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Comments
Then
Don't remember when I first saw FYEO, but distinctly remember thinking it was one of the worst Bond films ever. I didn't like Carole Bouquet (thought she was a little boring for the role). Kristatos wasn't a memorable villain for me at all. By comparison, I liked MR and AVTAK a lot more for the spectacle.
Now
I'm breaking free…(sorry, couldn't resist). FYEO is one of my favorite Bond films to watch. It will probably be the Bond I've watched most this year. Why the change? Dunno. Liking a serious Roger as I've gotten older. Carole's a good compliment for a serious Moore, but still don't think much of her role to be honest. Not particularly commanding or athletic for a woman set out for revenge. The villains are great in compliment from Kristatos, to Gonzalez to roided-up KGB dude to off course the greatest non speaking villain in the history of the franchise (Locque…sorry OddJob)! FYEO gives us my favorite kill in the Bond franchise…car cliff kick. Wish Topol had come back in OP, he's a better friend than say, Jack Wade. Lots of important stuff going on here…the end of BLOFELD at the beginning (yep…said it). First film without Lee or an M. Bond arrives in the 1980s. Big fan of the Bill Conti score. Wasted no time in letting fans know that the 80s were here. Awesome, important film in the series.
A now vote for me.
Then 2
Now 7
Tie 2
(PS wife came home at the end to see Bond embracing Bond girl "He's old" yes, 30 years older? not good, like me dating a 20 year old),
loved it when it first came out, mainly because of the Lotus and Sheena Easton. Two iconic images to have on a teenagers wall. How priorities change
FYEO is one of those few movies that get totally opposite reactions.
For some reason I liked it very much last time I watched it, the less silly and more serious approach is growing on me.
I didn't think Moore looked too old in it, but AVTAK never should have happened with Moore I'm afraid to say.
TSWLM tonight on screen 1
What's happening on screen 2??
Grey's Anatomy??
Then –
I remember the Acro-Star from the PTS, but nothing beyond that from my childhood. Like For Your Eyes Only, I saw it again on the 80's VHS, in early 2000. And, unlike For Your Eyes Only, there was no problem with the VHS copy. Which meant I watched Octopussy to death. This, along with Spy, was my go-to Moore movie was I was growing up. I loved the exoticism of India, plus it had a really meaty screenplay to boot.
Now –
Despite watching Octopussy throughout my formative years, my estimation of it has never palled. Which is a mark of a great film. It's currently neck and neck with For Your Eyes Only in my rankings.
Now
Then:
I saw this on VHS way back when (after seeing MR, TSWLM & FYEO). I remember being concerned about what to expect, since I found FYEO a little dull on first watch (at least in comparison to the larger than life TSWLM & MR that were favourites of mine).
Well it did not disappoint. I remember really enjoying OP the first time I saw it. Here was the familiar brassy James Bond music score that was missing from the previous entry, and Roger Moore seemed like he was having fun again....from the opening pretitles with the Moore'esque wide grinned "Fill 'er up please!" to the wise cracks throughout the film.
I found crazy General Orlov 'unhinged' but also found him very charismatic and entertaining.
I loved Kamal Khan and Gobinda too, as well as the twins Mishka & Grishka.
Octopussy herself did not impress me all that much compared to the deadly Melina from FYEO (who I thought was a stunner as a kid), but that was ok, because everything else about this film was excellent to my young eyes and ears......the pace was brilliant, the stunts were fun, & there were enough classic one on one encounters with the main villain ("Spend the money quickly Mr. Bund.....I intend to, Kamal Khan").
Now:
Nothing has changed. OP remains a great Bond entry and one of my favourite films. It continues to be 'just great fun' with everyone having a blast. This film reminds me a lot of GE....both are campy, down to earth Bondian fun without taking themselves too seriously.
It's a tie.
Then - 1
Now - 1
Tie - 1
Then - 1
Now - 1
Tie - 2
Now - 1
Tie - 2
Caught OP after picking it up on VHS at a Suncoast Video when I was young, and I fell in love with it. Always thought it was wildly entertaining, and at the same time, dark and gritty while still retaining a level of escapism and fun. However, since then, I've somehow managed to appreciate it more and more as time goes on. It still stands as one of my favorites and I don't see that ever changing, so I'll go 'Now.'
Then - 2
Now - 2
Tie - 2
I can't quite give the same glowing review nowadays but this is a Bond film that I still enjoy. Moore was probably past the point of being believable in some the action scenes at this point. That's being nice by the way. We've all heard it described not quite as delicately. Although credit Glen for making the action scenes such an adrenaline rush that I don't really mind. No, the real downfall here is the overload of all those silly gags. They just went too far in a few places. While that certainly doesn't ruin the experience for me, it does keep OP out of my top ten.
However, let me just say this about Sir Rog. He stepped up to the plate at a time when Cubby needed him the most and delivered a wonderfully charismatic performance. Indeed, there are many members here who cite this as their favorite Moore outing. I'm always surprised when I see OP at or very near the bottom of someone's rankings. I get why people think MR is awful, even though I disagree. But OP? I don't like the gorilla suit either but I believe that there are more positives than negatives here.
So, while I don't quite love it as much as I used to, I still find OP to be very enjoyable. Mark me down for a THEN.
P.S. It's nice to see some more members have joined in with their perspectives. I hope you all keep contributing!
Then - 3
Now - 2
Tie - 2
If all that could be cut out this would easily be one of the best Bond adventures for a lot more people imho, despite the infamous gorilla (which had a purpose as a disguise after all) and clown.
I agree that Moore really upped his game for OP. While not Fleming, it is definitely one of his most all out entertaining turns ever...
Now- out of the park.
I will give it a now vote, as that initial letdown has been softened. Gotta love Roger Moore no matter what.
Well, you can go back and compare "Then and Now" for the rest of the films. There's no hard and fast rules on here old boy ;-)
11 replies greeted me as I signed in this afternoon. Great work!
Then:
This was the second Bond film that I saw for the first tim (YOLT was the first) on ITV back in 1997 when I was 11. I remember being thrilled with my second dose of Bond, this time portrayed by Roger Moore. The PTS blew me away, amd I was captivated by the plot. The tension in the circus scene with the bomb had me gripped.
Now:
I last watched Octopussy when I got the Blu Rays back in 2013. And I was surprised by how well it stood up. I thought that some of the humour would put me off, but I really enjoyed it and for a while considered it above TSWLM - in my opinion the second best Moore Bond behind FYEO. I'm still amazed by how the bomb defusing scene has ample amounts of tension with Bond dressed as a clown!
It's a tie.
Then - 3
Now - 3
Tie - 3
Is this where we are with the numbers?
then:
another one lost in the mists of time. But my general feeling was one of 'another light-Bond fest'. Even then I preferred the darker entries in the series. Still it was Bond and Q with his balloon was cool enough!
Now:
@Benny's going to kill me for this, but OP is one of the lesser films IMO. Allthough set in Udaipur, which I had the pleasure of visiting last year, and it's other beautiful locales, itmakes too many jokes. The tiger, the tarzan yell. It's too much. Even delivered by Moore 'no mam, I'm with the economy tour'just doesn't fit the fact that he's just been hunted down by an exile Afghan prince. And the finale is even worse. I don't mind the clow sequence, that sort of makes sense. But the fact that Bond risks getting too late to the base because of a fat german woman in a phone booth is too much. He could've shot her right there and then and still be seen as a hero. There's no way in my mind any secret agent would be gentleman enough to await her finishing the call. Kick her out and use the phone is what any agent would've done.
so it's a then, then.
Then: 1
Now: 1
Tie: -
That would have been better than kicking Locque off the cliff. They would have had to drug Roger first, though.
Octopussy
Then
This was the first Bond film I saw in a cinema. (Which is sadly no longer there) It was in my home town and I remember being excited to see another James Bond film. I'd seen TSWLM the previous year, and here was Roger Moore back as James Bond. The film opened with such exciting aerial stuntwork, in the smallest plane I'd ever seen. Flying through the hangar and out the closing door (before I knew about foreground miniatures and perspective) just blew me away. The hunt of OO9, then the auction at Sotheby's. Then off to India, the back gammon game the tuk-tuk chase. It was a film that really moved. All the time something was happening. Be it action, or the villains plotting, by the time we got to Germany and the train sequence and the bomb defusing I was really on the edge of my seat.
But wait there's more! Now we have to go back to India to save the girl, and stop the bad guy. I'm sure my jaw dropped when I saw Bond atop the plane in the finale. And so the villain is thwarted, Bond saves the day and rescues Octopussy, who he retires on her boat with as the credits roll.
I knew at the time I really enjoyed this film, but I didn't realise quite how much this film would have an effect on me.
Now
I understand that there are moments in the film that let it down. The tiger hunt, the Tarzan yell, some of the tuk-tuk chase and the gorilla suit (And some would add more) but I don't think a few small issues should ruin a film, or categorise it as being bad.
None of the issues last very long, they're just either dated (the Barbara Woodhouse sit gag) or just wrong (the Tarzan yell). But this was an 80's Bond film. It didn't look out of place in 1983.
So today when I watch OP and I did a couple of weeks ago for my birthday I get transported back to that time when I first saw it. I still love every scene in the film. It still excites me, I still love the Sotheby's scene. I still think the back gammon game is super cool. I still love the villains, and in particular the face off with Orlov in the train carriage. The bomb defusing scene still has me on the edge of my seat, and my jaw still drops when Bond clings to the top of Khans plane.
Because I am Octobenny, and I'll enjoy Octopussy for as long as I like.
I'll go with a tie. Love it now as much as I did then.
Then - 4
Now -4
Tie - 4
I have a "then" with Octopussy as it was the first one I ever saw of the franchise and even at the cinema, as my father took me with him to watch it in 1984 when I was only 10.
Back then popular movies were re-shown regularly, that's why I saw it almost a year after it was initially released.
Then:
Wow, stunning, breathtaking, what a thrill. I was deeply impressed with the movie.
The PTS was just so exciting and seeing a Maurice Binder title sequence with a song playing for the first time was very impressive.
I remember a lot of scenes and moments very vividly, especially everything with Octopussy...boy did I like her.
The exotic locations impressed me and I remember doing my father's head in for weeks urging him to take me to the floating Octopussy Palace.
Later in life (after 1989) when I discovered all the Bond movies Octopussy remained my favourite (after TLD which changed my life).
It has never left my Top 5 and went as high as No 2 as I didn't really think about "ranking" Bond movies before 1989.
TLD being the only one in its way.
I admit not understanding the rules of this ranking, I see different numbers being thrown around, so forgive me if I do this wrong.
Then - 10 (out of ten)
Now - 10 (out of ten), objectively I'd give it a 9.
Oh Dear, ok.
So then I have to choose tie because I love it as much as I did then.
Not sure about the numbers though, when I look at the last couple of posts.
Can you reply to this post and do the proper scoring for me, thanks...I'm obviously slow on the uptake here :)
Now I enjoy it greatly.
Then - 4
Now -5
Tie - 5
Then - 4
Now -5
Tie - 6