Steineded How sad is this?

CrawlerChunky In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

BelSports This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

Marva It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

bowmanblue Growing up in the late seventies and early eighties, it's fair to say that (despite the numerous amounts of evidence to the contrary supporting Connery) Roger Moore is my favourite Bond. I watched (the absurdly-titled) 'Octopussy' when it came out in 1983. I was six at the time and I loved it. However, now many decades later I can saw that there are Bond films that stand the test of time and will be enjoyed by future generations just as much and there are Bond films that only appeal to you as a child. Now, I can see that Octopussy is probably the latter. Even as a cynical adult I still watch it and enjoy it for what it is (plus the nostalgia it induces in me), however, it's probably the (first) best example that those who like to criticise Moore's interpretation of Bond use when they say how much better Connery was as the superspy.Many liked Connery because of his darker take on Bond. People felt that Moore was often too silly and self-knowing to be taken seriously. As I said, I personally liked Moore best and he probably peaked during 'The Spy Who Loved Me,' after that it was a slow descent into a little too much reliance on glib one-liners and parodies that would make Austin Powers blush. It focuses on a Soviet General who is trying to finance a new European war via purchasing rare jewellery. Naturally, Bond must stop a few bombs going off along the way.Along with the obligatory car chases and punch-ups we see the first ever instance of a Bond girl returning for a new film. Maud Adams plays a different role than the one in 'The Man With the Golden Gun,' but I'm not really sure why she was chosen as she's hardly the most memorable Bond girl of the franchise. Plus the villain is kind of weak, too. Gone are the days of 'Jaws' or 'Blofeld' and in their place are a forgettable Indian bad guy and the generic Russian general who's always out to crush the decadent West.Overall, I enjoy the film because I pretty much will watch anything Bond-related and I have a soft spot for the campiness of the Roger Moore era (even when it does come across more like a Flash Gordon movie during some of the climactic fight scenes!). However, I do appreciate that 'Octopussy' will not be for everyone. If you lean towards liking 'dark and gritty' Bond then you're really going to have a hard time taking Bond seriously when he's swinging through the jungle while they overlay a 'Tarzan-like' noise over him.Perhaps the most pertinent thing to point out is that Bond has to infiltrate a circus and, in doing so, decides to (perfectly) disguise himself as a clown. He then flaps and waddles in his oversize shoes past all manner of guards in order to stop mass genocide. It's a daft sight, but then it's a pretty daft film. If you're okay with that, then you'll hopefully get some enjoyment in this over-the-top spy film (and not think that it's a complete horse's a$$ - as depicted in the opening stunt!)

rt-ingram Octopussy carries on with the serious return to the series, and with Roger Moore playing 007 with the seriousness that was evident in For Your Eyes Only, but the film is not entirely successful. However, there are some good moments. The pre credits scene is one of the most entertaining, with the Acrostar mini jet being chased by the missile, and the scene after the pre titles where 009 is hunted down and killed is quite eerie and very suspenseful. There are some good performances from the supporting cast, with Maud Adams, Louis Jourdan and Vijay Amritraj being standouts.The main problem with Octopussy is that the plot line is far too complex for its own good; the best films are when the story is straightforward and easy to follow, but Octopussy has far too much going on. The story does grow on you, but it's not something you take to straight away.The film does have a few silly moments, especially the Tarzan yell, and the part where Bond disguises himself as a clown to disarm the bomb doesn't work; it would have been more tense if he'd have just gone in as himself.Overall, Octopussy has its good moments, but is let down by an overly complex story.

Coventry If I personally rank all the James Bond movies from best to worst, this "Octopussy" would end up somewhere in the middle section or even slightly higher; in the upper half of the list. By this I mean that it certainly isn't an extraordinary Bond-movie that blows you away like some of the oldest (like "Goldfinger" or "You Only Live Twice") and newest (like "Casino Royale" or "Skyfall") did, but that it's a more than entertaining entry in the franchise. The ingredients that I particularly like in this film are the strong feminist undertones, the presence of a couple of less flamboyant but ultra-menacing bad guys, the Indian setting as well as the eerie circus finale and a handful of impressively staged sensational action sequences. The plot is good old-fashioned and stereotypical "all-Reds-are-evil-bastards" guff again, with villainous Russian military men hooking up with nasty Eastern millionaires in order to nuke American/British targets like air force bases. To achieve this they use the international smuggling network of the irresistible Octopussy, like for instance her world-acclaimed traveling circus. For the first time in Bond- history, the name of a female character forms the title and there's quite a bit of girl- power in the film overall. 007 "only" sleeps with two women here (whereas, in other films, it can go up to four or five) and they're both strong and independent women that don't seem all too impressed by his lucky charms. Louis Jordan depicts a charismatic bad guy, and he has got one of those indestructible henchmen in the shape of Bollywood actor Kabir Bedi. I always determine my James Bond movies based on how appalling the enemies are, and apart from these two, there are a couple of more like the sadistic Russian general Orlov (Steven Berkoff) and eerie knife-throwing twin brothers. Naturally Desmond Llewelyn is present as "Q" and he provides 007 with a handful of lovely and imaginative toys, like a realistic crocodile diving suit. But here also the coolest gimmick belongs to the bad guys, as some of Bond's opponents use a freakishly nasty type of buzz saw on a wire to attack. There are chase sequences with hot air balloons, homemade miniature airplanes and traditional rickshaws through overcrowded Indian marketplace streets; good Bond stuff in other words

rjsf96 When it comes to consistency Roger Moore is out of luck as James Bond. During one film he is at his peak and then all of a sudden everything around him crumbles to the core. One of the weaker Bond entries in the canon, Octopussy is another troublesome film for Moore. Bond is tasked with uncovering a jewel smuggling operation after the untimely death of 009. His search leads him face to face with the wealthy Kamal Khan who owns his own luxurious palace in India.Strange for a Bond film, even the poor irredeemable ones; but Octopussy drags. Often. It's almost a challenge to complete the film in one sitting. That's because it rarely deviates from formula enough to provide solidly consistent thrills that fans crave from a 007 flick. It's ridiculous and dare I say it boring and I despise the use of the word. The unimagination of Octopussy extends to its Bond girl and villain. Maud Adams makes a reappearance as a Bond girl, this time in Octopussy, last time as Scaramanga's mistress in the painful The Man with The Golden Gun. It's a shame that she never appeared in a decent Bond film and it's not like there is a shortage. Adams hits all the previous beats and her attraction to Bond rings false frequently. Was Bond blind to overlook this? Or was he just thrilled to bed her? Either way 007 you are slipping. Octopussy only really wants Bond's attention so that she is kept safe from Kamal and his henchmen.Oh dear. We have not had an excellent villain since On Her Majesty's Secret Service. Kamal does not pose a threat to Bond so why should we fear him? Kamal is the bottom of the barrel when it comes to Bond villains.That makes it all the more curious as to why the secondary Bond villains and girls this time around work so well. Gobinda is a man to be frightened of, I just wish he was promoted; he could easily take care of Kamal after all.The secondary Bond girl Magda is intriguing; almost the sole high of the film. Moore and Kristina Wayborn actually display chemistry on screen so it was a smart move to have them share a few brief scenes together. The ending of Octopussy does succeed in shaking things up, well the last fifteen minutes or so. The second act set in a circus is excruciatingly tedious, bar a few well-constructed stunts; the whole fiasco goes on well beyond its welcome.Octopussy is another misstep for the franchise. While not as poorly constructed as The Man with the Golden Gun or as ludicrous and hard to buy into as Moonraker it is somehow a duller film than both. As Q says during the middle of the film "I haven't got time for your adolescent antics 007". Neither it seems have I.