Reviews Film / Octopussy

Bad Title Belies a Fun Movie

You never forget your first Bond film. The one that got you into the franchise. The one that made you fall in love with the world and the character. And for me, it’s the one with Bond in a clown suit.

Look, I get that this film can be silly. I get that its plot is way too complicated. I get that the name is terrible. But I will never be able to hate this film. It’s just too fun.

It starts with one of the better pre-credits sequences in the series. The scene where the plane just narrowly makes it through the warehouse before the doors close is an edge-of-your-seat moment. The final gag that ends it is weak, but it’s still a solid sequence. Unfortunately, the song that plays over the opening credits isn’t as good. It’s not bad, but it’s very forgettable.

What’s not as forgettable is the image of a clown dying with a knife in his back and a Faberge Egg in his hand. It turns out the clown is MI 6 Agent 009, and the egg is a fake. Obviously, this demands an investigation, and Bond is sent on the case. What follows is a convoluted plot that basically boils down to this: a renegade Russian general, Orlov, and his criminal partner, Kamal Khan, are using a jewelry smuggling ring run by the titular character, Octopussy, to raise funds for and smuggle a nuclear bomb. By bombing a US Base in West Germany and making it look like an accident, they believe that Europe will push for nuclear disarmament in their territories. This will leave Western Europe easy prey for the Soviet Military.

Okay, so that’s already a plot with a lot of moving parts, and I skipped over all the stuff involving the Faberge egg and its fake switching hands. This plot is ludicrously complicated, and it can make the film pretty confusing on a first-time watch. The good news is that the film moves so fast that if you let yourself just sit back and go along for the ride, the plot doesn’t matter too much.

The thing about this movie is that its main focus is just being good-natured fun. Sometimes it tries too hard in this respect, but most of the time it lands solidly. Moore gets some fantastic quips in this one, and his eyebrow game is as sharp as ever. The back-and-forth between him and Louis (Insert Last Name Here)’s Khan and Maud Adams’ Octo is absolutely delightful. Speaking of Maud Adams, it’s great to see her back in a better role than Andrea Anders in The Man with the Golden Gun. Her chemistry with Roger Moore is remarkable, and it leads to one of the stronger romances in the series. It helps that she’s obviously closer to his age range, so there’s more of a connection than just two good-looking people wanting to hook up.

That said, the part where Bond forces a kiss on Octo is really uncomfortable. I don’t know why the writers kept trying to force these sleazier moments onto Roger’s Bond, they never really worked. Moore’s Bond doesn’t need to use force or cheap tactics, he has a natural charisma that makes him the kind of guy women would want to be with (and gay men).

But now let’s address the elephant in the room: Bond in the clown suit. It’s easily the biggest sticking point for this film’s detractors, and for people who dislike the Moore era as a whole. Personally, though, I’ve never had a problem with it. Unlike several other scenes, this one is actually played completely straight. Bond’s not in the clown outfit for the sake of a joke, but for drama. And the idea of a clown desperately trying to convince people they’re in mortal peril only for no one to take him seriously is practically Hitchcockian. So the problem isn’t the scene or the concept. I think the real problem is the inconsistent tone leading up to that scene. It leaves the audience unsure if they’re supposed to be laughing or tense, and so for many, it falls flat. At least, that’s my guess.

So in conclusion, I’ll readily admit that Octopussy is a flawed movie. Its plot is convoluted and at times it tries too hard to make you laugh. But at the same time, it’s still earnestly trying to have fun alongside the audience. In that regard, it hits far more often than it misses. It’s not one of the greatest action films ever, but it’s a solid romp that provides a sweet distraction for an hour or two.