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Octopussy More at IMDbPro »

0 out of 3 people found the following review useful:
Very professional, 21 May 2003

Author: Framescourer from London, UK

Another highly competent, coherent, even exciting Bond film from John Glen. The only problem with repeating a successful formula is that of things getting tired. In this case that doesn't just mean the inferior power-ballad title song but the main man himself. Roger Moore is too old to play the action hero and it is testament to the Davies-Richardson editorial attention that the physically incredible stunts really do seem to be prosecuted by the Smooth One.

In terms of construction and general acting, this is on a par with its solid predecessor. However someone's obviously had a word with the director and there is a greater effort to add gadgetry and humour. This is a mixed blessing - Bond's suggestion that his backgammon winnings will keep his Indian contact 'in curry for a while' is borderline racist. But that's Fleming all over. In fact, the film is not based directly on a text but the short story from which it takes its title is neatly précised in a key exchange, placing it as a prologue to the narrative. The eponymous Octopussy is in fact a woman - Maud Adams, returning to the Bond franchise looks beautiful and belies her natural poise by getting stuck into the action too. Louis Jourdan is an excellent baddie, sly, amusing but irascible; Kabir Bedi is the demonic Sikh Odd-Job... possibly the victim of too many snap zooms for effect. I like much of it though. 6.5/10

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