Filming Locations
Pinewood Studios, London, England
Buckinghamshire, England, UK
Nene Valley Railway, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, England, UK (Train scenes)
Norholt Air Force Base, England, UK
Oakley, Buckinghamshire, England, UK (Hanger, used to fly through)
RAF Northolt, London, England, UK
RAF Upper Heyford, Oxfordshire, England, UK (Circus parade scene)
Kurfürstendamm, Charlottenburg, Berlin, Germany
Agra Fort, Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India
Black Park Country Park,
Taj Mahal, Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India
Udaipur, Rajasthan, India
Lake Palace Hotel, Udaipur, Rajasthan, India
First time a horse turns into a plane
First time another Double-O agent is shown in the field (009)
First time a Double-O agent is killed on screen
First time Moneypenny is not alone in her office
First appearance of Robert Brown as M
First time Bond dresses like a clown
First use of a hot air balloon as a form of transportation
First time Bond uses women as his cavalry
First battle on top of an airplane
First time Q activly joins Bond in the field.
First theme song that doesn't include the movies title in the lyrics.
First time Bond drives a German car
First time Bond plays Backgammon
First time 007 is a passenger in a VW Beetle
First time 007 goes to East Berlin
First appearance of the Acrostar jet (a.k.a. The Silver Bullet)
First time a circus serves as a cover for illegal activity (smuggling)
First villain related to a monarch (Kamal Khan is an exiled Afghan prince)
First female title character
Mission
A power hungry Soviet general plots to oust the American military forces
from Europe by detonating a nuclear weapon in West Germany and laying the
blame on the United States. To stop him, Bond forms an unlikely alliance
with an international jewel smuggler - the mysterious and beautiful
Octopussy.
Bond returns
for a sleeker, more entertaining film with Roger Moore at the helm for a sixth
time. Threats of his resignation from the role had proved groundless as Moore
signed on the dotted line. The usual production crew was back for another crack
at Bond suggesting at some continuity. This would only partly be the case - the
resultant cash was not far diminished from the previous film, the resultant
film, however, would return to the mould of The Spy Who Loved Me and even
Goldfinger. Decadence allied with competence - but was this James Bond's real
all time high?
From a thrilling jet chase to a climactic countdown to nuclear
disaster, James Bond is back in an electrifying adventure that pushes
the limit for non-stop excitement. Roger Moore portrays the immortal
action hero, perfectly capturing Agent 007's deadly expertise, acerbic
wit, and overpowering sex appeal.
Bond must investigate the murder of a fellow agent who was clutching
a priceless Faberge egg at the time of his death. The trail leads to the
mysterious Octopussy (Maud Adams), whose travelling circus features a
company of luscious, athletic women. Bond and Octopussy share a
passionate attraction, but soon 007 discovers that the elegant Kamal
Khan (Louis Jourdan) is working with a mad Russian officer to hurl
mankind into World War III! As Bond tries to stop the nightmarish scheme,
his exploits will include a riveting chase through the streets of India,
a deadly brawl on top of a speeding train, and a breathtaking mid-air
knife fight on an airplane wing.
With high-tech gadgets including Bond's portable AcroStar jet and a
wristwatch homing device, it's a high-energy adventure with amazing
stunts, atmospheric locales, and nailbiting tension.
In the pre-title sequence, as the Acrostar flies through the
warehouse, you can see if you look carefully enough the pole upon
which the mock jet is impaled on.
When Vijay is "fishing" (while James is with Octopussy),
his shirt is 2 buttons shy of being buttoned to the top. When the
intruders sneak attack him from front and behind, they rip his shirt 4
buttons down and nearly to the navel. Then when Gobinda walks down the
steps and looks at Vijay, his shirt is back to being buttoned 2
buttons from the top. Then, when we look at Vijay from the vantage
point of the goon with the buzzsaw, we see Vijay's shirt is unbuttoned
3 or 4 notches again.
During the film's climax, the stuntman doubling for 007's parachute
can clearly be seen when the wind blows open his jacket. Later, when
Gobinda falls off the plane, you can clearly see the orange straps of
his parachute underneath his jacket as he spins away.
The pre-title sequence with the Acrostar plane was originally
intended to be a Little Nelly type battle sequence in Moonraker
and was to take place above the Angel Falls in Brazil. It had to be
scrapped when the falls' river bed dried up
Octopussy's island was located in Udaipur, India. It was also known
as the "City of Sunrise".
Magda was an animal trainer, a jockey, and even a race car driver,
before she became an actress.
When Octopussy talks about Bond's background with her father Major
Dexter Smythe, that story is actually the whole plot of the Ian
Fleming short story, "Octopussy".
The Faberge egg auction sequence was in the Ian Fleming short story,
"Property of a Lady".
The page already says that the Faberge egg auction sequence at
Sotheby's was taken from the short story "Property of a
Lady". This story was actually commissioned by an art expert at
Sotheby's and published in Sotheby's annual review, "Art At
Auction". Another interesting link to Sotheby's is that the
director of Sotheby's for many years, Peter Wilson was actually
drafted into MI6 during World War Two and his code number there was
007, and his friend and colleague Ian Fleming partly used him as
inspiration for the character. Octopussy is the first Bond film to
provide evidence of the link to Sotheby's.
Sean Connery actually praised the action sequences in the film
Roger Moore uses the Walther P-5 throughout much of the film. The
P-5 is similar to the Walther P-38 used by the German Army in WWII.
The main differences are the MUCH shorter barrel and a different
safety mechanism. Compared to the PPK it is slightly heavier and fires
the 9mm Parabellum round.
Despite he's famous for being General Orlov in Octopussy, Steven
Berkoff played a similar role as a Soviet officer in Rambo: First
Blood Part II.
The name of Moneypenny's assistant, Penelope Smallbone, came from
the real name of one of the dancers in the TSWLM title sequence.
Yo Yo Killer Played by: William Derrick
Yo-Yo Buzz Saw: Description: This man kills Vijay with his bladed yo yo on the
orders of Gobinda. He later tries to murder Bond in the same manor, but
after missing he loses a battle with 007, which costs him his life.
General Orlov Played by: Steven Berkoff
Orlov is a pompous Russian General dissatisfied with NATO's disarmament
talks. He teams up with Kamal Khan to set up a nuclear bomb in an US air
base in Germany. Orlov ends up dead when he is shot in the back while
trying to flee to the West.
Octopussy
Played
by:
Maud
Adams Description: Octopussy is an international jewel smuggler as well
as the owner of Octopussy's Traveling Circus. She is trying to steal a
host of Soviet jewels and artifacts, but is betrayed by her partner, Kamal
Khan. She is also Bond's primary love interest in the film.
Kamal Kahn: Played by: Louis Jourdan
Another sly smuggler with a connection to the Soviet Union, Khan
double-crosses his partner, Octopussy, to sell stolen Russian jewelry and
plant a nuclear device on an American Air Force base.
Mischka and Grischka Played by David and Anthony Meyer, respectively The two knife-throwing, identical twins kill 009 in the beginning of
the film. Bond becomes their next target. Near the end of the movie,
Mischka gets hit by a cannon while Grishka is stabbed by Bond.
Gobinda:
Kamal's main henchman is played well here by Kabir Bedi who has a lot of
on-screen presence. He does everything his master commands, including fighting
Bond on top of both a train and a plane, but also has a mind of his own and
often takes the initiative himself to attack Bond. In another good chase,
through an Indian marketplace, he has to chase Bond with a Tuk-Tuk taxi but Bond
gets the upper hand as he has a 'company' Tuk-Tuk which has been given some
not-so-standard Universal Export modifications.
Gobinda action scene on the train with Bond
A preserved historic railway with origins in the middle of the 19th
century, the Nene Valley
Railway stretches for around 12 km / 7 miles and links the station of
Peterborough Nene Valley with Yarwell Junction..Of interest, the line has
featured in a number of famous television programmes and movies, including
both the James Bond films 'Octopussy' and 'Golden Eye'.
Magda Played by: Kristina Wayborn Description: At first glance, Magda appears to be one of Kamal
Khan's henchman after she sleeps with Bond and steals the Faberge Egg.
However, it is later revealed that she is in fact a member of Octopussy's
Traveling Circus and helps lead the attack on Kamal Khan's palace during
the film's finale.Octopussy 1983
Magda (Kristina Wayborn)
Britt -Inger Johansson Born: SwedenNybro , Nybro James Bond
007 Museum Nybro Sweden www.007museum.com
Albert Broccoli with tiger in India Octopussy1983
M Played by: Robert Brown Description: Taking over for Bernard Lee who passed away shortly
after Moonraker's release, Robert Brown acts as the same character.
It is often debated that he is actually Admiral Hargreaves, Brown's
character in The Spy Who Loved Me, but it is never finitely stated
that he is anyone other than Sir Miles Messervy, who was Bernard Lee's M.
Bianca Played by: Tina Hudson Description:Bianca:
Seen helping Bond in the pre-credits sequence, Bianca helps Bond during
the pre-title sequence by giving him Colonel Toro's ID badge,, then waits for him to make a
getaway. Instead, Bond gets caught and
instead of escaping, is driven out of the base under armed guard. Bianca follows
with the horsebox Bond brought in and attracts the attention of the guards long
enough for Bond to escape.
Agent 009 Played by: Andy Bradford Description: After escaping from Octopussy's circus with the
Portrait of a Lady Faberge Egg, 009 is killed by Mischka and Grishka, but
not before crashing into the British Ambassador's room and delivering the
egg.
James Bond Played by: Roger Moore Description: Roger
Moore returns for his sixth appearance as James Bond, a role which is now
completely his. Moore has a certain confidence that, while more realistic,
also comes across as slightly bored. In addition, his time in a clown
outfit is one of the low points of the series.
Octopussy Played by: Maud Adams Description: Octopussy is an international jewel smuggler as well
as the owner of Octopussy's Traveling Circus. She is trying to steal a
host of Soviet jewels and artifacts, but is betrayed by her partner, Kamal
Khan. She is also Bond's primary love interest in the film.
Octopussy
(Maud Adams) is the head of a secret order of female bandits and smugglers.
She lives at The Floating Place on Lake Pichola, Udaipur, India, a man-made
island populated solely by women and only accessible via her private barge.
Partnered with exiled Afghan prince Kamal Kahn in a $300 million jewellery
smuggling operation she runs a European circus that provides the perfect
cover for this operation’s activities. Her father was Major Dexter Smythe a
leading authority on octopi who gave his daughter her pet name. Octopussy
first meets Bond when he sneaks into her compound to find information about
the death of 009. She tries to induce Bond to work for her unaware that her
partner Khan wants 007 dead. Having been betrayed by Khan (when he replaces
smuggled jewels with an atomic bomb on board her circus train), she seeks
revenge on Khan by using her highly trained guards to attack Khan’s Monsoon
Palace.
Colonel ToroPlayed by: Ken Norris Description: Looking like Bond's long lost twin, Colonel Toro stops
Bond from destroying his top secret plane during the pre-title sequence.
However, he is killed when Bond leads a heat-seeking missile into a hanger
with Toro and the plane.
Vijay Played by: Vijay Amritraj Description: Vijay is Bond's main ally in India. A fellow British
Secret Service employee, his knowledge of India proves invaluable. He
meets his end at the hand of the villainous"Yo Yo Killer."
Yo Yo Killer Played by: William Derrick
Yo-Yo Buzz Saw: Description: This man kills Vijay with his bladed yo yo on the
orders of Gobinda. He later tries to murder Bond in the same manor, but
after missing he loses a battle with 007, which costs him his life.
Film Octopussy (1983)
Location Lake Picchola, Udaipur Scene Disguised as a crocodile, Bond swims up to the 'floating
palace', populated only by attractive women, and the lair of Octopussy,
whom he suspects to be involved with the smuggling of a Fabergé egg.:
STAY
Guests - both female and male - can actually stay at Octopussy's island
hideaway, Taj
Lake Palace. The hotel is lavishly decorated with ornate,
carved windows and domed turrets. Taj Lake Palace, Lake Pichola, Udaipur, Rajasthan,
India(00 91 294 242 8800; www.tajhotels.com).
Doubles from Rs23,100 (about £300)
James Bond movie Octopussy (1983) - Orlov at the Monsoon Palace
The Monsoon Palace, formerly known as the
Sajjan Garh Palace, is a hilltop palatial
residence in the
Udaipur city.
The palace was used in the 1983
James Bond
film
Octopussy as the residence of
Kamal Khan,
an exiled Afghan prince.
It is named
as Sajjangarh after Maharana Sajjan
Singh (1874
James Bond movie Octopussy (1983) -
Orlov at the Monsoon Palace.
http://www.007museum.com/Octopussy.htm–1884)
of the Mewar Dynasty, who built
Sajjangarh Fort in 1884. It offers a
panoramic view of the city's lakes,
palaces and surrounding countryside. It
was built basically to watch the monsoon
clouds; hence, appropriately, it is
popularly known as Monsoon Palace. The
Monsoon Palace provides a beautiful view
of the sunset. High in the Aravalli
Hills, just outside Udaipur, the Palace
is illuminated in the evenings, giving a
glow of golden orange.
The
Monsoon Palace, also known as the
Sajjan Garh Palace, is a hilltop
palatial residence in the city of
Udaipur,
Rajasthan
in
India,
overlooking the
Fateh Sagar
Lake.
It is named Sajjangarh after
Maharana
Sajjan Singh (1874–1884) of the
Mewar
Dynasty,
who built it in 1884. The palace offers a
panoramic view of the city's lakes, palaces
and surrounding countryside. It was built
chiefly to watch the monsoon clouds; hence,
appropriately, it is popularly known as
Monsoon Palace. It is said that the Maharana
built it at the top of the hill to get a
view of his ancestral home,
Chittaurgarh.
Previously owned by the Mewar royal family,
it is now under the control of the Forest
Department of the
Government of
Rajasthan
and has recently been opened to the public.
The palace provides a beautiful view of the
sunset.
Its builder,
Maharana Sajjan Singh, originally planned to
make it a five-storey astronomical centre.
The plan was cancelled with Maharana Sajjan
Singh's premature death. It was then turned
into a monsoon palace and hunting lodge.[8]
High in the
Aravalli Hills,
just outside Udaipur, the Palace is
illuminated in the evenings, giving a golden
orange glow
Vijay, James Bond's contact at Station I, played by tennis
star Vijay Amritraj in Octopussy
Vijay Amritraj Played for Indien against Sweden in Davies Cup final 1987.
Octopussy Vijay Amritraj
Vijay, James Bond's contact at Station I, played by tennis
star Vijay Amritraj in Octopussy
This AUTO-RICKSHAW – TUK-TUK was used by the henchman Gobinda in
Octopussy to chase down and try to kill James Bond. It was built on the new
frame of a standard Honda three-wheeler. The motor, however, was significantly
beefed up by legendary stunt man Remy Julienne.
This
is exact Finally available for your collection, Indian Taxi
Tuk-Tuk celebrates it seen in "Octopussy". with the metal
1/43° delivered with the character of ` Roger Moore' upright out of
painted lead. inside window box. Create by "TV MODELS"
has a completely superb diorama.
Numbered pulling extremly confidential with..only 50 models
manufactured !!
HIGHTLY Detailled, you will not be disappointed of your purchase and
your investment
James Bond Interview with an
KL Salvi
employee Octopussy 1982, KL Salvi 6 months of filming of Octopussy 1982,
he was elektricker, carpenter, he made Yo-Yo Buzz Saw , built the mast
to boat Gangaur etc.
http://www.007museum.com/tajlakepalace.htm
Manager Balraj from Taj Lake Palace did
translate
This man KL Salvi
was working with 6 months of filming of Octopussy, he was elektricker,
carpenter, he made Yo-Yo Buzz Saw , built the mast to
boat Gangaur got 500 rupees
by Maud Adams, etc. He told me all about Octopussy
built the mast to
boat Gangaur got 500 rupees
by Maud Adams, etc.
He told me all about Octopussy story from 1982
Description: This man kills Vijay
with his bladed yo yo on the orders of Gobinda. He later tries to murder Bond in
the same manor,
but after missing he loses a battle with 007, which costs him his life.
This man KL Salvi
was working with 6 months of filming of Octopussy, he was elektricker,
carpenter, he made Yo-Yo Buzz Saw , built the mast to
boat Gangaur got 500 rupees
by Maud Adams, etc. He told me all about Octopussy
Yo Yo Buzz Saw Killer Played by: William Derrick
James Bond Interview with an KL Salvi
employee Octopussy 1982, KL Salvi 6 months of filming of Octopussy 1982,
he was elektricker, carpenter, he made Yo-Yo Buzz Saw , built the mast
to boat Gangaur etc.
http://www.007museum.com/tajlakepalace.htm
Manager Balraj from Taj Lake Palace did translate
This man KL Salvi was with 6 months of filming of Octopussy, he was elektricker,
carpenter, he made Yo-Yo Buzz Saw , built the mast to
boat Gangaur got 500 rupees
by Maud Adams, etc.
He told me all about Octopussy story from 1982
The Checkpoint
Charlie border
crossing was a backdrop for the Cold War era James
Bond film
"Octopussy"
(1983), where Roger
Moore as James
Bond makes
a halt at the Allied border crossing. Now a replica of the border post evokes
what was once surely the most famous border crossing in Berlin.
Bond returns
for a sleeker, more entertaining film with Roger Moore at the helm for a sixth
time. Threats of his resignation from the role had proved groundless as Moore
signed on the dotted line. The usual production crew was back for another crack
at Bond suggesting at some continuity. This would only partly be the case - the
resultant cash was not far diminished from the previous film, the resultant
film, however, would return to the mould of The Spy Who Loved Me and even
Goldfinger. Decadence allied with competence - but was this James Bond's real
all time high?
The Plot
Consider the
situation in the early 1980's -The Cold War is fizzling away leaving many to
wonder what to do. Not so General Orlov, who wants to attack NATO in their
apparently weak state due to easing tensions. Rejections from Moscow force Orlov
to ally with Kamal Khan in a win-win partnership - on one side, through Khan's
unsuspecting associate Octopussy (and her circus), a nuclear bomb can be brought
into West Germany for Orlov whilst at the same time, Orlov can get jewels from
the Russian archive to aide Khan's smuggling operation, also into Europe. The
bomb is to be set off at the circus inside a US military base, the blame
subsequently being pinned on the US as an accident, with US forces having to
withdraw from Europe leaving the door open to Orlov's megalomaniac plans. Bond,
who allies with Octopussy, discovers this plan and de-activates the bomb, just,
at the performance and then jets off to India to rescue her from Khan which, of
course, is done successfully but with the help of Octopussy's gymnasts.
After
deploying a more profound interpretation of Bond in For Your Eyes Only, Roger
Moore relaxes a little here and seems to enjoy the ride much better. With Maud
Adams as they leading lady, there was no doubt that the Bond-Octopussy
relationship would hit it off. There is a touch more class and panache to the
performance this time too. It gels much as The Spy Who Loved Me did, despite
Moore having a bug in India, and goes down as one of his most accomplished
perfomances as 007.
Bond,
the character, does some of the greatest continent hopping of the whole series.
He starts in South America, lands home in London, then goes to India, heads for
Germany, then back to India! As usual, he has up-to-date equipment such as the
LCD watch and the Acrostar Jet (well, almost up-to-date - it was planned to be
used in Moonraker, actually). He also like dressing up in this film, be it as a
Banana Republic General or a clown. As a clown, the scene where Bond has to
defuse the nuclear bomb, there is restraint where there could
have been overt humour - and the fuilm is much the better thanks to the control
of the producers.
Like For Your
Eyes Only, Bond is truly shocked when an ally, in this case Vijay, is lost on
the mission. In this move away from action-man Bond and into a more human type,
the Roger Moore Bond really comes into its element.
Conclusion:
A suitable
follow-on performance from the previous film, the balance is about right. This
Bond is somewhere between Moonraker and For Your Eyes Only, equating humour with
humanity for a polished Bond. Perhaps it was the threat of the rival film Never
Say Never Again which focussed the producer's minds to make Bond as good as he
gets? Whatever, no-one can argue with this wonderful outing
Vijay:
Vijay makes his presence known to Bond, rather cleverly, by playing the
"James Bond Theme" on his flute, which he using as part of his
snake-charming cover. He works as a tennis pro, fittingly enough, at Kamal's
club in town. He helps Bond to escape from this club later, after Bond
humiliates Kamal Khan, by driving the Taxi. He is not spared thougfh, and is
killed later in a vicious attack by one of Gobinda's henchmen, using the yo-yo
buzz saw. Bond is deeply shocked by his death at the lakeside and uses this as a
thrust for his revenge later.
Bianca:
Seen helping Bond in the pre-credits sequence, Bianca sets Bond up as General
Toro, then waits for him to make a getaway. Instead, Bond gets caught and
instead of escaping, is driven out of the base under armed guard. Bianca follows
with the horsebox Bond brought in and attracts the attention of the guards long
enough for Bond to escape.
General
Gogol: Instead of
fighting for seemingly Soviet causes, Gogol pushes for a more positive agenda to
address Russia's internal problems, which is against Orlov's megalomanial scheme
to conquer Northern Europe. Gogol does not let it lie there. He keeps his eye on
Orlov until the point where he can prove that he is the thief of jewellery from
the Kremlin Art Repository - then the East German troops shoot Orlov, as he
tries to catch the train going into West Germany.
MI6
'M':
The character of
'M' returns here in the form of Robert Brown (who had played Admiral Hargreaves
in The Spy Who Loved Me). Following on from his predecessor, this 'M' gives Bond
a customary berating, this time for swapping the Fabergé eggs at Sotherby's.
Despite this initial reception, 'M' does give a wry smile when Bond leaves,
realising what he has done is for the best. Later 'M' joins Bond in East Berlin
to discuss future plans.
Miss
Moneypenny: The
shortest of all her roles, Moneypenny is overshadowed by her new, but not
long-lived, assistant, Miss Penelope Smallbone. Instead of the usual
pleasantries, Moneypenny seems to get the brunt of Bond's teasing as he is more
interested in the new office beauty - much to Moneypenny's chagrin.
Miss
Penelope Smallbone:
Moneypenny's new assistant gets all of Bond's attention as he embarks on a new
mission. Smallbone gets her own desk and computer, but fails to appear again (I
wonder if Bond was happy?). It is fairly obvious that she was meant as a
Moneypenny replacement, but the producers must have thought better of it.
'Q':
In his under-resourced Indian workshop, 'Q' prepares more new equipment for
Bond, including a homer for Bond's Fabergé egg and a Liquid Crystal Display
watch TV - which Bond uses to take close-ups of a secretary's bust, much to 'Q''s
annoyance. Bond later gets a ride in 'Q''s Hot-Air Balloon to the Monsoon
Palace. Bond fights his way to Octopussy while 'Q' lands the thing, thronged by
a bevvy of Octopussy's beauties. They flirt with him but he is having none of
it. He does suggest that his mind will return to them though, later.
Minister
Of Defence, Frederick Gray:
Fleeting this time, Gray is seen at the end of the film retuning to Gogol a
treasure which Bond used to persuade Octopussy that Kamal's plans were not as he
had suggested.
Jim
Fanning: An art
expert MI6 employs, Fanning is accompanied by Bond to Sotherby's where a real
Fabergé egg is for sale, not one like that handed in, brutally, by 009 in West
Germany. Bond nearly gives Fanning a coronary by outbidding Kamal for the egg,
proceeding to swap the real egg for the fake in order to "smoke him out".
Agent 009:
Seen just after the titles, 009 tries to escape the Octopussy circus with one of
the fake Fabergé eggs. He is pursued eagerly by the knife-wielding Mischka and
Grischka through a forest, in a very haunting scene. They catch up with him
because he is hindered by his clown's outfit and the balloons on his back which
keep popping. When they catch him up, they throw a knife at him, rendering him
dead - or so they think. He has just enough time to get out of the river and
crawl to the British Embassy and dispense of the egg.
Conclusion:
Bond is helped in India by the fearless Vijay and in Europe by Gogol, an
unlikely ally. The former is an interesting, if somewhat tongue-in-cheek ally,
twhile the other is deadly serious in stopping Orlov. Poles apart yet both very
good. Fanning is probably the only ally Bond has brough to near death on purpose,
which makes for a rather amusing scene, while Smallbone acts to make Bond feel
younger. The rest is as usual, except that 'M' is a mite softer now. This does
not last for long though - The character would become tougher under Timothy
Dalton's Bond.
Villains
- Octopussy (1983)
Kamal
Khan: A
corrupt Afghan Prince who colludes with General Orlov to further both their ends,
Kamal is an intelligent and sophisticated villain the likes of which has not
been for a while in the series. He uses Octopussy's travelling circus as a means
of smuggling jewellery from country to country, admittedly with her knowledge,
but double crosses her by changing the jewels for a nuclear bomb when the circus
visits a US Air Base in West Germany. The role of Khan is played brilliantly by
Louis Jordan. His best scenes are when Bond betters him in both the auction room
(by out-bidding him to an outrageous sum for the Fabergé Egg) and in the club
(by cottoning-on to Kamal's technique for winning and turning the tables on the
cheat). His demise is spectacular as he is sent to his death when his plane is
forced to crash by Bond.
Gobinda:
Kamal's main henchman is played well here by Kabir Bedi who has a lot of
on-screen presence. He does everything his master commands, including fighting
Bond on top of both a train and a plane, but also has a mind of his own and
often takes the initiative himself to attack Bond. In another good chase,
through an Indian marketplace, he has to chase Bond with a Tuk-Tuk taxi but Bond
gets the upper hand as he has a 'company' Tuk-Tuk which has been given some
not-so-standard Universal Export modifications.
General
Orlov: Détente
and Orlov are like chalk and cheese. He seizes the opportunity to cause trouble,
with the assistance of Kamal Khan, buy offering the Afghan jewellery in trade
for getting the nuclear bomb into West Germany. This character is only memorable
due to his importance in the plot, not by the performance given by Steven
Berkoff. Our first encounter with Orlov is when he addresses the Russian 'Committee'
with his megalomaniac plans against NATO. He loses out to General Gogol in the
battle of words as Gogol displays much more composure and honesty.
Mischka
and Grischka: Identical
twins, identical target - Bond. They are a knife-throwing act in Octopussy's
circus but use their skill to more devastating effect when they kill 009 in East
Berlin whilst trying to retreive the fake Fabergé Egg. 007 on the other hand is
not overcome by these murderers as he kills both in separate confrontations; one
aboard the train, the other after they have jumped off it.
Conclusion:
No real crackpots or crazed perverts here, just a criminal element trying to get
on with its business. There's nothing wrong (or is that right?) with that, but
it's all done with a touch of stoidness. Kamal is a corrupt businessman, who is
really a bit-part to Orlov's megalomania. Admittedly, Orlov is not the most
clear-headed of folks, and that makes him much better for the film, but we have
met more worthy candidates for the loony title. On the other hand, Mischka,
Grischka and Gobinda are much better - simple yet effective.
Women -
Octopussy (1983)
Octopussy:
An exotic
lady to say the least. Octopussy owns a travelling circus with India as its base.
Her palace there is guarded by an all-female band of gymnasts which belong to
her revived Octopus cult. The circus is used as a cover, with her partner Kamal
Khan, for jewellery smuggling. Upon meeting Bond Octopussy she reveals that she
is the daughter of the disgraced British agent Dexter Smythe. Years before Bond
had been sent to look for Smythe in the Far East and had given him the option of
suicide rather than a court martial back home. As the film progresses Octopussy
and Bond become lovers. When she is kidnapped by Kamal, after Bond prevents the
nuclear bomb from exploding, 007 chases them to get her back.
There is a
lot of chemistry between Roger Moore and Maud Adams and thus is a well
remembered leading lady. Adams is the only woman to have played two major Bond
film roles, having appeared as Andrea Anders in The Man With The Golden Gun.
Octopussy (the film) allowed her to present her considerable skills as an
actress, much more than her other role.
Magda:
A beautiful
sidekick for Octopussy's operations (and assistant to Kamal Khan), Magda is sent
to get back the real Fabergé Egg from Bond, in what ever way possible, whilst
he is at the hotel. She inadvertantly helps Bond by explaining her Octopus
tattoo which identifies her as one of the cult's members. Kristina Wayborn makes
a splendid job of Magda's character, with the script even letting her show off
her athletic skills in the battle at the Monsoon Palace.
Conclusion:
Not quite the numbers Bond usually comes across on a mission, but his eventual
relationship with Octopussy makes up for that. Magda is a much different
proposition - acting as Kamal's mole, she has to take it by order, not that that
seems to bother her! Both are beautiful, charismatic to some degree and have a
great on-screen presence with Moore's Bond. Very accomplished.
Gadgets
& Weapons - Octopussy (1983)
Demolition
Briefcase: Seen
in the pre-credits sequence, this briefcase houses a bomb beneath its false
bottom. It is used unsuccessfully by Bond when he infiltrates the banana
republic air base.
Mont
Blanc Fountain Pen: This
innocent piece of stationery actually has a dual purpose. It's barrel contains
some acid which will dissolve through metal - highly useful when Bond tries to
escape from the Monsoon Palace. Also, the lid contains an earpiece which Bond
uses to listen in on the bug placed inside the Fabergé Egg.
Seiko
Watches: The
first watch seen in the film contains a radio directional finder which he uses
to track down the Fabergé Egg after it is stolen by Magda. The second is, in
fact, a LCD television. Bond uses this when he is chasing Kamal and Gobinda who
had kidnapped Octopussy. Q's hot air balloon has a video camera mounted on it
which beamed the proceedings to Bond.
Yo-Yo
Buzz Saw: This
is a circular saw which, as its name suggests, runs up and down a wire like a
yo-yo. It is a horrific weapon used by one of the men employed by Gobinda to
assassinate Bond. Just before this terrific fight sequence Vijay is killed using
it but, luckily, we don't get to see its results on-screen. Nevertheless a
children's toy replica was made!
Conclusion:
A much better Seiko watch here to For Your Eyes Only. Indeeds, better watches -
we witness two in operation. The fountain pen is a useful tool and although its
a shame that we don't see the demolition case being used, the explosion
thereafter is more than enough! Just as fatal is the buzz saw, which, mercifully,
is not shown in action too much in the film.
Vehicles
- Octopussy (1983)
Acrostar
Mini-Jet: An
amazing one-seater jet which was built and flown by its designer, 'Corkey'
Fornof. With its wings folded up it was hidden behind a false horse's backside
inside a horse trailer, being pulled by a Range Rover. It is used to escape from
his pursuers once Bond has tricked his way from being guarded as he is escorted
from the air base. The response to this is to send up a heat-seeking missile to
destroy Bond. This is reversed when Bond flies through an aeroplane hangar. The
Mini-Jet makes it, but the missile does not and it blows the whole thing sky
high leaving Bond to finally escape. That whole sequence is brilliant as it
involved very detailed mock-ups and replicas which are indistinguishable to the
real thing onscreen. The only glitch is that if you look closely when the jet
flies through the hangar you can just see the prop which holds the plane at an
angle, obviously being towed through the hangar. Never mind, I didn't know about
it until I really looked.
Tuk-Tuk
Company Taxi: Once
again Q's workshop at Universal Exports has been working overtime to change this
seemingly ordinary Tuk-Tuk three-wheeled taxi into a supercharged vehicle! Vijay
drives this machine and Bond clings on in the rear whilst they are being chased
by Gobinda and Co. in their ordinary taxi. It is made to ride on two wheels and
even flies through the air over a camel in a very funny chase.
Q's
Hot Air Balloon:
An idiotic yet amusing mode of transport for a sophisticated secret agent, this
balloon is used by Bond and Q to get to the Monsson Palace whilst the battle
between Octopussy's troupe and Kamal Khan's men ensues below. It is decorated in
the Union flag and contains CCTV and a video camera which aides Bond in his
search for the kidnapped Octopussy.
Crocodile
Submarine: Bond
uses this one-man submarine to get onto Octopussy's floating palace without
being noticed. It is also used to flee from the palace when Bond and a thug
together fall into the lake from the balcony of the palace. Access was made
through the mouth!
Conclusion:
No Bond car this time, as such. Instead we are given the Acrostar Jet - a plane
which Bond brings into the base without anyone noticing, then leaves with about
everybody noticing! The Tuk-Tuk taxi is equally impressive in the stunts
department, even if the tennis crack is a bit misguided. Q's Hot air balloon
obviously has something to do with the ski-parachute jump from The
Spy Who Loved Me - the Union Jack - but does not live up to its predecessor.
1983)
– James Bond may have met his match in Octopussy, an entrancing beauty
involved in a devastating military plot to destroy détente. From the palaces of
India to a speeding circus train in Germany and a mid-air battle on the wing of
a high-flying aircraft, only Agent 007 can stop the nightmarish scheme!
Acrostar
Mini-Jet: An
amazing one-seater jet which was built and flown by its designer, 'Corkey'
Fornof. With its wings folded up it was hidden behind a false horse's backside
inside a horse trailer, being pulled by a Range Rover. It is used to escape from
his pursuers once Bond has tricked his way from being guarded as he is escorted
from the air base. The response to this is to send up a heat-seeking missile to
destroy Bond. This is reversed when Bond flies through an aeroplane hangar. The
Mini-Jet makes it, but the missile does not and it blows the whole thing sky
high leaving Bond to finally escape. That whole sequence is brilliant as it
involved very detailed mock-ups and replicas which are indistinguishable to the
real thing onscreen. The only glitch is that if you look closely when the jet
flies through the hangar you can just see the prop which holds the plane at an
angle, obviously being towed through the hangar. Never mind, I didn't know about
it until I really looked.
Tuk-Tuk
Company Taxi: Once
again Q's workshop at Universal Exports has been working overtime to change this
seemingly ordinary Tuk-Tuk three-wheeled taxi into a supercharged vehicle! Vijay
drives this machine and Bond clings on in the rear whilst they are being chased
by Gobinda and Co. in their ordinary taxi. It is made to ride on two wheels and
even flies through the air over a camel in a very funny chase.
Q's
Hot Air Balloon:
An idiotic yet amusing mode of transport for a sophisticated secret agent, this
balloon is used by Bond and Q to get to the Monsson Palace whilst the battle
between Octopussy's troupe and Kamal Khan's men ensues below. It is decorated in
the Union flag and contains CCTV and a video camera which aides Bond in his
search for the kidnapped Octopussy.
Crocodile
Submarine: Bond
uses this one-man submarine to get onto Octopussy's floating palace without
being noticed. It is also used to flee from the palace when Bond and a thug
together fall into the lake from the balcony of the palace. Access was made
through the mouth!
Conclusion:
No Bond car this time, as such. Instead we are given the Acrostar Jet - a plane
which Bond brings into the base without anyone noticing, then leaves with about
everybody noticing! The Tuk-Tuk taxi is equally impressive in the stunts
department, even if the tennis crack is a bit misguided. Q's Hot air balloon
obviously has something to do with the ski-parachute jump from The Spy Who Loved
Me - the Union Jack - but does not live up to its predecessor.
Bondgirl from Octopussy 1983 Maud Adams and Kristina Wayborn
Britt-Inger Johansson, with James Gunnar Schäfer Bond in James
Bond 007 Museum Sweden Nybro.
Film Octopussy (1983)
Location Lake Picchola, Udaipur Scene Disguised as a crocodile, Bond swims up to the 'floating
palace', populated only by attractive women, and the lair of Octopussy,
whom he suspects to be involved with the smuggling of a Fabergé egg.:
STAY
Guests - both female and male - can actually stay at Octopussy's island
hideaway,Taj
Lake Palace. The hotel is lavishly decorated with ornate,
carved windows and domed turrets. Taj Lake Palace, Lake Pichola, Udaipur, Rajasthan,
India(00 91 294 242 8800; www.tajhotels.com).
Doubles from Rs23,100 (about £300)
CEO/President James Bond Gunnar Schäfer from
James Bond 007 Museum Nybro Sweden Gangaur boat from Bondmovie Octopussy 1983
with Roger Moore as Bond
CEO/President James Bond Gunnar Schäfer from James Bond 007
Museum Nybro Sweden with Regional Security Manager Rajasthan Virendra S.
Champawat Taj Lake Palace Udaipur.
James Bond Gunnar Schäfer at the Garden of Taj Lake Palace where the Octopussy girl Bond
sees bath and relax
James Bond Gunnar Schäfer at the Garden of Taj Lake Palace where the Octopussy girl Bond
sees bath and relax
Octopussy girls at the Taj Lake Palace
swimmingpool
Roger Moore and Octopussy girls at the Taj Lake Palace swimmingpool
Roger Moore (James Bond ) and Maud Adams (Octopussy) at the terrass Floating
Palace Taj Lake Palace Udaipur Bondmovie Octopussy 1983
Roger Moore (James Bond ) and Maud Adams (Octopussy) at the terrass Floating
Palace Taj Lake Palace Udaipur Bondmovie Octopussy 1983
Gangaur Boat
The port of Taj Lake Palace Udaipur
Dry Martini "Shaken not stirred" when James
Bond Gunnar Schäfer arrived at Taj Lake Palace
James Bond Gunnar Schäfer from 007museum in Swede Nybro We were
picked up from The Taj Lake Hotel with a vintage Chrysler from 1947 to take a
tour in the
city before we arrived at the port to the Taj Lake Palace.
CEO/President James Bond Gunnar Schäfer from James Bond 007
Museum Nybro Sweden with Regional Security Manager Rajasthan Virendra S.
Champawat Taj Lake Palace Udaipur.
James Bond Gunnar Schäfer at the Garden of Taj Lake Palace where the Octopussy girl Bond
sees bath and relax
James Bond Gunnar Schäfer at the Garden of Taj Lake Palace where the Octopussy girl Bond
sees bath and relax
Taj Lake Palace and Interview With Maharana Arvind Singh Mewar Of Udaipur Taj Lake Palace Udaipur CEO/President James Bond Gunnar Schäfer from James Bond
007 Museum
Taj
Lake Palace
Later in the
film, Bond
visits
Octopussy's
home, a
structure
which is
another
palace, the
Taj Lake
Palace, also
known as the
floating
palace, now
a hotel.
Located on a
natural
foundation
of 4 acres
(16,000 m2)
rock on the
Jag Niwas
island in
Lake Pichola,
the
beautiful
Taj Lake
Palace hotel
has 83 rooms
and suites
featuring
white marble
walls. Click
here for
prices and
availability.
The hotel
can only be
reached by
boat (or
crocodile suit)
and features
several
filming
locations,
including
the pond
where Bond
sees
Octopussy
and the
terrace
where Bond
and
Octopussy
have a chat.
The palace
was built in
1743 - 1746
under the
direction of
the Maharana
Jagat Singh
II as a
royal summer
palace. Over
the years
the palace
deteriorated
badly and
only in the
1960s the
palace was
finally
restored and
turned into
a hotel. In
2000, a
second
restoration
was
undertaken.
When Bond bends metal bars surrounding a window after weakening them
with acid, a brief musical quote of the theme from Superman (1978) can be
heard.
Maud Adams (Octopussy) previously appeared (and was killed) in another
James Bond film (The Man with the Golden Gun (1974)). Faye Dunaway and
Sybil Danning were considered for the role.
The elephant hunt sequence had its origins in the The Man with the
Golden Gun (1974). Producer Harry Saltzman had wanted an elephant stampede
in the film so Bond and Scaramanga could chase each other on elephant
back. The rest of the creative team balked at the idea, but Saltzman went
to see an elephant trainer. It turns out that elephants need a special
shoe on their feet to protect them from rough surfaces when they work. A
few months later, while filming in Thailand, Albert R. Broccoli got a call
saying his elephant shoes were ready. Harry Saltzman had apparently
ordered about 2,600 pairs of them. The sequence did not end up being in
“The Man with the Golden Gun” and the man who made the shoes did not
get paid. As of 1990, EON Productions allegedly still owed him.
During casting, James Brolin was almost given the role of James Bond
when at the last minute, Roger Moore agreed to play Bond again. Brolin’s
screen tests can be seen on the DVD. Moore had gone out of contract after
For Your Eyes Only (1981). The production went with safe-bet and popular
Moore because the film would be competing with Never Say Never Again
(1983) starring original and former James Bond actor and legend Sean
Connery. The uncertainty in using an American actor in the role and having
to introduce a new actor in going-up against Connery were the reasons.
James Brolin, Oliver Tobias and Michael Billington were screen-tested
for the role of James Bond.
Vehicles featured included an Acrostar Mini Jet aka a Bede Jet; yellow
and black three-wheeled Indian Auto Rickshaw Tuk-Tuk Company Taxis; a dark
gray metallic Alfa Romeo GTV 6 Quadrifoglio; a white Volkswagen Beetle or
VW bug; various Mercedes makes including a black Mercedes-Benz 250 SE,
Mercedes-Benz 600 Pullman and Mercedes-Benz 240D; Kamal Khan’s black
Rolls Royce Phantom III car and private Beechcraft C-45 ‘Twin Beech’
plane; Q’s Hot Air Balloon; an Alligator Boat; five BMW 5 series sedans
and a BMW motorcycle for the West German police vehicles; a Range Rover
convertible; Army Truck and Willys jeep; and an Aerospatiale Alouette 316B
helicopter.
The backgammon game was originally intended to take place in Max
Kalba’s club in The Spy Who Loved Me (1977).
The Acrostar Jet was 12 feet long with a single micro-turbo jet engine
TRS-18. It could fly at 160 mph and soar at 310 mph and reach 30,000 feet
with a climbing rate of 2500 feet per minute. It was piloted and owned by
J.W. ‘Corkey’ Fornof of Louisiana who had been an uncredited aviation
consultant on Moonraker (1979) and also worked on Licence to Kill (1989)
as a pilot.
First James Bond film to be released with the MGM Lion logo at the
beginning. MGM merged with United Artists in 1982, the year before the
release of Octopussy and this is the first Bond film distributed by the
new company, MGM/UA Distribution Co.
The Octopussy character was originally intended to be a villainess and
in the media at the time it was reported that Faye Dunaway was being
considered for this part.
Cameo: [Michael G. Wilson] a passenger on the riverboat / a Soviet
Security Council Member.
When Lois Maxwell as Miss Moneypenny introduces her new assistant
Penelope Smallbone (Michaela Clavell) to James Bond (Roger Moore), during
one take, she accidentally called her Penelope Smallbush instead.
It was not a planned part of the Indian cabbie chase sequence when a
cyclist rode between the two battling vehicles, providing added suspense.
Footage of Roger Moore and Kristina Wayborn in bed shown in one of the
film’s trailers is not included in the film itself.
Another actor was hired in addition to Vijay Amritraj when there was a
dispute with Actor’s Equity because Armitraj was not a member of the
actor’s union.
Stuntman Martin Grace had a serious accident while filming on the train.
Hanging on the side of it, the train went into a non-assessed area of the
track and he rammed into a pilon, seriously damaging his leg and hip and
hospitalizing him for six months. He made a full recovery.
In the train-flying car stunt, when the car landed, one of the stunt men
dressed as a fisherman only just made it out of the row boat in the lake
where the car was landing. This footage can be seen in the finished film.
The crocodile water vessel that James Bond travels in is a reference /
homage to the diving suit with a pigeon-on-the-head sequence from
Goldfinger (1964).
Ken Burns, an extra working on the film at the Nene Valley train
location was allowed to film a Super-8 six minute film of the filming at
the Peterborough, England location. This is now available to view on the
Ultimate Edition DVD of the film. The short includes footage of Roger
Moore and Michael G. Wilson and focuses on machinery and filmmaking
mechanics. The sixteen year old extra was playing an East German Border
Guard and lived near to the location. He was affectionately known on the
set as the “3rd Unit”.
Vijay Amritraj is a professional tennis player in real life.
The “company” taxi used to pick up 007 was specially constructed at
Pinewood Studios, and capable of speeds in excess of 70mph.
Robert Brown appears as “M” for the first time.
The end credits identity the next film as, “From A View to a Kill.”
In fact the title wound up being A View to a Kill (1985).
Bond meets up with Vijay when he hears Vijay play a few bars of “The
James Bond Theme.”
Q appears as an active participant in a mission for the first time, as
opposed to being behind the scenes.
The other source material, the short story “Property of a Lady,” was
originally published in a special edition of an auction house catalog. It
was not part of the original short story collection Octopussy, but was
added later when the book was published in paperback.
The pre-title sequence with the Acrostar plane was originally intended
to be a You Only Live Twice (1967) Little Nelly type battle sequence in
Moonraker (1979) and was to take place above the Angel Falls in Venezuela.
It had to be scrapped when the fall’s river bed dried up.
The Acrostar plane used in the pre-title sequence is now hanging from
the ceiling of a restaurant in Clearwater Florida, USA.
Octopussy’s island was located in Udaipur, India. It was also known as
the “City of Sunrise”.
According to press reports prior to production, Persis Khambatta was a
front-runner for the title role.
The character of Penelope Smallbone was named for one of the models who
appeared in the opening credits to The Spy Who Loved Me (1977).
Director Trademark: [John Glen] [[pigeon]: As Bond creeps on the ledge
after breaking out of his room at Kamal’s mansion.]
Octopussy is said to be the daughter of an Major Dexter Smythe who had a
pet octopus and was involved with a murder relating to an illegal cache of
Nazi gold. James Bond allowed him to commit suicide rather than be
captured. This is the only reference to Ian Fleming’s original short
story “Octopussy” in the film. The Maud Adams Octopussy character does
not appear in the short story as there it is the name of the pet octopus.
Technically therefore, in the film, Octopussy’s real name would be or
would have been Ms. Smythe.
“The Living Daylights”, the third short story in Ian Fleming’s
Octopussy collection, is briefly referenced at the start of the film: a
British agent trying to escape from East Germany.
At one point during Bond’s escape from Khan’s palace, we hear the
famous Tarzan yell from the Johnny Weissmuller films of the 1930s.
The knife-throwing twin assassins were originally conceived for
Moonraker (1979), but when that film’s story developed into a different
direction they were put aside for this one.
Roger Moore uses the Walther P-5 throughout much of the film.
A large portrait of clown Lou Jacobs of Ringling Bros. Barnum &
Bailey Circus can be seen during the circus performance sequence.
The last film of Patrick Barr.
The license plate number of Kamal Khan’s (Louis Jourdan) brown sedan
Mercedes car in West Germany was SR 4785.
The license plate number of General Orlov’s West German Mercededss was
BT-36-72. The license plate number of the red West German Kharmann Ghia
full of party-goers who do not help a desperate 007 was BT RS 1730.
The Fabergé Egg as seen in the film was actually the Imperial
Coronation Egg designed by Peter Carl Fabergé. It was made 1897 to
commemorate the 1894 Coronation of Czar Nicholas II. The jeweled egg
contains a model of a Coronation Coach; a guilloché field of starbursts
with a translucent lime yellow enameling on the exterior surface;
trellised greenish gold laurel leave bands have mounted at each
intersection point an opaque black enamelled Imperial gold double-headed
eagle with a rose diamond on their chest; on the top is a large portrait
diamond with a cluster of ten smaller diamonds; and a smaller portrait
diamond is set within a cluster of rose diamonds at the reverse end.
Almost twenty years later the egg would re-appear in the film Ocean’s
Twelve (2004).
Yo Yo Buzz Saw Killer Played by: William Derrick
After
deploying a more profound interpretation of Bond in For Your Eyes Only, Roger
Moore relaxes a little here and seems to enjoy the ride much better. With Maud
Adams as they leading lady, there was no doubt that the Bond-Octopussy
relationship would hit it off. There is a touch more class and panache to the
performance this time too. It gels much as The Spy Who Loved Me did, despite
Moore having a bug in India, and goes down as one of his most accomplished
perfomances as 007.
Bond,
the character, does some of the greatest continent hopping of the whole series.
He starts in South America, lands home in London, then goes to India, heads for
Germany, then back to India! As usual, he has up-to-date equipment such as the
LCD watch and the Acrostar Jet (well, almost up-to-date - it was planned to be
used in Moonraker, actually). He also like dressing up in this film, be it as a
Banana Republic General or a clown. As a clown, the scene where Bond has to
defuse the nuclear bomb, there is restraint where there 
could
have been overt humour - and the fuilm is much the better thanks to the control
of the producers.
Vijay:
Vijay makes his presence known to Bond, rather cleverly, by playing the
"James Bond Theme" on his flute, which he using as part of his
snake-charming cover. He works as a tennis pro, fittingly enough, at Kamal's
club in town. He helps Bond to escape from this club later, after Bond
humiliates Kamal Khan, by driving the Taxi. He is not spared thougfh, and is
killed later in a vicious attack by one of Gobinda's henchmen, using the yo-yo
buzz saw. Bond is deeply shocked by his death at the lakeside and uses this as a
thrust for his revenge later.
General
Gogol: Instead of
fighting for seemingly Soviet causes, Gogol pushes for a more positive agenda to
address Russia's internal problems, which is against Orlov's megalomanial scheme
to conquer Northern Europe. Gogol does not let it lie there. He keeps his eye on
Orlov until the point where he can prove that he is the thief of jewellery from
the Kremlin Art Repository - then the East German troops shoot Orlov, as he
tries to catch the train going into West Germany.
'M':
The character of
'M' returns here in the form of Robert Brown (who had played Admiral Hargreaves
in The Spy Who Loved Me). Following on from his predecessor, this 'M' gives Bond
a customary berating, this time for swapping the Fabergé eggs at Sotherby's.
Despite this initial reception, 'M' does give a wry smile when Bond leaves,
realising what he has done is for the best. Later 'M' joins Bond in East Berlin
to discuss future plans.
Miss
Penelope Smallbone:
Moneypenny's new assistant gets all of Bond's attention as he embarks on a new
mission. Smallbone gets her own desk and computer, but fails to appear again (I
wonder if Bond was happy?). It is fairly obvious that she was meant as a
Moneypenny replacement, but the producers must have thought better of it.
Kamal
Khan: A
corrupt Afghan Prince who colludes with General Orlov to further both their ends,
Kamal is an intelligent and sophisticated villain the likes of which has not
been for a while in the series. He uses Octopussy's travelling circus as a means
of smuggling jewellery from country to country, admittedly with her knowledge,
but double crosses her by changing the jewels for a nuclear bomb when the circus
visits a US Air Base in West Germany. The role of Khan is played brilliantly by
Louis Jordan. His best scenes are when Bond betters him in both the auction room
(by out-bidding him to an outrageous sum for the Fabergé Egg) and in the club
(by cottoning-on to Kamal's technique for winning and turning the tables on the
cheat). His demise is spectacular as he is sent to his death when his plane is
forced to crash by Bond.
Gobinda:
Kamal's main henchman is played well here by Kabir Bedi who has a lot of
on-screen presence. He does everything his master commands, including fighting
Bond on top of both a train and a plane, but also has a mind of his own and
often takes the initiative himself to attack Bond. In another good chase,
through an Indian marketplace, he has to chase Bond with a Tuk-Tuk taxi but Bond
gets the upper hand as he has a 'company' Tuk-Tuk which has been given some
not-so-standard Universal Export modifications.
General
Orlov: Détente
and Orlov are like chalk and cheese. He seizes the opportunity to cause trouble,
with the assistance of Kamal Khan, buy offering the Afghan jewellery in trade
for getting the nuclear bomb into West Germany. This character is only memorable
due to his importance in the plot, not by the performance given by Steven
Berkoff. Our first encounter with Orlov is when he addresses the Russian 'Committee'
with his megalomaniac plans against NATO. He loses out to General Gogol in the
battle of words as Gogol displays much more composure and honesty.
Mischka
and Grischka: Identical
twins, identical target - Bond. They are a knife-throwing act in Octopussy's
circus but use their skill to more devastating effect when they kill 009 in East
Berlin whilst trying to retreive the fake Fabergé Egg. 007 on the other hand is
not overcome by these murderers as he kills both in separate confrontations; one
aboard the train, the other after they have jumped off it.
Octopussy:
An exotic
lady to say the least. Octopussy owns a travelling circus with India as its base.
Her palace there is guarded by an all-female band of gymnasts which belong to
her revived Octopus cult. The circus is used as a cover, with her partner Kamal
Khan, for jewellery smuggling. Upon meeting Bond Octopussy she reveals that she
is the daughter of the disgraced British agent Dexter Smythe. Years before Bond
had been sent to look for Smythe in the Far East and had given him the option of
suicide rather than a court martial back home. As the film progresses Octopussy
and Bond become lovers. When she is kidnapped by Kamal, after Bond prevents the
nuclear bomb from exploding, 007 chases them to get her back.
Magda:
A beautiful
sidekick for Octopussy's operations (and assistant to Kamal Khan), Magda is sent
to get back the real Fabergé Egg from Bond, in what ever way possible, whilst
he is at the hotel. She inadvertantly helps Bond by explaining her Octopus
tattoo which identifies her as one of the cult's members. Kristina Wayborn makes
a splendid job of Magda's character, with the script even letting her show off
her athletic skills in the battle at the Monsoon Palace.
Mont
Blanc Fountain Pen: This
innocent piece of stationery actually has a dual purpose. It's barrel contains
some acid which will dissolve through metal - highly useful when Bond tries to
escape from the Monsoon Palace. Also, the lid contains an earpiece which Bond
uses to listen in on the bug placed inside the Fabergé Egg.
Seiko
Watches: The
first watch seen in the film contains a radio directional finder which he uses
to track down the Fabergé Egg after it is stolen by Magda. The second is, in
fact, a LCD television. Bond uses this when he is chasing Kamal and Gobinda who
had kidnapped Octopussy. Q's hot air balloon has a video camera mounted on it
which beamed the proceedings to Bond.
Yo-Yo
Buzz Saw: This
is a circular saw which, as its name suggests, runs up and down a wire like a
yo-yo. It is a horrific weapon used by one of the men employed by Gobinda to
assassinate Bond. Just before this terrific fight sequence Vijay is killed using
it but, luckily, we don't get to see its results on-screen. Nevertheless a
children's toy replica was made!
Acrostar
Mini-Jet: An
amazing one-seater jet which was built and flown by its designer, 'Corkey'
Fornof. With its wings folded up it was hidden behind a false horse's backside
inside a horse trailer, being pulled by a Range Rover. It is used to escape from
his pursuers once Bond has tricked his way from being guarded as he is escorted
from the air base. The response to this is to send up a heat-seeking missile to
destroy Bond. This is reversed when Bond flies through an aeroplane hangar. The
Mini-Jet makes it, but the missile does not and it blows the whole thing sky
high leaving Bond to finally escape. That whole sequence is brilliant as it
involved very detailed mock-ups and replicas which are indistinguishable to the
real thing onscreen. The only glitch is that if you look closely when the jet
flies through the hangar you can just see the prop which holds the plane at an
angle, obviously being towed through the hangar. Never mind, I didn't know about
it until I really looked.
Tuk-Tuk
Company Taxi: Once
again Q's workshop at Universal Exports has been working overtime to change this
seemingly ordinary Tuk-Tuk three-wheeled taxi into a supercharged vehicle! Vijay
drives this machine and Bond clings on in the rear whilst they are being chased
by Gobinda and Co. in their ordinary taxi. It is made to ride on two wheels and
even flies through the air over a camel in a very funny chase.
Crocodile
Submarine: Bond
uses this one-man submarine to get onto Octopussy's floating palace without
being noticed. It is also used to flee from the palace when Bond and a thug
together fall into the lake from the balcony of the palace. Access was made
through the mouth!
Q's
Hot Air Balloon:
An idiotic yet amusing mode of transport for a sophisticated secret agent, this
balloon is used by Bond and Q to get to the Monsson Palace whilst the battle
between Octopussy's troupe and Kamal Khan's men ensues below. It is decorated in
the Union flag and contains CCTV and a video camera which aides Bond in his
search for the kidnapped Octopussy.
