.