Octopussy (1983)
It is safe to say that after two big misfires back to back in the franchise with Moonraker and For Your Eyes Only that I expected nothing going into Octopussy. With John Glen returning to the director position I fully expected another dull and uninspired film with some really solid action but what I got caught me off guard a bit. Especially compared to For Your Eyes Only, Octopussy tones down the action and tries much harder to create a plot of substance and interest. After agent 009 (Andy Bradford) dies on a mission with the only clue to his actions being that of a fake Fabergé egg found on him when he died, it is up to James Bond (Roger Moore) to untangle a mess of a mystery involving fake jewels being sold on auction, octopus tattoos, and of course being a Bond film of the 80's the Soviets.
Easily the best part of the film is the set up of this mystery and plot. By giving the audience only bits and pieces it allows the audience to come to conclusions alongside Bond which could lead to a really engaging viewing experience. Unfortunately, despite the smart ideas brought to bringing the audience into this mystery the film also shoots itself in the foot with how slow it is. Continually trying to have these films fill out a 2+ hour runtime has led to weird pacing and an overall feeling of overly full and stretched out plots and Octopussy is no different. It takes nearly an hour before the plot really starts going making the film feel boring and dull possibly even more so than For Your Eyes Only despite clearly having a more inspired and engaging plot once it really gets into it.
One big highlight of even these weaker Bond films continues to be Roger Moore as James Bond. Where his performance still hasn't quite lived up to the work of Sean Connery, he has developed his own unique sense of coolness to himself. Compared to Connery, Moore also has had to take on much more of a serious role with more serious action and challenges which Moore has excelled in. Sadly Moore really hasn't been able to have a truly iconic and great outing as the character which will stand the test of time. When given a solid plot in Live and Let Die and The Man with the Golden Gun, Moore was still figuring out his performance and crafting his version of Bond. Since The Man with the Golden Gun, the filmmaking in each film has been off ruining the film around Moore taking him down with the ship.
Just like with For Your Eyes Only, Octopussy was an overall frustrating experience but for completely opposite reasons. Clearly, this film tries to be something memorable and legitimately good which gives me hope for John Glen's upcoming outings with the franchise but due to the runtime and pacing it destroys its own chances of being something special. Even with For Your Eyes Only there was the enjoyable and well-done action which was a good experience to watch, here it is just a slow and drawn out film that tried but failed to engage me.
Just like with For Your Eyes Only, Octopussy was an overall frustrating experience but for completely opposite reasons. Clearly, this film tries to be something memorable and legitimately good which gives me hope for John Glen's upcoming outings with the franchise but due to the runtime and pacing it destroys its own chances of being something special. Even with For Your Eyes Only there was the enjoyable and well-done action which was a good experience to watch, here it is just a slow and drawn out film that tried but failed to engage me.