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1983 was a landmark year in James Bond history, as two different Bonds went head-to-head at the box office. Sean Connery made a much-hyped return in “Never Say Never Again,” a remake of “Thunderball” and an unofficial entry in the franchise. Meanwhile, Roger Moore suited up once more for “Octopussy,” the 13th official Bond film and his sixth outing as 007.
While “Octopussy” ultimately triumphed at the box office, the real loser may have been the audience, who were served up two Bond films that rarely crack anyone’s list of favorites. And when it comes to “Octopussy,” some might argue it’s the weakest one yet.
In “Octopussy”, James Bond is sent to investigate the murder of a fellow agent who was found holding a fake Fabergé egg, leading him to a smuggling operation run by the mysterious and alluring Octopussy. Bond uncovers a sinister plot by exiled Afghan prince Kamal Khan and rogue Soviet general Orlov, who plan to detonate a nuclear bomb on a U.S. Air Force base in West Germany, forcing NATO’s withdrawal and giving the Soviets an easy path to invade Western Europe.
The biggest problem with “Octopussy” is its convoluted plot, which is difficult to follow even while watching and even harder to make sense of afterward. The first two acts revolve around the swapping of real and fake jewelry—sometimes intentionally, sometimes not—only for the film to abruptly shift gears in the final act, replacing the jewelry with a nuclear bomb.
Roger Moore’s Bond is often remembered as the lighter, more comedic version of the character, delivering a witty one-liner for every occasion. While he proved he could handle a more serious tone in “For Your Eyes Only“, “Octopussy” takes the camp to ridiculous extremes. Bond is put in one degrading situation after another—swinging from a vine with a Tarzan yell, disguising himself in a gorilla suit, traveling by crocodile submarine, and, most infamously, defusing a bomb while dressed as a clown.
The film features two Bond girls, though neither leaves much of an impression. Kristina Wayborn’s Magda, the leader of Octopussy’s all-female army, gets a memorable exit from Bond’s hotel room but spends most of the film working against him. Then there’s Maud Adams as Octopussy herself, making her second Bond appearance after playing a different character in “The Man with the Golden Gun“. She doesn’t even show up until after the first hour, and while her more mature presence is a welcome contrast to the usual fresh-faced Bond girls, it mostly serves to match Moore—who, by this point, was well into his mid-50s.
As with many Bond films, the finale features a lair being stormed by an army. This time, however, that army consists of Octopussy’s all-female troupe of gymnasts, making for a rather unique—if slightly absurd—battle. The sight of scantily clad women wielding machine guns while flipping through the air certainly gives the sequence a different tone. But the real cherry on top is Bond and Q’s sluggish entrance into the fight—drifting in by hot air balloon as if they’re arriving at a Sunday picnic. It’s easily Bond’s goofiest entrance into a battle.
The one truly redeeming aspect of “Octopussy” is its incredible stunt work. The opening sequence, featuring Bond piloting a tiny jet through a hangar, is one of the most memorable in the series. There’s also a thrilling chase through the bustling streets of India and an intense train sequence with stunts performed in, under, alongside, and on top of a moving locomotive. But the real showstopper is the film’s climax, which takes place on the roof of an actual flying plane. These moments inject just enough excitement to make “Octopussy” seem like a better movie than it actually is.
In the end, “Octopussy” is a mixed bag—bogged down by a convoluted plot and an overreliance on camp, yet elevated by some of the most impressive stunts in the Bond franchise. While it has its moments of fun, the film often leans too far into the absurd, making it one of the weaker entries in the series. Between the clown suit, the Tarzan yell, and the hot air balloon battle entrance, “Octopussy” feels like a film unsure of whether it wants to be a high-stakes spy thriller or a slapstick comedy. It’s entertaining in its own way, but not for the reasons the filmmakers likely intended.
