|
By
NICK ZEGARAC
"Octopussy" (1983) is Roger
Moore's second to last outing as glib British
secret agent, James Bond. On this occasion 007 has
been assigned to investigate the sudden and
curious appearance of a Faberge Easter egg at a
Sotherby's auction, marked 'property of a lady.'
What he discovers is that the lady, Magda
(Kristina Wayborn) is the property of one, Kamal
Khan (Louis Jourdan), a prince of spurious
heritage who is using the backdrop of his
fabulously wealthy lifestyle to hide a diabolical
agenda. Kamal plans to detonate a nuclear bomb on
an American military base in Germany, thereby
raising suspicions that the Russians are behind a
new push to invade Europe -- ah me, what we used
to believe during the good ol' Cold War days.
Enter Octopussy (Maude Adams in her second
appearance in a Bond film; the first was in The
Man With The Golden Gun) a businesswoman whose
traveling circus is populated by a motley crew of
lethal femme fatales. Both she and her staff have
pledged allegiance to Kamal under the false
pretense that they are working as a team in
smuggling Russian royal jewels. However, when
Octopussy learns that she's been used as a pawn,
and furthermore, that Kamal planned to do away
with her in that same nuclear explosion, she takes
her place on the side or righteousness and becomes
Bond's ally.
Buttressed by masterful set pieces and stunning
action sequences (including a head on collision
between a racing locomotive and BMW, and, the
final showdown, as Bond clings to the exterior of
a twin engine plane during a nosedive), Octopussy
was released at the same time as a rival Bond
picture (a thinly based and badly updated remake
of Thunderball, entitled Never Say Never Again,
starring original Bond -- Sean Connery). In every
way Octopussy outranked this latter entrée and
tied Moore's appearances in Bond movies with
Connery's legacy. A year later, Moore would top
Connery's tally with his final Bond flick, A View
to a Kill. John Glen directs with panache and a
flair for capturing the essences of Bond style,
mixing the light and the fantastic with compelling
speed and economy that gives the whole piece a
real roller coaster ride of thrills.
The DVD from MGM/UA is rather disappointing when
compared to the stellar efforts represented on
Moonraker and The Spy Who Love Me. Although
blessed with a 5.1 Dolby stereo mix for its
theatrical engagement, the DVD has been mastered
in a dumbed down 2.0 stereo blend that is neither
as sonically engaging nor viscerally stimulating
as the original. Visually, the picture elements
appear to be in order -- for the most part --
although fine details are decidedly lacking.
Colors are perhaps a tad less vibrant than on the
aforementioned Bond titles (both of an earlier
vintage than Octopussy, yet oddly enough, looking
newer). Contrast and black levels seem slightly
weak. There's a hint of grain, dirty and edge
enhancement throughout, but nothing that will
terribly distract. Overall, the image is just a
bit better than average. Extras include two
masterfully produced documentaries; some vintage
advertising, a theatrical trailer and audio
commentary. |
