Hello everyone! 🙂

Welcome to ‘Bradley’s Basement’ blog and I’m Tim Bradley!

It’s been a while since I did a review on a James Bond movie, isn’t it? The last time I did a review on a James Bond film was ‘No Time To Die’ back in 2021. So, let’s do another review on a James Bond film that I’ve seen recently on Blu-ray – the 1983 film ‘Octopussy’!

Technically, I did do a review on ‘Octopussy’ back in 2017 as part of the ‘James Bond 007 – The Roger Moore Collection’, but that was a summary rather than what my thoughts on the film were. 😐 So, I thought, let’s revisit this film after having not seen it for a while. 🙂

At the time I first saw it back in 2017, I found ‘Octopussy’ an enjoyable instalment in the James Bond film series starring Roger Moore. Upon revisiting it, I still found it enjoyable. I’m not a big James Bond fan, but I know I’m going to enjoy one that has Roger Moore in it.

The film’s title happens to be taken from a short story by Ian Fleming in the 1966 short story collection ‘Octopussy and the Living Daylights’. I’m not familiar with the Ian Fleming stories and I believe most of the film’s plot was original by the screenwriters writing the script.

The film ‘Octopussy’ has James Bond being assigned the task of solving a mystery concerning a fellow agent’s murder – 009, apparently (who dressed up as a clown before he died 😀 ) – and a priceless Fabergé egg. Like always, he goes to many parts of the world.

This includes India and East Germany. Bond ends up meeting exiled Afghan prince Kamal Khan and his associate Octopussy. Very soon, Bond discovers a plot to force disarmament in Western Europe with the use of a nuclear weapon. Can he stop it in time?

Like I said, ‘Octopussy’ is an enjoyable James Bond film flick. It has the action set pieces required, the humour, the love scenes between Bond and Octopussy, you name it. It’s a film that can be seen as standalone compared to the other 007 films made over the years.

With that said, there are times when the plot can be a bit confusing, especially as you’re trying to understand why the villain wants a Fabergé egg that will lead disarmament involving a nuclear weapon. Maybe it’s because I’m not a James Bond fan to know that. 😐

I’m sure with rewatches, you’d be able to get into the plot more and more. But considering I don’t watch James Bond films regularly, I doubt I’m going to understand the film’s plot every time I go back to revisiting a film. Maybe I’m incorrect, but that’s how I feel about it.

Maud Adams stars as the glamourous and titular Octopussy in the film. Maud Adams previously played Andrea Anders in ‘The Man With the Golden Gun’. You might think she’s the villain at certain points in the film, but she ends up being one of Bond’s love interests.

Louis Jourdan stars as the villainous Kamel Khan. I’m not sure what Khan’s motivations are in terms of a being a villain in this film, but Louis Jourdan plays him very well. Apparently, Louis Jourdan played Count Dracula in a 1977 BBC TV adaptation about him.

The film’s cast also includes Kristina Wayborn as Magda, a trusted subordinate and henchwoman to Octopussy and Khan, who also ends up in bed with Bond. 😀 There’s Kabir Bedi, as Gobinda, Khan’s powerful bodyguard that Bond ends up having fights with.

Steven Berkoff (who’s been in the ‘Doctor Who’ episode ‘The Power of Three’ and voiced King Herod in ‘It’s a Boy’) stars as the villainous General Orlov, a renegade Soviet general who works with Khan in the film. 😐 There’s Vijay Amritraj as Vijay, Bond’s M16 ally in India.

There’s David and Anthony Meyer as Mischka and Grischka, Orlov’s knife-throwing henchmen. There’s also Douglas Wilmer as Jim Fanning, Robert Brown as M, Walter Gotell as General Anatoly Gogol, Desmond Llewelyn as Q, Lois Maxwell as Miss Moneypenny, and Geoffrey Keen as Frederick Gray who’s the British Minister of Defence.

Albert Moses stars as Sadruddin, the head of the MI6 station in India, Bruce Boa (who’s been in the ‘Fawlty Towers’ episode ‘Waldorf Salad’) as US Air Force General Peterson, Michaela Clavel as Penelope Smallbone, Moneypenny’s assistant, and Paul Hardwick as the Soviet Chairman who presides over the meeting between Orlov and Gogol in the film.

Apparently, Jeremy Bulloch (who’s well-known for being the body of Boba Fett in the original ‘Star Wars’ film trilogy) plays Smithers, Q’s assistant in the film. Ingrid Pitt (who I’ve seen in two ‘Doctor Who’ TV stories) voice cameos as Octopussy’s galley mistress. 🙂

It’s been good to revisit ‘Octopussy’ after so many years. I still consider this an enjoyable instalment in the James Bond film series. I may not be into James Bond films like others are, but when it’s Roger Moore playing Bond in a film, I can enjoy it whilst watching him.

Roger Moore delivers Bond in spades with charm and humour in much the same way as he’s able to deliver charm and humour as Simon Templar in ‘The Saint’. Although I regard Roger Moore more as the Saint than as James Bond, his Bond films are good to check out.

Thanks for reading!

Bye for now!

Tim 🙂