It is one of the more derided and slammed movies in the Bond pantheon, but for some reason, I like "Octopussy". It is not my all time favorite, and yes, there are problems throughout, but when its on TV (as it is frequently), I will watch it, with rapt attention, as I am doing today.I tried to figure out why - why does everyone hate this movie and why do I like it? It was a cold war movie, which (strangely) was a simpler time; you knew who the bad guys were and what were their motives. As I was watching it, I thought, rather than try to convince folks it is not a terrible movie, I thought I would share eight reasons that might help you like the movie a bit more. So in no particular order:
#1: It was the only Bond movie to have a rival (and it won!)
"Octopussy" was released in 1983, the same year that Sean Connery was working on a rival, non EON Bond movie, "Never Say Never Again". For those of you unfamiliar with how this came to be, I encourage watching the excellent documentary "Everything or Nothing", which explored this history of Bond and how this conflict, which almost destroyed the franchise, came to be. Even with the competition, "Octopussy" won the battle of the box office $187 million vs $160 for "Never Say Never Again".
#2: Can't get enough of Maud!The stunning Swedish actress and model, Maud Adams, who plays the part of Octopussy, is the only female to have major parts in two Bond movies (okay, yes, besides Moneypenny....). Previously, she had appeared in "The Man with the Golden Gun". She also appeared in a third, with a non-credited part as an extra partygoer in "View to a Kill".
#3: Three actors with amazing lives
Three of the main actors, new to US audience, had some fairly amazing lives.
- Louis Jourdan (who played Kamal Khan): was an accomplished French actor of both stage and cinema. As a teenager in WW2, his father was arrested by the Gestapo, and he refused to appear in Nazi propaganda films, effectively ending his career and putting his family in danger. He became very involved in the French underground resistance for the duration of the war.
- Kabir Bedi (as Kamal's henchman Gobinda): is a Bollywood legend, having appeared in over 100 movies, along with roles in US television soap operas. He is still active as an actor today.- Vijay Amritraj (as Vijay, local contact for Universal Exports in India): was a world class tennis player. For 14 straight years, he was the top rated tennis player in Asia, hence the many references and jokes to his tennis ability in the movie. This would be his first appearance in film or television.
#4 Last of the named sequels
Traditionally, at the end of the credits of Bond movies, the title of the next movie would be announced. This would be the last Bond movie in which this happen. Interestingly, the name actually changed. The credits reveal the title "From a View to a Kill"; "From" would be dropped when the movie was released.
#5: Q to the rescue!
This would be the first Bond movie where Q played an active part in the mission. Previously, he had been confined to the lab or in meeting rooms. In "Octopussy" he takes an active role, working in the field.
#6 Sixth Bond for Moore
This would be the sixth time Roger Moore appeared as Bond, tying Sean Connery for most portrayals. Moore would do one more, and then graciously retire from the role at age 57. Interestingly, when Moore started playing Bond at age 45; when Connery retired after "Diamonds are Forever", he was 41.
#7 007 loves boatsThis would be the 007th time that 007 ends the movie on a boat. The others include "Dr. No", "From Russia With Love", "Diamonds Are Forever", "The Man with the Golden Gun", "The Spy Who Loved Me", and "For Your Eyes Only".
#8 It left its mark in India
The movie was originally written to take place in South-East Asia; however, when the location scouts visited the Indian city of Udaipur, they were stunned by the beauty of the palaces, so the location was changed. The Lake Palace hotel, used prominently in the film is now unofficially known as "The Octopussy Hotel"
