1983-1985: Roger Moore vs. the World
Nobody likes Octopussy. I, however, love Octopussy, and anyone who says otherwise must hate cinema. Period. Admittedly, none of it should work. Roger Moore had become far too old to play James Bond, some of his shtick had started to grow old, and the humor in Octopussy is some of the dumbest the series ever wrote this side of Moonraker. However, whenever I watch Octopussy I smile when I should be grimacing and I’m excited when I should be puzzled. It wins me over against all odds.
The Bond series is usually lightweight to begin with, but Roger Moore’s films took it to the next level. If he could have gotten through an entire film without yielding a gun, he would have. That’s the kind of guy Moore wanted Bond to be. If I’m not mistaken, I believe he even one said he preferred Bond as a “giggler.” Well, Octopussy delivers on that front. It’s as “giggly” as the Bond films come. At one point during the film, Bond does a Tarzan yell while swinging from tree to tree. At another, he dons a clown costume and disarms a nuclear bomb. Seriously.
This should be a recipe for disaster, yet Octopussy is a genuine good time if you’re able to get past the fact that these things shouldn’t be happening in a James Bond movie. In fact, I propose this: when watching Octopussy, think of it as an Indiana Jones film rather than a James Bond film. Then you might be more accepting of the various attempts at humor. In fact, it wouldn’t surprise me if that was what Octopussy was going for, as just two years before Raiders of the Lost Ark had changed the action movie landscape forever. Octopussy is to Raiders what Moonraker was to Star Wars.
Admittedly, the villains in Octopussy aren’t the most remarkable nemeses Bond has had to face. However, this time it’s Bond’s woman that steals the show. Maud Adams plays the titular character, and she and Moore have some wonderful chemistry. For once, Moore seems to have a female counterpart that clicks in most every way. Throughout Moore’s tenure, there were only two women who worked very well at all: Barbara Bach in The Spy Who Loved Me, and Maud Adams in Octopussy.
Though many (incorrectly) question Octopussy’s creative success, no one can doubt its box office success, especially considering the circumstances. 1983 gave us not one but two Bond films, the other being Never Say Never Again. Technically, this film cannot be included in the official James Bond series, as it was made by a rival studio with the intention of competing with Octopussy. This rival film had one major thing going for it: the return of Sean Connery as everyone’s favorite secret agent. Unfortunately, it didn’t have much else, and the film was not able to match Octopussy at the box office. People know when they’re getting the original product and when they’re getting a cheap imitation.
After the incredible success (and awesomeness) of Octopussy, Roger Moore decided to come back for one last Bond film. The result was A View to a Kill, which is a strange little Bond film if there ever was one. It plays like an old man trying really hard to be “hip” and “with the times” despite the fact that he clearly belongs in an old folks’ home somewhere. This is not helped by a theme song from Duran Duran, which is as 80’s as music gets. “Hey, kids! I like your rock music too!”
Yet, for some strange reason, I don’t particularly hate A View to a Kill. It’s not as great as Octopussy (which, again, is awesome, so screw you), but it has a certain charm to it. Roger Moore may not have played Bond the way a lot of people may have liked, but darn it all if he isn’t charming doing it, even if A View to a Kill finds him sleeping with women that are young enough to be his daughter.
Despite all this, what makes A View to a Kill pretty fun are the performances of Christopher Walken and Grace Jones as two of the most memorable Bond villains of the Roger Moore era. Walken plays Max Zorin, a businessman who barely even tries to hide his insanity. He’s a strange little man, not as straightforward as most Bond villains while still remaining sinister. Jones plays his henchwoman May Day, without a doubt the most frightening woman the series has ever seen. The film’s climax on the Golden Gate Bridge is some terrific stuff as well.
Understandably, when A View to a Kill came out people had grown a little tired of the Roger Moore era, and that includes Moore himself. He’s made no secret of the fact that he’s no fan of A View to a Kill, due to 1) his age, and 2) his opinion that the violence was too excessive at times. The latter I don’t understand at all, as there is barely any blood to be found in A View to a Kill, but I’m fine letting Moore live in his land of flowers and kittens.
At long last, after seven films, Roger Moore decided to walk away from the series that had made him a household name. While this was likely one film later than most would have liked, no one could disagree that it was time to move on. As the search for a new actor began, the filmmakers began discussing what to do with the series going forward. The choice was clear: it was time to make some significant changes.
Next Week: Timothy Dalton becomes James Bond and makes two great Bond films, including one of my personal favorites.
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