OCTOPUSSY | The Most Underrated James Bond Movie

🔵 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗣𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝘅 𝗼𝗻 𝗣𝗮𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗯𝗼𝗻𝘂𝘀 𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗼𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲: / pentexproductions 🔵
Octopussy is 40 years old, so let’s review this James Bond classic from 1983 (no, I’m not talking about Never Say Never Again). Despite having generally poor critical reception at the time of its release and since then, many die hard Bond fans absolutely love this film. This James Bond video essay breaks down why Octopussy, despite its somewhat poor reputation among general audiences, is actually one of the best James Bond movies ever. It may be flawed, but Octopussy is absolutely a film that deserves reappraisal. So pour a martini and settle in because we’re going deep.
🎞️ Octopussy (1983) starring Roger Moore and Maud Adams is the 13th James Bond film produced by Eon Productions. Directed Octopussy sees Bond assigned the task of following a megalomaniacal Soviet general (Steven Berkoff) who is stealing jewellery and art objects from the Kremlin art repository. This leads Bond to a wealthy exiled Afghan prince, Kamal Khan (Louis Jourdan), and his associate, Octopussy, and the discovery of a plot to force disarmament in Western Europe with the use of a nuclear weapon.🎞️
🔵 Enormous thanks to my fellow Bond afficionados for lending me their voices: 🔵
David Lowbridge-Ellis (MBE!) | Author of the exceptional Licence to Queer blog. Be sure to check out his queer re-view of Octopussy here: www.licencetoqueer.com/blog/q...
Griffin Schiller | The man, the myth, the legend behind the @FilmSpeak channel. If you liked this video, be sure to watch his brilliant defence of Moonraker here: • Moonraker: The (Silly)...
Jeroen | Better known as @DutchBondFan. Pioneer and maker of the ‘Recapping 007’ video reviews of every single Bond film, along with a host of other videos for Bond fans to sink their metal teeth into. Be sure to find his own take on Octopussy here: • Recapping 007 #13 - Oc...
CHAPTERS
00:00 - All Time High
03:27 - Historical context (the making of Octopussy)
08:28 - Octopussy opening scene (a sweet distraction)
10:36 - All Time High (Rita Coolidge)
12:16 - Property of a Lady (Ian Fleming in Octopussy)
16:47 - James Bond in India (tuktuk and jungle chase)
24:44 - Moore and Maud (two of a kind)
30:14 - James Bond train fight (so hold on tight)
34:36 - THAT clown scene (Bond diffuses the nuke)
37:05 - Octopussy plane fight (let the flight begin)
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▶️ If you liked this video, watch this one about The Spy Who Loved Me: • Why THE SPY WHO LOVED ...
▶️ If you want to learn more about casting the next James Bon, watch this: • How The NEXT JAMES BON...
▶️ Or watch this playlist for all of my Bond video essays: • James Bond video essays
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MUSIC
🎵 A Flute's Morning - Aakash Gandhi | KZbin Audio Library
🎵 www.bensound.com/free-music-f...
SOURCES
Inside Octopussy - • Inside Octopussy
All still images come from the absolutely amazing James Bond photo archive at: www.thunderballs.org/ps-bts

[@PentexProductions]

If you liked this video, there's plenty more of my Bond video essays here: kzbin.info/aero/PLGKyAwPbirg9xCsjSvrc_e3N_f887xJnG Enormous thanks again to my fellow Bond aficionados for lending me their voices: David Lowbridge-Ellis (MBE!) | Author of the exceptional Licence to Queer blog. Be sure to check out his queer re-view of Octopussy here: www.licencetoqueer.com/blog/queer-re-view-octopussy Griffin Schiller | The man, the myth, the legend behind @FilmSpeak. If you liked this video, be sure to watch his brilliant defence of Moonraker here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/d4OzpGSBndWAkKM Jeroen | Better known as @DutchBondFan. Pioneer and maker of the ‘Recapping 007’ video reviews of every single Bond film, along with a host of other videos for Bond fans to sink their metal teeth into. Watch his own take on Octopussy here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/g2nHe2x5g5t8jNU

[@relwalretep]

Love your video essays, mate. Thanks for doing them for us.

[@mkllin2789]

😊😊😊😊

[@borisVspider66]

Roger Moore was my bond because I was the exact right age for him as I was born in 66, I watched this by chance ^ I'm glad that I did because you pretty much nailed it & can disagree very little with your narrative.. I think All Time High was criminally underrated & I found the Circus scene to be not as irritating as you although the circus acts helping hit khans place was terrible & yes the jungle chase was cringe. When Moore's humor worked it didn't feel out of place, but when it didn't then it was horrible. I would only ad that Vijay Amritraj was awful at acting & only slightly better at Tennis.

[@gaminglazarus4343]

hi pentex productions good youtube video. roger moore and pierce brosnan have best james bond movies

[@aposaric]

When I was a kid during a war in Croatia, we had couple of movies on VHS and this one was one of them. Whenever there was an airstrike siren, we would put this on, if electricity was on. I have watched this movie hundred times or more. Fantastic film

[@adammercer6004]

Hearing your story shows that this Bond movie certainly did what the Bond Movie meant to do and went even beyond anything the creators could have hope and helped you get you through a extremely dark period of your life I always had a certain affection for Octopussy over the years inspite of it's flaws your story had certainly made this movie mean more now to me so thank you for sharing and I hope you carry one living your life in peace. 🙂

[@leandrolej]

uhum, i was the video cassette

[@alec6961]

Kamal Kahn is the most under rated Bond Villain. Right from his first meeting Bond he just wants him dead and pours as much energy as he can to ensure his demise. Love every second of his screen time.

[@OroborusFMA]

And unlike so many Bond villains who inexplicably let Bond live Kamal would have killed him but Octopussy wouldn't let him. "You're making a big mistake," turns out to be true.

[@AdamSternberg]

One thing I've always liked about this movie is the soundtrack. Octopussy had some really solid musical themes in it.

[@PentexProductions]

All of John Barry's Bond scores were brilliant - but this one is a step up for sure.

[@OrsmanOntiago]

💯 Some of the cues in this film are outrageous, and they just slip by so casually

[@MrCostaC]

Instrumental version of all time high is one of the greatest pieces of music from the 20th century

[@TheKcrellin]

I think Octopussy is one of the best Bond films, and the circus of the third act works perfectly in my opinion. The portrayal of the circus is very much in line with what circuses were like 40 years ago.

[@jskypercussion]

I absolutely agree. Octopussy is my favorite Roger Moore Bond movie and in my top 5 most favorite Bond films of all time. I watch it every Thanksgiving with my father. It's tradition. The action in the movie is superb. The acting is excellent and it is just a fun movie that is so enjoyable. Easily my favorite cast of all the Bond films.

[@Varangian_af_Scaniae]

Fawning over a tuktuk chase scene in some back alley in India while criticize the circus when both scenes where authentic and fitting, felt very strange to me.

[@cjod33]

​@@Varangian_af_Scaniae as he said, it's a generational thing. They're always looking for something to signal thier virtue with these days 😂.

[@edmundoftheangles7977]

Yes despite comments in the video, the circus setting makes this part of the movie more effective

[@kthx1138]

Definitely the most cinematically ambitious presentation of a circus I've ever seen.

[@alexhando8541]

What I like about Octopussy, compared to most other Bond films, is that it has a tangible threat- a Soviet General going rogue. Most the other films have some larger than life billionaire supervillain like Blofeld, Drax, Silva, Safin, Dr No and Goldfinger. While the plot of Octopussy is camp and fantastical, it still does inhabit the realm of possibility, despite its ridiculous elements.

[@PentexProductions]

I do love a larger than life Bond villain, but I agree that it works in this case to have someone whose motivations are a bit more grounded...only to have him played so eccentrically by Steven Berkoff! A great balance, and a very memorable Bond villain!

[@piotrmalewski8178]

And a James Bond pretending to be a Tarzan, a crocodile and a clown.

[@kevinscottsphr5214]

you know enough about Bond films to lead a committee on the subject!

[@ysthafellgynghori8423]

@@piotrmalewski8178 Which is better than Bond pretending to be a skeleton, which happened in 'Spectre'. In 'No Tme To Die, Bond BECAME a skeleton.

[@erikthewriter]

I like the Circus because it’s such a contrast to what is actually happening. Bonds face during this scene tells you everything, he is scared

[@speedracer1945]

Nahh , OHMSS he was scared at the ice rink unarmed and alone . Look at his face as he runs through the crowd .

[@quadders9198]

Octopussy is a solid cold war thriller. All round excellent, great pacing, great characters, great scenery. Solid all round.

[@chadhaire1711]

garbage movie.....worst as was Roger Moore

[@quadders9198]

@@DD-zh4by Clearly don't know your cold war thrillers, most of the famous ones feature older men, espionage isn't a young mans game. If I said action film then ok, but I didn't.

[@loydkline]

Got my vote: last fun James bond movie

[@emperortrevornorton3119]

Roger Moore has some of the best funnest action scenes in all of classic Bond movies you can always get enjoyment from stunt work, background characters, and miniatures guaranteed enjoyment

[@loydkline]

❤️ Octopussy movie got on 2 DVD 📀

[@Makapaa]

Goldeneye and Octopussy were my first Bond movies I ever watched. While I LOVE Goldeneye, I REMEMBER Octopussy better. Octopussy just has that surprisingly perfect blend of silly absurdity and actual, high-stakes spy games that I love from these "older" films.

[@PentexProductions]

Two great films! I think Goldeneye is the better film, but Octopussy was much more fun to watch when I was growing up!

[@JohnQPublic345]

From 1974 to 1985, i love all 007 movies. Rip sir roger

[@markseib4173]

I admit - this is absolutely one of my favourites - and i think the plot is totally believable

[@eponym2]

Couldn’t agree more! - Best opening action scene - Best opening credits sequence - Best score Only under-appreciated because of it’s title!

[@Tadicuslegion78]

I do laugh at the face Moore makes when she says "That's my little octopussy" and he has this look of "Dear god what the hell kind of movie is this?"

[@Kacpa2]

Like he stumbled into a pornoshoot xD

[@JamesB-mg9pk]

This is my favorite Roger Moore Bond movie. You can see Moore is having so much fun in this. This movie has everything you need in a Bond film. Rest in peace Roger Moore. You're at an all time high now.

[@tompennock6369]

Very good Bond film. It brings back a lot of good memories. Extremely underrated. It's very well crafted and Roger and Maud Adams are excellent together. Very good performances. Louis Jourdan is wonderful in this film too. His acting is equal to Bond in this film. Plus the John Barry score is fantastic. It was a time when 007 films were fun and light. It brings back good memories of when my Father was alive and we enjoyed this film so much. I am looking forward to my MINT 16mm print coming tomorrow of this title. June 1983 was a wonderful time. I miss those good times with my Father very much. Thank you for the very well researched review. I enjoyed watching this synopsis. Very well done. Thank You!!!

[@loydkline]

Last fun James bond movies;; it a James movie that you bring the family ; current James bonds movies too much guns

[@tompennock6369]

@@loydkline Yes, I agree completely. Even Roger Moore said he felt the series had become too violent. I can't remember the title at the moment but it was one of the Pierce Brosnan movies. I was watching this plethora of violence on the screen and then looked at all the audience watching this violence and enjoying it and I thought to myself "Why in the world am I watching this?" People seemed to be lavishing it all. That is when I began to give up on the series. I don't think Cubby would have approved of it. The films used to be for all the whole family to watch and entertaining. Not wall to wall killings.

[@thomasanderson2757]

Octopussy is Roger Moore's best Bond film as it is tailored to what his incarceration of James Bond was charming, posh and a joy to be around while also dangerous and full of adventure.

[@20thCenturyManTrad]

I think For Your Eyes Only is his top one, he is the Fleming Bond in that one, with minimal humor. But it's definitely a great one and probably my third favorite from Roger Moore's tenure.

[@piotrmalewski8178]

I'd argue 'For Your Eyes Only' is the best, because it's the only serious one, Bond looks really pissed at some times, and it's the only Bond movie ever to have plot-twist. All other Moore's Bond movies vary between half joke to Ameriocan dumbass comedy Octopussy is. Iam Fleming hated James Bond movies and I don't blame him. The books have completely different mood and are a lot more realistic. They even have horrific gory scenes like Bond crawling through a heated channel in agony, smelling burnt meat which is his own flesh burning.

[@mikewilson714]

For Your Eyes Only is Roger's finest hour as 007!

[@dbsommers1]

I prefer both Spy and Eyes myself. Both with Moore having come into his own with playing Bond to his strengths and the actual plots.

[@kthx1138]

Indeed. When Roger is under the train in danger of being run over, it's hair-raising!

[@guyhommeNYC]

I was a US Army officer stationed in Germany when Octopussy was released. A group of us went to see it, and got a big kick out of this Bond adventure. First, General Orlov's briefing to the Soviet Politburo....notice the Brezhnev look-a-like?.... and General Gogol, the KGB chief, rolling his eyes at yet another hardliner General bragging he can defeat the Allies single handedly! Then pay attention to the map of Europe...Orlov describes exactly the Soviet plan for a limited invasion of Germany, grabbing the industrial might of the Ruhr area, and going for Antwerp. I fell out of my seat, looking around the cinema to see if any Intelligence types had bug eyes on the screen! Wait, it gets better... then Bond crashes thru the gate of a US Air Force base, yelling at the guard, "I'm a British agent". We all HOWLED with laughter! Oh and the German Polizei really have acrobatic drivers who can pull those stunts. Roger Moore played his James Bond for maximum absurdity. What rollicking fun. By the way, this was during the planning stages of operation ABLE ARCHER (look it up). We had no idea it would turn into a near nuclear war. To quote Judi Dench playing 'M' in a later Bond film; "God, I miss the Cold War"

[@simonbyrd6518]

I was assigned to the UK base they mocked up as "Feldstadt" (Upper Heyford), but unfortunately I worked the graveyard shift so I couldn't stay up all day and be in the crowd watching the circus parade (with Kristina!). However, I did get to watch them film some of the car chase sequence with the polizei.

[@guyhommeNYC]

@simonbyrd6518 Simon, now that you mention it, I wonder if the UK production team "borrowed" German Polizei cars and drivers for that chase....or used British drivers?

[@simonbyrd6518]

@@guyhommeNYC I assumed they painted cars with the green, and they had to be UK stuntmen- but then, they did have to get left-side BMWs, and maybe local drivers weren't comfortable with that? Interesting..

[@PentexProductions]

Brilliant!

[@guyhommeNYC]

​@simonbyrd6518 You just jogged my memory. Of course it had to be the real thing. At the time, Germany had a Polizei acrobatic auto act they performed at fairs and shows. Their version of the Blue Angels...only the best drivers. The Bond producers must have shipped them over to Britain...lock, stock and barrel!

[@danielscott8180]

Octopussy gives us a Kiplingesque adventure that positions Bond is an older gentleman adventurer. Really does remind me of Victorian adventures but updated for the 80s. The idea of the gentleman adventurer is a Victorian idea in both literature and reality, and the idea worked so well with Moore's age. Considering the first screenwriter was George MacDonald Fraser, who wrote the Victorian era Flashman novels, I do believe using this "gentleman adventurer" trope was deliberate. Compare this with A View To A kill two years later, in which they oddly try to make Moore more youthful and modern at the age of 58 by snowboarding, running up the Eiffel Tower after the much younger and athletic Grace Jones, and leaping onto a draw bridge. Octopussy definitely played to the actor's age better than AVTAK.

[@watch-Dominion-2018]

Octopussy is legit one of the best of the franchise

[@spencerkindra8822]

I totally agree, it's underrated and it's my personal favorite Roger Moore Bond movie. I'm glad it's starting to get the love it always deserved. In many ways Octopussy is the last Bond movie of it's kind and I'd argue that even though it came out in 1983, it's the last 70s Bond movie. Especially when you watch A View To A Kill which is so much more updated to the mid 80s. I have a theory Octopussy was supposed to be Roger Moore's last Bond film not just in terms of him getting old but the plot as well. It has the last sultry ballad theme song, it has the last unrelated cold open, Bond thwarts a renegade Soviet general which earns him the praise of General Gogol thus ending Roger Moore Bond's Cold War, and Maud Adams is fairly age appropriate. Now let's look at AVTAK. It opens with Bond recovering a microchip, he then invents snowboarding, the theme song is a very 80s sounding rock song by Duran Duran, Q has an RC car, Bond uses a lock pick made to look like a Sharper Image credit card, Zorin who's a tech billionaire plans to destroy Silicon Valley to get a monopoly on the microchip industry, and every woman Bond hooks up with is conservatively 20 years younger than him. It's as if Eon had fully planned on casting a new actor to play Bond, had a script for a younger Bond, but then at the last second Roger Moore decided to be in the movie and it was too late to come up with a different story so they just went ahead with production. They should've cast Pierce Brosnan or Timothy Dalton for that movie because it really needed a younger actor to star as Bond. Great video! I've seen Octopussy numerous times and this is the first time I ever noticed how dumb it was to heavily feature a circus in this movie haha.

[@thecornerkid402]

My wife and I recently watched every bond movie in order. This one, by far, had us laughing the hardest. We had fun, but it was not intentional laughter. I actually think the most underrated is On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.

[@Imagicka]

I rewatched them all recently too. I got frustrated with the subtitles, so I compiled and edited what existing subtitles I could find. Maybe I should compile mine and make them public.

[@20thCenturyManTrad]

I think Octopussy is underrated, On Her Majesty's Secret Service is the best movie period.

[@maratonlegendelenemirei3352]

The Tarzan scene is the funniest!

[@kochiyama]

OHMSS used to be underrated, but the public perception changed in the early '90s or so, and now it's considered to be one of the better films. I honestly think right now the most underrated is Die Another Day. Not because it's great, mind you, it still mostly sucks... but it's nowhere near as bad as its rep suggests. It has some fantastic action setpieces and some great, fun scenes.

[@thecornerkid402]

@@20thCenturyManTrad I'm not sure which I would say is the best. My wife's least favorite was Thunderball. She got so bored during the scuba fight. OHMSS has the best Bond girl hands down. I did come out of the watch through not a big fan of the Craig movies. I really dislike Moore as Bond. I think Dalton got shafted. He's my second favorite after Connery. I asked someone what he thought of Casino Royale right after it came out and he said, "It's a really good movie but a terrible Bond movie." I think that sums up most of the Craig movies. Pretty good to great, but terrible Bond movies. I hope that whatever they do next leans into the fun again. Maybe actually set them in the sixties so you can have the old Cold War conflict and we can take it less seriously.

[@RoseSolane]

Octopussy is one of my favourite Bond movies. It had it silly moments, the Tarzan yell is probably in the top 5 of most ridiculous Bond moments, but the movie as a whole is very strong. I have to say that the circus was pretty believable for a 80's circus. Maybe for today's standards it looks silly but this could have been a real circus. Not everything in the circus scenes is great, but it is one of the highlights of the film for me.

[@snsdkbopper7819]

As a hardcore classic Bond fan, I definitely agree, and have always enjoyed the funny & cheesy attributes of OctoPussy.

[@chadhaire1711]

it sucked

[@speedracer1945]

They turned Bond into a clown......literally.

[@sfkeepay]

Finally, a KZbin review of Octopussy that gives the film its full credit. I loved this movie when it came out (I was 14) and to this day, it’s still in my top 5. Ironically, it was the first time I recognized the hard edge to the character, and I never forgot the line “that’s for 009.” But I really enjoyed the fight scene with all of Octopussy’s girl-power warriors - remember, this was still an unusual thing at the time. And I had no issues with the circus scene…traveling circuses really did look like that, at least in the U.S., back then. Carnivals were bare-bones. But I am forced to agree with you on the jungle bit. It was and still is very cringe-worthy. I also remember giving some thought at the time to the early scene where Bond masterfully identifies the Faberge egg, only to be told it was counterfeit. That’s another nice touch in Octopussy - showing Bond’s encyclopedic knowledge yet acknowledging that even he has limits. p.s. My mom had a bit of a crush on Louis Jourdan, so she was delighted to hear he was going to be in a Bond film.

[@PentexProductions]

Louis Jourdan was certainly a drawcard for lots of people!

[@tcvicesquad]

I'm as much of a down-to-earth Fleming purist as anyone, but as far as I'm concerned - any Bond fan who can't sit down and enjoy Octopussy for the masterpiece that it is, is a kit of a bunt. It's a fabulous, fabulous film. I love how the plot stars small, with the jewellery smuggling and just builds and builds the intrigue from there.

[@watch-Dominion-2018]

yup

[@PentexProductions]

Agree - I prefer my Bond films to be at the more 'grounded' end of the spectrum, but I love this film and what Moore does with it. It's just so much fun every time, and it proves that there is more than one way to make a good Bond flick!

[@kthx1138]

Yep--the jewelry was only the tip of the tentacle.

[@JackMcLeodJr]

One of my favourite Bond films overall, I've seen them all but this one has always stuck out in my mind. Love the Rita Coolidge soundtrack, it's classy and elegant!

[@JenniferMcMahonhawaii78]

AGREED!!! It has been my favorite James Bond movie since I was a little girl in 1983… when I was between the ages of 5 and 6. It was the first time I ever saw a bunch of live-action kick-ass ladies going to town, being cool, being coy, being pretty and sexy, and running their own business. For me, this was like literally the first time I saw boss babes - and “BOSS BABES” wasn’t even a phrase yet Plus, I always wanted and still want that awesome blue-ring octopus tattoo. Funnily to my Mom’s chagrin and my Dad’s sense of James Bond humor; cause I went and saw Octopussy with my dad in the theater in 1983; my mom would start to get annoyed because I kept saying, “Octopussy” over and over and over again; because as a 5/ 6-year-old regardless of being a little girlie-girl in the early 1980#/starting to go to the mid-1980s, it was fun to say and hear the word Octopussy over and over again; because it’s a funny word and still a funny word to say “pussy”, regardless of being a boy or girl. BTW: Sorry for the long comment 🥰😍, but yup, still my favorite Bond film for action, joy, romance, and escapism.

[@PentexProductions]

Brilliant! It's so great that one of the most kid-friendly Bond movies (it was one of my first as well) has a name like Octopussy!

[@MajorVanBloodnok]

Completely agree. I never get tired of Octopussy. Probably the most dream like bond, along with thunderball

[@myfriendcameron]

In my opinion, Octopussy is THE perfect blend of camp and seriousness. Most definitely Glens best directorial effort. Great video, always good to see some Octopussy love

[@PentexProductions]

I definitely think that it's the perfect balance of Moore and Glen's styles. Would have to have a think about whether this or The Living Daylights is his best directorial work...much to ponder!

[@goldfing5898]

I don't know what people don't like the title song "All Time High", because it is - along with John Barry's instrumental version - one of the most beautiful James Bond title songs ever (and "For Your Eyes Only" by Sheena Easton is also great, as well as the movie).

[@PentexProductions]

I was surprised to hear it wasn't well-regarded too. FYEO is a brilliant song too - one of my favourites.

[@sashaking1115]

Octopussy is brilliant! I love everything about it, from the villains to the beautiful settings to Roger Moore’s exquisite performance. Great video!😇

[@PentexProductions]

Thanks for watching!

[@sashaking1115]

@@PentexProductions you’re welcome😇😇

[@kthx1138]

Yes, I'm one of those die-hard Bond fans who absolutely adores this film. Roger in the gorilla suit checking his watch when Kamal says "It is now 11:45" is hilarious.

[@davidharrison7030]

Not only the most underrated one, but the best one BY FAR--from the dialog, to the plot, to the pathos, to the elegance, sophistication, and wit. An absolute masterpiece, fresh on every reviewing.

[@tgriffin3059]

I don't have any idea whether it's underrated or not. But I would rank it fairly highly myself(probably 6th or 7th in the series). The finale on the plane is outstanding. The train sequence is also very strong. And the chemistry between Bond and the leading lady is stronger than Moore usually had(largely because this was a grown woman)... I think that the stretch between The Spy Who Loved Me and Octopussy was the finest that the series ever enjoyed...all 4 of those films were phenomenal, and yet each had its' own unique aura, as well.

[@jamielynch9807]

Brilliant pre title, great villains and Roger on top form. James Bond's All Time High 🔥🔥

[@PentexProductions]

What Moore could you possibly want from a Bond film?

[@coffeecrusader4863]

​@@PentexProductionswheyyyyyyy

[@sweetpetebrown]

Thank you! I love all the Bonds but I've probably re-watched this one the most. Classic

[@PentexProductions]

A very re-watchable film

[@johnlloyddy7016]

"Octopussy" is the perfect showcase of the Bond adventure movie. Exotic locations, beautiful Bond girls, clever gadgets, outrageous stunts and sharp witty one liners. Moore was the Bond I grew up watching in theaters, so the tone of his films were what I assumed the Bond franchise was about. I only watched Connery's films later on betamax and read some of the books before realizing how different Moore's take on the franchise was from the source.

[@PentexProductions]

It's a testament to the source material and Moore that he can do something so distinctive with it. Always enjoyable.

[@triplejazzmusicisall1883]

I loved the theme song. It simply didn’t have a big enough name behind it and I agree many found it old fashioned, which was what I loved about it. I remember being to embarrassed to play it as a 16 year old amongst my peers who simply jeered as obnoxious teenagers do. Rita Coolidge, the singer, also sang the end credits song 'Love Came for Me' from the hit 'Splash' the same year and that song was not officially released on any format. She was a known singer but probably past her peak and never really achieved the acclaim that other songwriters/singers had. Times had changed. At 11:11 into this video you see a man placing a record LP back on the shelf. This is quite amusing as it happens to be the first self-titled album release by Huey Lewis and The News, and it bombed. You can see that behind it is Huey's second album which kick started their career before Sports, the album that went storming across the globe as a huge success. Just as a curio the purchaser is holding a copy of Payl McCartney's single No More Lonely Nights which despite being a big hit the movie it came from Give My Regards to Broad Street remains the biggest embarrassment in McCartney's entire career. So, we have films doing well with title songs doing poorly and terrible films with the title single doing very well on the charts. It was a strange time indeed circa 1983/1984. Bond, HLN and Paul McCartney - what a mixed cocktail.

[@georgfriedrichhandel4390]

After Lotte Lenya, Louis Jourdan was also the oldest Bond villain of the series. He was 62 when he played Kemal Khan, though he looked much younger.

[@gunterangel]

Curt Jürgens was also 62, when he played Karl Stromberg, but contrary to Louis Jordan, who looked Moore's age, he rather looked older.

[@georgfriedrichhandel4390]

@@gunterangel No, I think Curt Jurgens was a year younger. He was 66 when he died in 1982 which was five years after he played Stromberg so he would have been 61 in that movie. But he was pretty close.

[@gunterangel]

@@georgfriedrichhandel4390 61 or 62, in any case he was pretty close, as you said it, and he definitely looked the oldest Bond villain.

[@goodwood-rc4nx]

the hanger explosion was done like most of the miniature work by the late great Derek Meddings and his team

[@PentexProductions]

Excellent work they did

[@relwalretep]

Orlov always reminded me of Strangelove

[@PentexProductions]

To be fair, he did try to start a fight with Gogol in the war room...

[@davidbiren2062]

The circus hasn't aged well but that's what circuses looked like in the early eighties.

[@KipIngram]

Are you kidding me? All Time High is the song my wife and I did our first dance to at our wedding. She looked at me a little funny when I told her it was a Bond song, but once she heard it she was sold - it fit us PERFECTLY.

[@jimd385]

What a great retrospective, thoroughly well researched and hugely enjoyable to watch. Fantastic. The soviet ‘war room’ set with rotating desk and chairs is another great example of the awesome sets they used to build for these films, only on screen for a few minutes but so impressive (fyi, the Moonraker folding-office set, under the shuttle engines being my absolute favourite set in any Bond film) ……and Kudos finding that pic of Pierce Brosnan from 1986 with ‘The Living Daylights’ clapper board, I had seen it in a magazine about 30 years ago and haven’t seen it since. Octopussy was the first Bond film I saw at the cinema, I had seen others on tv, Roger Moore was the James Bond I grew up with, so he is my favourite (but the truth is, they’ve all been great, whoever gets cast next has some pretty big shoes to fill)

[@PentexProductions]

Thanks very much for watching. The Brosnan photo, like all the stills in the video, came from the brilliant Thunderballs photo archive: www.thunderballs.org/octopussyproductionstills That particular photo was one they tweeted - I'm not sure if it is on the website somewhere (the website is a treasure trove you can spend hours getting lost in!)

[@jimd385]

Thanks for your reply, I really appreciate the info about the Bond website. I’ve already bookmarked it. I look forward to your next post.

[@KamilMB]

As a diehard Bond fan I love this film! I love it for the whole East Germany scenes, with Bond driving the Alfa Romeo GTV6, all the Mercedeses destructions. GREAT MOVIE! Still, Moore was way to old for being Bond.

[@PentexProductions]

I find it less noticeable in this film than others, partly because I think this film leans into it a bit more. It's most obvious to me in his scenes with Magda, just because she is so comparatively young. But regardless, a great film!

[@KamilMB]

@@PentexProductions I've watched Your whole film - fully aggre. I have seen all Your Bond takes. You are doing a great job! Cheers from Poland!

[@PentexProductions]

Dziękuję!

[@KamilMB]

@@PentexProductions Ej, czekaj. To Ty z Polski jesteś? 🙂

[@PentexProductions]

Nie, Nowa Zelandia, but I lived in Warsaw for a few months and have a soft spot for Poland :)

[@heathermoore9162]

The first Bond movie I watched I was about 8 years old and it was on TV. I loved it and have been a Bond fan, ever since . Still one of my favourite Bond Movies

[@richardfuchs3690]

This has always been one of my favourite Bonds. Aside from a few isolated moments of camp, it's a solid Cold War thriller with fantastic action (almost non-stop), wonderful characters and performances and great locations that are used wonderfully. John Glen really hit his stride here, and he is still one of the most under-rated directors of the series.

[@kcthesledgestoryteller]

This one of my first three Bond films - all of which were Moore’s, so it helped break me in and mold my Bond expectations. I’ll never get the hate on the clown disguise. Bond’s a spy, which means he’s supposed to blend in when necessary - and yes, I recognize this circus setting in an 80’s frame of mind.

[@mamaday4993]

I saw it twice in the theater back then, this was how much I liked this Bond movie. =)

[@dphp1975]

Can't believe I had to scroll this far for that 👌

[@adamthorntonillustration9281]

Wonderful video! Thanks for making it. Loved the Monty Python intermission. I can't deny that The Spy Who Loved Me is my fave but, I think after watching this, Octopussy is now up there at number two. Incidentally, I was in Udaipur, India, in 2005 where the Lake Palace Hotel was used in the film. One of the local hotels screens Octopussy every day, and had done for years!

[@PentexProductions]

Fantastic! It's on my bucket list to head there, it looks beautiful (the Bond connection is a bonus!) You might enjoy the similar video I made about The Spy Who Loved Me: kzbin.info/www/bejne/b3XaopqYfJyeeLs

[@adamthorntonillustration9281]

@@PentexProductions Yes, I highly recommend you go to Udaipur. Being in India was one of the happiest times of my life. I was there for a month. The sleeper train ride from Delhi into Rajasthan was so special. Sitting on the footplate of the train's open door, watching the world go past was a time I'll never forget. You must see the Taj Mahal too. I saw it hundreds of times in photos and videos, but nothing prepared me for seeing it for real. Thanks very much for TSWLM video link. Gonna head there now and watch it!

[@Gerilyn2003]

The "West German" setting for the circus was filmed at RAF Upper Heyford (leased to the US as an USAF base). The supply warehouse still had the "Octopussy's Flying Circus" sign up inside it when I served there in 1989.

[@MagicMaster667]

Yes! :D I've been saying this too for years that _Octopussy_ deserves more love. It's actually a really great spy thriller and secretly and an A-teir Bond movie. A real Bond gem for sure. _Octopussy_ and _Tomorrow Never Dies_ are perfect and timeless Bond adventures that I can enjoy any time of day or in any mood. Some of the forever watchable ones for me. :^) Not the greatest ones in the series, but a nice distraction for an hour or two. ;-) Good to hear someone else singing Octopussy's praises. Nice vid, Pentex. ❤

[@PentexProductions]

TND is an absolute highlight Bond for me - probably my most re-watched of them all.

[@SpaceCattttt]

I don't know if I would call it "underrated" exactly, but it's definitely rarely recognized for what it is: one of the top 3 Bond films of them all. And the same can be said for Moonraker. And I've already fought everyone who said no.

[@PentexProductions]

In that case you might enjoy the review of Moonraker by @Filmspeak linked to in the pinned comment.

[@dtuk22]

2023 is the 40th Anniversary of this Bond movie....& its one of the best. Ok it has some silly elements and dated jokes. But overall its a fun & engaging action movie. These elements are lacking in the recent Bond movies. But are very much apparent in the Mission Impossible movies.

[@wongjefx980]

The year Octopussy and Never Say Never Again came out was a great year. The Roger Moore Bond movies were always more campy. That opening sequence with Bond in the mini jet, the women, was so much fun.

[@ThorPalsson]

Have fond memories of watching Roger Moore's James Bond as a kid

[@PentexProductions]

He was a staple of my childhood too - always entertaining.

[@deejaytee]

My favourite Bond film, for a lot of the reasons mentioned. Berkoff's performance is absolutely hilarious and I'm actually kind of surprised the amazing Soviet war-room set wasn't mentioned. I will say that you're right, a lot of the dislike of the circus setting has to do with experience... today, we think of that kind of circus as lame, but at the time the circus was something bright, cheerful, emblematic of a fun social time, an escape "for an hour or two". So in a way, it calls back to that opening line, and Bond/the Bond movies save the day.

[@PentexProductions]

Fair analysis

[@Yora21]

The tuktuk chase has probably my favorite James Bond joke: - "It seems we have company." - "No problem. This is a company car!"

[@PentexProductions]

Such a great one-liner, followed by the wheelie!

[@derrekb4501]

Spy who loved me and octopussy by Moore are two best most exciting films of all time. Classic and iconic.

[@user-td3du7jk2x]

By the name, I always thought it was eight of something else.

[@rockheimr]

Surprised you didn't mention it was written by George Macdonald Fraser, author of the Flashman books. ;P

[@PentexProductions]

That's certainly where the India element came in. I decided to cut the bit about the screenwriters (like the inclusion of Michael G Wilson as well) just for time, but he was absolutely an important factor in the making of the film.

[@rockheimr]

@PentexProductions You can definitely see GMF's sense of humour in places I think. :)

[@Nifter71]

@@rockheimr Yup! Not unlike moments in his adaptation of The Three Musketeers (1974)... Fraser had a knack for peppering his high-stake romances with moments of ordinariness which the audience could empathise with e.g. the anxiousness of that car-starting moment for the villains. 😁

[@smyffmawzz]

You're right . The Circus is a generational thing . 40 years ago this was normal and Circus's were miles different to what they are nowadays . They actually had Animals not just gymnasts and jugglers

[@joshslater2426]

You’re right. Octopussy is very underrated. It does have loads of typical features of the Bond formula, but it pulls them off well. The characters are great, there’s a lot of great gags, tons of memorable scenes (Acrostar, train fight, the actually really tense circus scene), the score is good, and Rita Coolidge’s song is a good love ballard in keeping with the series. I really like Octopussy, and I do hope it garners more appreciation in the future.

[@TH126]

Happy to see this film get some praise. Roger was locked in for this one and it's fun adventure front to back! This is a top 5 bond film for me

[@jusadude7162]

What a wonderful tribute to this Bond movie. So well done! Thank you👍🏼👍🏼

[@PentexProductions]

Thank YOU for watching

[@johnbrittingham4471]

The Man With The Golden Gun is my favorite. The locations and Christopher Lee made it the most memorable. It also has the most beautiful island in Thailand.

[@PentexProductions]

Absolutely agree, having been lucky enough to visit the very same island - twitter.com/PentexP/status/1614231966068641792?t=HjjJFgGaCtKO8P4SERxaSw&s=19

[@PROBOT-pv6ez]

I like NSNA better than Octopussy. Saw both in theaters that year when I was 9 yrs old. Don't care how much hate NSNA gets. I'll always love it.

[@richoversteers]

Excellent points very well made, completely agree mate. Would love to see you do similar video essays for Quantum and The World Is Not Enough

[@PentexProductions]

Duly noted!

[@shallendor]

It is such a fun film with so many great actors! It actually gave me an idea for the backstory of a character i made for a D&D 3.5 campaign over a decade ago!

[@PentexProductions]

I hope you said "it's all in the wrist" every time you needed to roll initiative.

[@BjornVeno]

The first James Bond that I ever saw as a kid. When I put the unmarked VHS in to play (it was a TV recording) it started with James Bond falling of the plane at the end of the film. I rewinded the tape and became a fan.

[@pitchblackgrue]

I actually quite like the tiger scene because to me it's one of the few times we get to see Bond actually scared and then getting out of a jam purely on luck alone.

[@hannehanskov7560]

Not a die hard bondfan but i really ilove it,it is so exotic,maude adams is one of the best bond girls ever and the ninja ladies are just incredible, I think it must be one of the bond movies with the most colorful and beautiful shots in it.

[@cavallogianni]

I saw this movie in the movie theater for the first time and it was overwhelming how great it was

[@pctong5387]

My favourite 007 film of all time. Period

[@jeremiah5342]

This is high quality content, one of the best retrospectives on a Bond film that I've seen.

[@PentexProductions]

Thanks! I've made similar videos about The Spy Who Loved Me and Goldfinger that you might enjoy. Plenty of Bond material on the channel if that's your thing!

[@daygon128]

Whenever I introduce someone to the Bond franchise I always recommend this film. It is escapism at it's finest.

[@PentexProductions]

It's a great entry point, especially for slightly younger viewers

[@MrChintaro]

My third and final comment (I promise). It's easy to forget that James Bond is actually a pulp fiction character like Doc Savage etc. So bearing that in mind, Circuses, outer space, etc, it's all good. The films have been far too serious in the last few years. Anyway nice video thank you. You have convinced me that I actually like this film!

[@PentexProductions]

Thanks for watching!

[@Mr17051963]

I prefer Octopussy anytime than any of the Daniel Craig’s movies. For me, Pierce Brosnam was the last classy Bond.

[@RighteousReverendDynamite]

It was the first Bond film I ever saw in a theatre on opening day. The microjet opening scene with the fast panning of the camera with the canyon scenery speeding by and the shifting of the shadows on the cockpit controls was the best part. Apparently, test audiences often got so motion sick from watching it they barfed!

[@Scott-tr1zd]

One of my favorites and I love the score. I love all John Berry scores. Roger has become a favorite James Bond actor despite the fact that we all know Sean Connery is James Bond. Roger got to be in some great movies, and they got better as they went

[@rikardandersson183]

I think this film is the closest a Bond film has come to feel like an Indiana Jones film

[@PentexProductions]

Then The Last Crusade put James Bond in an Indiana Jones film (and it was awesome!)

[@adamcade604]

It's definitely top 10 James bond movies

[@PentexProductions]

Absolutely!

[@drgore2126]

The greatest Bond moment of the series occurs in this film when Bond takes Kamal Khan's backgammon dice, rolls them and, without looking down declares "Double sixes".

[@PentexProductions]

"Fancy that!"

[@donpietruk1517]

It's an one time return to old school early Bond minimalism. There's a decided lack of fancy gadgetry, some solid detective work, and well done action sequences without excessive gadgetry. Moore is cool but engaged. He's slightly quippy but still serious. One of my very favorite bond movies.

[@smudgepost]

One of my favs! And after a 39 minute recap, feel I could go and watch this through!

[@PentexProductions]

Please do - it's a blast!

[@smudgepost]

@@PentexProductions I absolutely will. Please do one on Moonraker too, I think that is a misunderstood movie and is pretty epic throughout.

[@PentexProductions]

The video linked to in the pinned comment by @FilmSpeak is a pretty good review of Moonraker - check that one out.

[@jasonbarkley4586]

I had seen other Bond films but this was one that made a Bond fan it made me watch All of Roger Moore films and kept me a fan till this day

[@cjod33]

So glad i got to see all the Roger Moore jb movies at the cinema. 8 yr old,My parents would always take me. Moonraker was my favourite as a kid. It was pretty believable as a kid , what with the space shuttle only just coming into actual use. It really helped me to achieve suspension of disbelief.

[@chadhetzel]

This was fantastic! Thank you for the recognition of yes, a sweet distraction. It might be a generational thing. I grew up with this on HBO the entire summer of '84, a year after its release and watched it like crazy! Great commentary and another fine piece of Bond content. Thank you again

[@PentexProductions]

I must have worn out the VHS tape I had this on growing up! Many re-watches in my house for sure.

[@lionspawfilmandphoto]

Roger's sixth outing is a pure delight. It's got some crazy stuff that it spends a lot of time selling. The casting is sublime and diverse. Whether it's sticking to the original Fleming in parts or going for outlandish in others, I really love watching every scene.

[@nikjanevmusic]

What made me listen to the entire video was your genuine love for these films. Well it seemed you had a genuine love. Thank uou.

[@JoeSiegler]

I cannot tell you how much I loved this video. Octopussy was my first 007 film I saw in theatres, and I've always enjoyed it. I was 18 at the time. I thought it was perfect, and I didn't mind the circus stuff at all. I always thought it was a great way to run a smuggling operation, and NEVER had a problem with Bond as a clown as he was at a circus and hiding himself. No problems there. Regarding the battle at the end, I loved that it got Q out into the field and give him something to do. But your video touched on things I've always thought about the film but never laid down my thoughts of, so I've passed this video on to a few friends of mine today. Tkx for this!

[@PentexProductions]

Thanks for watching. A great first Bond film indeed!

[@JoeSiegler]

@@PentexProductions I should be more clear. It was my first in the theatres, not my first ever. My first ever was OHMSS.

[@michaelhuck]

I watched it in a movie theater when it came out and absolutely loved it. Maud Adams is terrific and Louis Jourdan is as always just adorable. Like in Columbo he gives an outstanding performance. Octopussy is the ultimate fun movie.

[@bonghunezhou5051]

100% concur with the thesis of this video (of Bond#13), namely it being more 'grounded' than Moonraker or TSWLM, and less 'bland' than FYEO or TLD~ Had Roger Moore left after MOONRAKER he assuredly would not have returned for Octopussy - Connery or not.

[@PentexProductions]

It really hits the right tone for a Moore Bond film - and only he could have led it! Very glad he stuck around and gave us FYEO and this.

[@jjrbarnett]

It's a great entertainment movie! Was very popular upon release. Was a huge hit on home video. I'm not sure when the movie reputation fell a bit. But everyone enjoyed it at the time.

[@SuchetB]

One of my childhood favourite movies - A great Bond movie, and Roger gave a cracking performance ☀️🎬🎥

[@Adones09]

I was 6 years old and I remember this being my first Movie theater Bond movie. I can only Imagine how people were in awe of the Star Wars opening sequence, that is how I felt and still remember Octopussy, being for me. I like all the Bonds, they all brought their own style, so I never understood the Roger Moore hate, especially since I grew up with him.

[@matthews7805]

Roger Moore is my James Bond as well. He was classy and not afraid to ham it up a bit with Q

[@dougsims4242]

Couldn't agree more. Sure; it's not the best of the series ( my choice varies regularly) BUT it's the one I rewatch the most and have the most fun with. It never fails to bring a smile to my face. Roger Moore is so underrated. I truly believe if not for his always fun run in the 1970s( & early 1980s) the Bond series would have faded away. All your well observed points are spot on .

[@ernierichardson444]

I'm a huge James Bond fan and love your accurate take on the 007 films. Big thanks.

[@tph2010]

Absolutely right that the clown scene is totally misunderstood. The entire 3rd act is one of the best action set pieces in the series.

[@KorriTimigan]

Yes! Thank you! I've watched the whole franchise multiple times, most recently over the last three our four months with my partner, and Octopussy always ends up as one of my favourite Moore flicks. Everything from the arrival in Berlin up to the bomb defusal is some of the most tense that Bond has ever been. I love every minute.