Octopussy (film)

Short Story — Film — Soundtrack — Song — Characters — Releases

Cast & Crew
James Bond:	Roger Moore
Director:	John Glen
Producer(s):	Albert R. Broccoli
Writer(s):	Ian Fleming (stories)
Screenplay:	George MacDonald Fraser, Michael G. Wilson, Richard Maibaum
Editor:	Peter Davies, Henry Richardson
Music:	John Barry
Theme song:	"All Time High"
Theme composer:	John Barry (Composer) Tim Rice (Lyrics)
Theme performer:	Rita Coolidge
Facts & Figures
Budget:	$27.5 million
Gross:	$187.5 million
Distributed By:	MGM/United Artists
Released:	6 June 1983 (UK)
Running Time:	130 minutes (2 Hours & 10 Minutes)
Preceded By:	For Your Eyes Only (film)
Followed By:	A View to a Kill (film)

"Mr. Bond is indeed of a very rare breed... soon to be made extinct."

― Kamal Khan.

Octopussy is a 1983 spy film, and the thirteenth James Bond film made by EON Productions. The film is the sixth to star Roger Moore as the British Secret Service agent, Commander James Bond. It is also the second film Moore has done with Swedish actress Maud Adams, the first being 1974's The Man with the Golden Gun. Produced by Albert R. Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, it was released in 1983, the same year as the release of the non-Eon James Bond film Never Say Never Again by screenwriter and Thunderball film-rights owner Kevin McClory.

The film is loosely based upon the Fleming short stories "Octopussy" and "The Property of a Lady", both of which were published in the collection Octopussy and The Living Daylights.

Plot summary

You are a picture yourself, and twice as lovely in the firelight. This article or section needs more images, you can help out by adding images to it so that the topic can be better illustrated.

Latin America mission

The pre-title sequence involves James Bond - aided by a female agent named Bianca - infiltrating Latin American military officer Colonel Toro's supply base and destroying it. Near the base, a horse show is taking place, with Bond arriving under guise of a tournament participant in an off-road vehicle towing a horse trailer. Bond then meets Bianca and then disguises himself as Colonel Toro.

Posing as Toro, Bond gets inside the base and enters one of the hangars to try plant a explosive inside one of the fighter aircraft's onboard radar. As he does, he gets apprehended and unmasked by Toro, who orders Bond to be taken outside as his men remove the explosive.

Bond in the Acrostar UL trying to avoid the homing surface-to-air Missile.

Bond was taken away in an army vehicle, but with help of Bianca, who charms the guards accompanying Bond, he escapes capture. The two unload a "Acrostar" ultralight aircraft from the horse carriage, that Bond boards to leave the hot zone. However, as he takes off, Colonel Toro's men spot him and fire a homing surface-to-air missile that chases Bond inside his aircraft.

Bond tries to evade the missile and - after several maneuvers - he manages to lure the missile into the target hangar, causing it to explode and killing Toro and his men. Subsequently, Bond flies away but starts to run low on fuel -- making him land near a friendly gas station, with Bond asking the station attendant to "fill up" the plane.

Death of 009, Fabergé egg and the rogue Soviet General

In East Berlin, Agent 009, disguised as a circus clown, attempts to cross the sector border into West Berlin. The twin knife-throwing artists Mischka and Grischka pursue him through a forest. The first twin's knife misses, but the second mortally wounds him, falling in a river. With his last ounce of strength, 009 manages to drag himself to the British Embassy, and crashes through the window and dropping a Fabergé egg, now lying dead on the floor.

Briefing at M's office over the forged Fabergé egg.

Bond is called to meet with M at the MI6 headquarters in London, with Bond first having a chat with Miss Moneypenny and her assistant, Penelope Smallbone. Once inside the office, M briefs Bond about the Fabergé egg that 009 recovered -- informing him that the egg is a forgery. The forgery's actual counterpart is currently being auctioned at Sotheby's auction house, with Bond ordered to go look into the matter, accompanied by an art expert.

Meanwhile in the Soviet Union, during a meeting of the Soviet Armed forces High Command and CPSU General Presidium, Soviet General Orlov tries to rattle other members for a more aggressive policy, claiming his troops in East Germany could invade western Europe in 5 days. The moderate fraction under General Gogol opposes to this plan in part due to their fear of an nuclear retaliation as well as their preference for peaceful co-existence with the West.

Orlov gets a call and after the meeting goes to Soviet Art Depository, where his underling - Lenkin - informs that Mischka and Grischka failed to recover the forged Fabergé egg. Orlov calms Lenkin, telling he has a comrade in London that will handle the recovery of the original.

The Property of a Lady

Bond and the art expert go the Sotheby's auction, where they spot Kamal Khan - an exiled Afghan prince and illicit art dealer - accompanied by a woman (Magda), which they deem a curious presence.

As expected, the real Fabergé egg gets presented to be auctioned, with Bond, declaring himself as one of the bidders, using the chance of viewing it, to discreetly exchange it for the forged egg. He then engages in a bidding war with Khan, with the latter paying £500,000 for the (now replica) egg, signifying Khan's desperation of getting it back.

Back at M's office, M is furious with Bond about his involvement in the auction, until Bond reveals the trade he made. M then sends 007 to Udaipur, India, to spy on Kamal Khan and find out why he paid such a sum.

Finding Kamal Khan

Bond travels to India, staying at a posh hotel. After provoking Khan by exposing his cheating during a game of Backgammon and offering the egg he'd taken as "security". Bond and local agent Vijay escape Gobinda and Khan's henchmen in a tuk-tuk chase to meet Q. Q places a small tracer in the egg that will function with Bond's wristwatch. Bond later encounters Magda, Khan's beautiful companion; after making love, Magda leaves with the egg and Bond is knocked out and taken to Khan's palace by Gobinda.

Kamal Khan is involved in smuggling the fake jewellery with help from the mysterious Octopussy, a fabulously wealthy woman who lives in a luxurious island palace, dubbed the "Floating Palace", in India, surrounded by women who are members of her Octopus Cult, each recognized by a tattooed blue-ringed octopus on their bodies. Octopussy is more than a smuggler, however, and has many legitimate businesses, including shipping, hotels, carnivals and circuses - the latter being used as an ideal front for smuggling jewelry.

Bond discovers a secret meeting between Khan and General Orlov at the former's palace. Orlov is supplying Khan with real, priceless Soviet treasures, replacing them in state depositories with replicas to fund a yet unknown operation. 007 overhears them planning to meet at Karl-Marx-Stadt in East Germany, where Octopussy's circus is going to perform before it heads on a train to the West. Bond manages to escape from the palace, but is chased by Khan in style of an Indian big-game hunting through the jungle, and is saved by some passing American tourists.

Confronting Octopussy

Bond finds Octopussy and confronts her, only to find out that she feels indebted to him: When Bond was sent after her father, a traitorous British Major, for smuggling and murder years before, he let him commit suicide rather than face the shame of a court martial. Octopussy declares Bond her ally in front of Khan, and the two make love in the evening. The following night, they defend her palace against unknown assailants; during the brawl Bond fakes his death and departs to Karl-Marx-Stadt, having discovered that Octopussy's circus will perform there the next day. He also finds Vijay killed by the same assailants, hired by Khan. Meanwhile, back in Moscow, the counterfeit jewels are discovered in the Kremlin Art Depository by General Gogol and curator Borchoi, prompting the arrest of Orlov's accomplice Lenkin - prompting Gogol to also go to East Germany in pursuit of Orlov.

Defusing a bomb

In East Germany Bond sneaks into Octopussy's circus to discover Orlov's and Khan's real plan - to replace the smuggled jewellery canister with a Atomic Bomb. The warhead is primed to go off during a performance at a US Air Force base in West Germany. As the explosion will look like an accident, Europe would insist on nuclear disarmament and thus leave western Europe defenceless against an attack from Orlov's Soviet forces.

Bond tries to stop the train with the bomb on board from leaving the Soviet base. He confronts Orlov, but is interrupted by Soviet soldiers. Orlov and Bond both race to catch the train, with Bond unknowingly taking the General's car with the jewelry. Orlov lets his soldiers pursue Bond's car, which drives with its wheel rims on the rails after the tires have been punctured. Just after 007 has managed to jump onto the train, the car crashes into a river, where it is soon found by General Gogol.

Orlov dies after being shot by border guards

Finally Orlov also catches up with the circus train. However, while trying to jump onto it, he is gunned down by border guards, as he has forcibly crossed the border between East and West Germany. Gogol, having found out about Orlov's involvement in the smuggle, arrives just as Orlov is shot. As Gogol calls him "a common thief and a disgrace to the uniform", the dying Orlov is confident that "tomorrow, [he] shall be a hero of the Soviet Union", leaving Gogol to realise there is more to this scheme than just contraband.

Bond attempts to defuse the bomb.

Aboard the train, Bond is discovered and pursued by Kamal Khan and his henchmen. Bond is forced off, then follows the train in a stolen car, pursued by the police. Khan and Gobinda leave, on their way out passing Bond on the road, but Khan thinks they will be "rid of Bond too". As Bond has trouble getting into the American military base and the circus, he disguises himself as a clown. The American generals at the performance don't believe his warnings due to his costume. After 007 shows Octopussy the most expensive piece of the stolen jewelry, the Romanov Star, which he has taken from the canister earlier, he convinces her of Khan's betrayal. In the ensuing brawl Bond discovers the bomb with Octopussy's help, and manages to defuse it just in time.

Showdown with Khan

Back in India, Kamal Khan is preparing to abandon his palace. However, Octopussy and her cult members arrive, along with Q and Bond in a hot air balloon in a Union Jack pattern. Showing their prowess in hand-to-hand combat, overpower the guards using their circus tricks, although Kamal escapes on a light plane with Octopussy. Bond hangs onto the plane, and after a deadly fight with Gobinda on top of it, he and Octopussy manage to escape. The plane crashes into the side of a mountain, killing Kamal.

Aftermath

Gogol has a meeting with M telling him that the USSR will deny the incident ever occurred. However, he suggests Bond should return the Romanov Star. M agrees, but informs Golgol that 007 is on medical leave. During medical leave on Octopussy's boat, Bond surprises Octopussy by having none of the assumed injuries, and the two make love.

Production

The movie takes it title from the Ian Fleming's short story Octopussy - which is often compiled in a book together another short story relevant to the movie, The Property of a Lady (with other two being The Living Daylights and 007 in New York.) As with lot of the prior Bond movies, the film has very little in common with the short story -- with only a part of the short story's plot being alluded through a conversation between Bond and Octopussy. The Property of a Lady short story is also relevant to the film's plot, as it is source to the "Fabergé egg auction" central to the plot.

Octopussy would be the first Bond film produced under the MGM banner, which merged with the original Bond production company, United Artists, in 1982. However, EON Productions would soon find itself faced with a peculiar challenge, as Kevin McClory's unofficial James Bond movie (Never Say Never Again) was finally getting off the ground, and with the original James Bond actor Sean Connery as its lead. This stand-off between two major James Bond would become to be known as the "Battle of the Bonds"

Writing

Blofeld plot (September 3, 1981)

Ideas for Octopussy's plot date all the way to George Lazenby's unmade 2nd Bond film, which was meant to be a sequel to On Her Majesty's Secret Service.

The original draft dated September 3, 1981 was conceived by Richard Maibaum and Michael G. Wilson, which detailed a plot with James Bond going after the mysterious figure known as Octopussy, a powerful woman with a criminal empire who defies SPECTRE’s leader, Blofeld. Enraged, Blofeld plots revenge, setting the stage for conflict between the two. The plot bears semblance to the original plot of the 1971 Diamonds are Forever, when it was meant to be sequel to On Her Majesty's Secret Service with George Lazenby still attached to the project.

Plot proper kicks of in London, when Bond is introduced to a female model nicknamed “Jay Jay” at a casino and later at an art auction involving a suspiciously overpriced antique mug. Bond would then travel to Japan in pursuit of Jay Jay, where he discovers Blofeld's part in a counterfeiting plot.

Bond would be framed and arrested for corruption, but then escapes with Q’s discreet help and tracks the counterfeit network to India. There, he discovers Octopussy’s floating palace and her organization of female operatives. Realizing she has been manipulated by Blofeld, Bond persuades her to join him against SPECTRE.

The climax unfolds aboard a train filled with counterfeit plates and explosives. Bond battles Blofeld’s men and destroys the operation, killing Blofeld in the process. In the end, Octopussy disappears mysteriously, leaving Bond victorious but uncertain of her fate.

NATO-Soviet conflict plot (September 30, 1981)

The September 30th 1981 draft opens at a NATO firing range in the Netherlands, where a new anti-tank rocket is being tested. Among the observers are James Bond and Swedish NATO intelligence officer Greta Nesvig. When two suspicious men are identified, they flee toward a NATO airship. Bond pursues them, climbing onto the airship’s mooring cable and fighting one suspect atop the craft. After ejecting him, Bond smashes through the cockpit window, defeats the second man, and lands the airship—ending the pre-title action sequence with characteristic flair.

At NATO headquarters in Belgium, Supreme Allied Commander Boswell oversees a simulation of European conflict alongside strategist Leslie Fathom (envisioned as Orson Wells-like figure), a brilliant but eccentric figure who soon departs for London. Meanwhile, in Moscow, General Anatol Bulgakov (essentially a prototype of General Orlov in the final film) and his aide Levski worry that NATO’s new rocket threatens Soviet military plans. They conclude that any invasion of Western Europe must occur before these weapons are fully deployed.

Airship fight sequence similar to one later used in A View to a Kill was originally considered in one of the early drafts for Octopussy.

During the mission, Bond would have run-ins with a female assassin nicknamed Octopussy (with Grace Jones being envisioned for the role - likey serving as prototype for May Day). Bond’s mission deepens when he learns that Fathom, now suspected of double dealings, may be manipulating both NATO and the Soviets.

Traveling between Brussels, London, and Eastern Europe, Bond uncovers a plot involving stolen military technology, falsified intelligence, and a plan to destabilize Europe through deception and sabotage. In a tense finale involving a stolen airship (with the sequence pre-dating John Gardner's Role of Honour and EON's A View to a Kill) and a race against time, Bond thwarts Fathom’s attempt to ignite a war between East and West.

Enter George MacDonald Fraser

The plot was heavily revised then in 1982 when George MacDonald Fraser was brought in. In addition, to being informed of a scandal in the Soviet Union, which involved General Secretary Leonid Brezhnev's son-in-law having helped the Moscow State Circus to smuggle jewellery.

Fraser, noted for his extensive knowledge of British colonial history and India, was recruited by producer Michael Wilson and director John Glen to enhance the narrative’s cultural authenticity and humor, as the film’s primary setting was to be India.

Fraser’s drafts - from around December 1981 to May 1982 - diverged significantly from the final cinematic version. His proposed pre-title sequence took place on the Isle of Man during the Tourist Trophy motorcycle race, featuring James Bond engaged in a lethal sidecar duel—a concept that foregrounded kinetic spectacle and visual irony.

Kamal Khan and the yo-yo saw weapon were Fraser's contributions to the movie's plot.

The main narrative introduced the return of Blofeld, who sought to infiltrate and commandeer Octopussy’s organization in India for heroin trafficking. Concurrently, the British intelligence service became destabilized when M was assassinated under suspicious circumstances, a plot element that implicitly reflected the real-life death of actor Bernard Lee.

Fraser’s narrative situated Bond as both fugitive and investigator: framed for M’s murder by his new superior, Villiers—later revealed to be aligned with Blofeld—Bond was forced to evade his own agency while uncovering the conspiracy against him. The script incorporated distinctive creative flourishes, including the introduction of the “yo-yo saw” weapon, emblematic of Fraser’s penchant for inventive yet exaggerated action motifs.

Afterwards Fraser's screenplay would be then reworked by Richard Maibaum with Michael G. Wilson, with the scripts resembling the final product emerging circa June/August 1982' scripts. The completed plot is essentially an amalgamation of the three proposed stories. Nevertheless, Fraser was still credit as one the film's writers in the completed movie.

Casting

Recasting of Bond and Moore's return

Main article: List of Actors Considered for James Bond

Prior to Octopussy, Roger Moore repeatedly stated that he no longer wished to play James Bond. His original contract required him to appear in three films, which he fulfilled with The Spy Who Loved Me. He agreed to doing Moonraker in 1979, which he planned to be his last, only reluctantly agreeing into doing For Your Eyes Only after EON was unable to find a new Bond actor. For the role of James Bond, several actors were approached to portray the famous spy, including Oliver Tobias, Lewis Collins, Michael Billington, and James Brolin. Of these, Brolin was seriously considered the role.

However, the complications rising from McClory's Never Say Never Again put the producers on a tough spot, as they feared Sean Connery's star power of potentially trouncing an new, untested Bond actor. Last minute decision was made to let Brolin go, with the producers approaching Moore, since he was the only one with star power to withstand Connery toe-to-toe. Ultimately, Moore was persuaded to play the lead role in Octopussy, from which Moore received $4 million plus a percentage of the box office takings.

Other cast

Actresses Faye Dunaway, Persis Khambatta, or Sybil Danning were originally considered for the role of Octopussy before it was given to Maud Adams. Maud Adams was playing her second Bond film after The Man with the Golden Gun.

Robert Brown, who played Admiral Hargeaves in The Spy Who Loved Me, appears in the role of "M" for the first time since Bernard Lee's death. He had already co-starred with Roger Moore in the television series Ivanhoe in the late 1950s.

Michaela Clavell played to role of Miss Moneypenny's assistant - Penelope Smallbone - presumably to take over Lois Maxwell's role once she quits and act as a Moneypenny-like role for the younger Bond actor/Roger Moore's successor. However, since Moore was made to come back, Smallbone would not return in subsequent films, with Caroline Bliss taking such role as the new Miss Moneypenny during Timothy Dalton's James Bond tenure.

Bond's Indian contact, Vijay, is played by Vijay Amritraj, a very popular tennis pro at the time. As an allusion to this, he wields a tennis racket in the taxi chase scene. Since he was not a member of the actors' union, they wanted to prevent him from being used. They finally agreed to split the role between two characters. The newly created character is Sadruddin, played by Albert Moses.

Producer Michael G. Wilson makes two cameo appearances. Once he appears as a passenger on the Indian tourist boat, another time as a Russian general at the Soviet security conference. Tracy Llewelyn, the daughter of Q actor Desmond Llewelyn, plays one of Octopussy's dancers.

Cast & Characters

James Bond
(Roger Moore)

Octopussy
(Maud Adams)

Kamal Khan
(Louis Jourdan)

Magda
(Kristina Wayborn)

General Orlov
(Steven Berkoff)

Gobinda
(Kabir Bedi)

Q
(Desmond Llewelyn)

Vijay
(Vijay Amritraj)

M
(Robert Brown)

General Gogol
(Walter Gotell)

Sir Fredrick Gray
(Geoffrey Keen)

Miss Moneypenny
(Lois Maxwell)

Penelope Smallbone
(Michaela Clavell)

Colonel Luis Toro
(Ken Norris)

Mischka
(David Meyer)

Grischka
(Anthony Meyer)

Sadruddin
(Albert Moses)

Leonid Brezhnev
(Paul Hardwick)

Jim Fanning
(Douglas Wilmer)

009
(Andy Bradford)

Yo-yo thug
(William Derrick)

Bianca
(Tina Hudson)

Lieutenant General Peterson
(Bruce Boa)

Smithers
(Jeremy Bulloch)

Rubelvitch
(Eva Rueber-Staier)

Major Clive
(Stuart Saunders)

Senior Lieutenant Kamp
(Dermot Crowley)

Lenkin
(Peter Porteous)

Rubelvitch
(Eva Rueber-Staier)

Crew

• Directed By: John Glen
• Executive Producer: Michael G. Wilson
• Produced By: Albert R. Broccoli
• Written by: Ian Fleming
• Screenplay By: George MacDonald Fraser, Richard Maibaum, Michael G. Wilson
• Music Composed By: John Barry
• Production Design By: Peter Lamont

Soundtrack

See: Octopussy (soundtrack)

Equipment

Gadgets

Main article: List of Gadgets

Major gadgets

	Attaché Briefcase Bomb - Contains a false bottom which conceals a high explosive bomb. In the pre-credits sequence Bond attaches the magnetic package to a Cuban radar system, but is captured before getting the chance to detonate it.
	Tracker Wristwatch (modified Seiko Sports 100 G757) - gadgetized wristwatch that contains a universal radio direction finder which works in conjunction with a homing device planted in the false Fabergé egg.
	TV Wristwatch (modified Liquid Crystal TV Seiko T001-5019) - Receives moving images over the air and displays them on the watch's color LCD panel. Bond uses the watch to admire one of Q’s female assistants and later uses it to pursue Kamal Khan.
	Mont Blanc Fountain Pen - An 18 carat gold fountain pen which contains a mixture of Nitric and Hydrochloric acids for dissolving metals. This feature Bond uses to escape from his cell in Kamal Khan’s palace. The top contains an earpiece that works in conjunction with a bug planted in the false Fabergé egg.
	Crocodile Submersible - A submersible vehicle disguised as a crocodile. Bond uses the craft to approach and leave Octopussy’s floating palace undetected.

Q-Lab

	Rope Climber - A rope that lifts up, allowing anyone holding it to be raised up, although the technology was incomplete.
	Spiked Door Trap - A spiked door that slammed into whoever used the knocker.

Weapons

Firearms

	Walther P5 - Bond's sidearm for the movie, after he "mislays his PPK" during the Tuk-Tuk chase. (In reality, Bond already has a P5 during the Tuk-Tuk chase and its the same he loses during the it.)
	Tokarev TT-33 - carried by General Orlov. He uses it to smash one of the Faberge eggs.
	Smith & Wesson Model 39 - drawn by Kamal Khan when he realizes Bond has infiltrated Octopussy's train. When Khan goes to the window to try shoot Bond, the gun changes to a SIG P210.
	Smith & Wesson Model 36 - Octopussy snatches one from an American officer during the circus performance to shoot open the treasure box to reveal that Orlov had left a atomic bomb with them.
	Hammer-action Blunderbuss Shotgun - wielded by Gobinda during the Tuk-Tuk chase. (This weapon is actually a prop made from a more modern side-by-side shotgun with a blunderbuss barrel attached)
	M16A1 - mainly seen during the South America sequence, where its carried by Colonel Toro's troops. Bond later acquires one and shoots the wheels of the GMC CCKW from which he escaped. (Some of these M16A1 rifles are actually sporter models and replicas, like AR-15/SP1 and MGC Replica M16 Rifle)
	Kalashnikov Rifle (various 7.62 models) - mainly carried by Orlov's escorts and the Red Army troops at the German border.
	Sa vz. 58 - carried by some of the Soviet soldiers at the German border, and later seen used by Khan's male guards during the final battle at his palace, during which James Bond acquires a one.
	Steyr AUG - used by few of the Soviet soldiers accompanying General Orlov, when Bond gets aboard one of the train cars and finds out about Orlov's switch regarding the diamonds and the atomic bomb.
	FN FAL - appears in hands of various groups. First seen carried by South American soldiers. Then the guards at the British Embassy in West Berlin. Then by some of Kamal Khan's guards.
	SKS Rifle - First seen in the hands of the Soviet guards at the art depository when Orlov goes to see Lenkin. During Bond's siege to Khan's palace during the finale, some of Khan's guards wield them.
	Lee-Enfield No.4 Mk.I - carried by fair number of Kamal Khan's guards, along with vz. 58 and SKS rifles.
	Weatherby Mk. V - the bolt-action rifle used by Kamal Khan when he and his men hunt down Bond, following his escape from Khan's palace.

Background/low presence firearms

• Walther PPK (only appears in the opening titles)
• M1911 Pistol (carried by South American soldiers, including the holster Bond wears)
• Astra Cub (only appears in the opening titles)
• Makarov PM (only appears in the opening titles)
• Edison Giocattoli Exact High Precision 22LR (only appears in the opening titles)
• Edison Giocattoli Jaguarmatic (only appears in the opening titles)
• Colt Diamondback (drawn by the security officer manning the West German US Army base gates, when Bond arrives in the Alfa Romeo.)
• AR-18 (Col. Toro's soldiers)
• L7 General Purpose Machine Gun (mounted on the Jeeps of Col. Toro's base)
• M60 (mounted on the Jeeps of Col. Toro's base)

Other weapons

	Throwing Knives - used by Mischka & Grischka.
	Sword - taken by Bond from the sword swallower to repel Khan's thugs.
	BSA Scorpion - tranquilizer gun used by Octopussy and her followers.
	Yo-Yo Saw - A rotating buzzsaw blade attached to a string so that it could be used in the same manner as a conventional yo-yo. Used by an assassin to kill MI6 agent Vijay, and later by the same assassin against Bond and Octopussy.
	Rapier Surface-to-air Missile - SAM fired at the Acrostar jet. Bond manages to make it hit the main hangar of the South American soldiers.
	Atomic Bomb - A bomb fitted into the base of a circus cannon. Intended to blow the circus show, as well as an entire city in West Germany off the map with the intention of removing all US installations in Europe leaving it vulnerable to a Russian invasion.

Vehicles

Main article: List of James Bond vehicles

Major vehicles

	Land Rover Range Rover Convertible - Appears in the pre-title sequence, where it was driven by James Bond and his colleague Bianca. It is used to tow a horsebox, which secretly contains the AcroStar/Bede BD-5J inside.
	Mercedes-Benz 280 S (W108) - Bond commandeers this Soviet Army staff car to pursue Octopussy's train. When the tires are shredded by a spikestrip, Bond turns onto the railway line and drives the car along the rails until he escapes just before the car is knocked into the river by an oncoming train.
	Alfa Romeo GTV6 - After falling from Octopussy's train and hitching a lift in a Volkswagen Beetle, Bond steals this car to make the last stage of his journey to the US Air Force Base. West German police BMW 5 Series pursue Bond after his theft of the vehicle. Interestingly, sharp eyes will spot that this is a GTV 6 Quadrifoglio, the highest specification Alfa Romeo available, and widely considered the finest of these cars, as well as the fastest.
	Volkswagen Type 1 "Beetle"
	BMW 518 (E28) - cars used by West German police to chase down Bond after he has stolen the Alfa Romeo.
	Rolls-Royce Phantom II Sedanca de Ville - Kamal Khan's car in India
	1977 Volga M-24 - boarded by Gen. Orlov to chase Bond after he has stolen the Mercedes-Benz with the stolen jewels aboard.
	Willys MB "Jeep" - used by group of assassins trying to kill Bond and Vijay during the Tuk-Tuk chase.
	GMC CCKW 352 (G-508) - the truck used by South American troops to escort Bond out of the base. After Bond gets free and boards the Range Rover, he shoots its wheels to stop it from chasing him down.
	BMW R 100 CS - motorcycle used by West German police
	Bajaj RE taxi - Two of these basic auto rickshaws are used in a chase sequence through the streets of Udaipur - Bond and fellow MI6 agent Vijay being in one, with Gobinda and his henchmen in the pursuing vehicle. It is insinuated that the auto-wallah driven by Vijay has been modified by MI6 as the tone of the engine becomes more like a motorcycle and Vijay performs a wheelie, exclaiming "This is a company car!"
	Octopussy International Circus Train (Danish State Railway (DSB) S No. 740 posing as German DR 62.015)
	Eurocopter AS365 Dauphin - two models appear; a red one that brings Orlov to Khan's palace and a green one that brings Gogol to the demolished Mercedes-Benz.
	Beechcraft C-45H Expeditor - Kamal Khan's private aircraft. Bond grips onto the aircraft during take off and, after a fight with Gobinda atop the Twin Beech, rescues Octopussy before it crashes.
	Acrostar Jet / Bede BD-5J - The Acrostar was used to escape from a mission in the opening sequence. The wings and nosecone section of this plane fold up vertically while not in use allowing it to be stored in small compartments (in this case a horse trailer).
	Hot Air Balloon - A Union-Jack emblazoned Hot Air Balloon, used by Q and Bond to storm Kamal Khan's palace. It is equipped with CCTV cameras.

Notable vehicles vehicles

	1975 Austin FX4
	BMW 7 (E23)
	1974 Chevrolet Chevelle Malibu - used by American MP after Bond breaks into the West German US Army base.
	1968 Mercedes-Benz 600 Pullman (W100) - the car Kamal Khan arrives at Sotheby's with.
	1969 Mercedes-Benz Lang (W115)
	1973 Mercedes-Benz S-Klasse (W116) - car car Kamal Khan and Gobinda leave the airforce base with. It almost doesn't start to Khan's momentary horror. They later pass Bond while driving this, with Bond driving towards the airbase with the Alfa Romeo.
	1977 Mercedes-Benz (W123)
	1980 Mercedes-Benz 200 (W123) - the car Bond boards to have a discussion with M.
	1973 Volvo F86
	1980 Plymouth Volaré
	1964 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia Convertible (Typ 14) - driven by the West German teenagers.
	Willys M38A1 - at the Col. Toro's base
	1954 Mahindra CJ-3B - Indian-made Jeep variant, used by Khan's men to get the deceased bodies out of Khan's palace, which Bond stowaways to get out of the place.
	IFA P3 (made from Land-Rover 88" Series III) - used by Soviet Soldiers at the German border.
	Dodge M37
	1974 DAF 2800
	1967 Moto Guzzi V 7 - appear during the South American sequence after the alarms go off.
	Aérospatiale SA 316 Alouette III
	Fokker-Aviolanda/Hawker Hunter F6 - the fighter jet Bond tries to plant the bomb in during the pre-titles, before being discovered.

Background vehicles

Land vehicles

• Bajaj FE
• 1972 Bedford TK
• 1979 BMW 323i (E21)
• 1981 BMW 633 CSi (E24)
• 1965 Büssing DE
• 1976 Cadillac Seville
• 1975 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
• 1978 Chevrolet Caprice Classic
• 1949 Chrysler Windsor
• Clark Clarktor
• Coleman MB4
• Daimler Fleetline DMS
• 1952 Daimler Ferret Scout Car MkII
• 1978 Datsun Sunny
• 1942 Dodge WC 62
• 1967 Dodge Coronet
• 1974 Dodge D-Series
• 1978 Dodge Spacevan
• 1973 Fiat 128
• 1972 Foden S80
• Ford M151 A2 'MUTT'
• 1969 Ford 17M
• 1975 Ford Granada Estate MkI
• 1976 Ford Taunus
• 1977 Ford Capri MkII
• 1977 Ford Ranchero
• 1978 Ford Granada MkII
• 1980 Ford Bronco
• GAZ 69
• 1977 Honda Accord
• 1943 International Harvester M5 A1 Halftrack
• 1946 International Harvester K-1
• 1971 Lada 1200 (VAZ-2101)
• Made for Movie Sonder Kfz-1
• 1981 MAN SD 200
• 1968 Mercedes-Benz 280 SE (W108)
• 1977 Mercedes-Benz (T1)
• 1981 Morris Ital
• 1976 Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight Regency
• 1977 Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight
• 1967 Opel Rekord Caravan (C)
• 1968 Opel Kadett (B)
• 1976 Opel Manta (B)
• 1977 Opel Ascona (B)
• 1980 Opel Ascona (B)
• 1980 Opel Kadett (D)
• 1980 Opel Kadett Caravan (D)
• 1978 Porsche 928
• 1978 Renault 4 F4
• 1974 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow I
• 1974 Rover 2200 TC MkII (P6)
• 1980 Toyota HiAce
• Volkswagen Transporter T3 (Typ 2)
• 1968 Volkswagen Kombi T2 (Typ 2)
• 1973 Volkswagen Transporter T2 (Typ 2)
• 1975 Volkswagen Golf I (Typ 17)
• 1978 Volkswagen Passat Variant B1 (Typ 33)
• 1979 Volkswagen Polo I (Typ 86)
• 1980 Volkswagen Jetta A1 (Typ 17)
• 1981 Volkswagen Passat Variant B2 (Typ 32B)
• 1982 Volkswagen Golf I (Typ 17)
• 1980 Volvo 244

Aircraft

• Armstrong Whitworth AW.660 Argosy E1 (South American military base)
• Westland Whirlwind HAR.10 (South American military base)
• De Havilland DH104 Devon C2 (South American military base)
• British Aerospace BAe 125 (South American military base)
• General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark (West German US Army base)

Locations

Film locations

• London, England
• East Berlin, East Germany — Checkpoint Charlie
• Karl-Marx-Stadt, East Germany
• West Berlin, West Germany
• Feldstadt, Schwerin, West Germany
• Moscow, Soviet Union
• Leningrad, Soviet Union (Hermitage Museum)
• Udaipur, India
• Unnamed Latin American country (possibly Cuba)

Shooting locations

• Pinewood Studios / 007 Stage
• India
• West Germany
• United States
• England

Map

Loading map...

Comic book adaptation

A magazine format comic book adaptation of Octopussy was produced in 1983 by Marvel Comics as the 26nd issue of their 'Marvel Comics Super Special' series, which had previously adapted For Your Eyes Only in issue 19. The adaptation was written by Steve Moore and illustrated by Paul Neary. In Europe, a completely different comic book version was published, written by Jack Sutter and illustrated by Frederico Maidagan. In this version, M is drawn to resemble Bernard Lee whereas in the Marvel Comics version he looks like Robert Brown.

Legacy

The legacy of the Octopussy is multifaceted and reflects its place in both the Bond franchise and the broader landscape of 1980s action cinema. While not universally regarded as one of the best Bond films, it remains significant for several reasons.

Octopussy is considered "peak Roger Moore-era Bond" - being arguably the ultimate representative of Moore's more lighthearted, exaggerated style of his Bond films. The mixture of glamour, clever gadgets, and over-the-top humor with Cold War espionage, which matched Moore's personality: charming, stylish, and fun-loving. It helped solidify his place in Bond history, though some critics thought the humor was too exaggerated and not taken seriously enough.

Indeed, movie critics were beginning to comment on Roger Moore's age, as he was 54 years old at the time of filming, and many felt he was too old to play James Bond. He originally announced that he would retire, but returned one final time in 1985's A View to a Kill.

Octopussy came out in the same year as Never Say Never Again, which starred the original James Bond Sean Connery - resulting in a marketing competition known as "Battle of the Bonds". Even though Connery's movie was a big deal, Octopussy did better at the box office. This showed that EON Productions, the company that makes the official Bond movies, still had the most control over the franchise.

The film was highlighted for its exotic settings and spectacle. The movie stands out because of its rich Indian setting, which brought a fresh and vibrant look to the series. The Indian locations gave the film a special feel, but some parts were criticized for using old-fashioned stereotypes. The action scenes, like the circus train, the airplane climax, and the scene where a clown disguise is used to defuse a bomb, are considered some of the best parts of the Bond movies. However, some people think these scenes go a bit too far.

The character of Octopussy, portrayed by Maud Adams, is one of the more strong-willed and skilled female characters in Bond movies up to that point. She runs a smuggling operation involving women, which was a forward-thinking idea, but some critics say she wasn't given enough screen time and was often overshadowed by James Bond himself.

Octopussy influenced future Bond films by reinforcing a formula of exotic locales, outlandish villains, and high-stakes spectacle, while also highlighting the danger of excessive camp. This movie signaled the start of Roger Moore's time as Bond coming to an end — he would appear one more time in A View to a Kill in 1985 before leaving the role.

Trivia

• The Fabergé egg which is stolen was made in 1898 and is entitled 'Lilies of the Valley', although its name not mentioned in the film. The egg contains a model of the imperial state coach.
• At the end of the film, the credits announce that the next Bond film title as From a View to a Kill. This was later changed to A View to a Kill right before filming began. Octopussy is also the last Bond film to date to announce the title of the next film in the end credits, likely as EON had almost run out of source material by Ian Fleming.
• This is the second Bond movie to feature Maud Adams. The producers were reluctant to feature her again because her previous character was killed in The Man with the Golden Gun. She also returned back in A View to a Kill. By this Maud Adams is the only actress that portrays a Bond Girl that can be seen in 3 movies.
• This is also the first movie to feature Robert Brown as M. It is unknown as to whether Brown is supposed to be playing the same character as Bernard Lee (Sir Miles Messervy) or a different one (possibly a promoted Admiral Hargreaves from The Spy Who Loved Me), as the films did not establish until GoldenEye that 'M' is a title, something which Ian Fleming left ambiguous in the novels.
• The pre-title sequence was originally to take place in Moonraker (along with the concept of twin knife-throwing assassins) over the Angel Falls, but this was shelved after the river-bed dried up.
• Vijay Amritraj was a professional tennis player in real life. The movie makes a spoof of this fact by having Vijay fend off Kamal's henchmen with a tennis racquet, while the surrounding townspeople watch the conflict like a tennis match by repeatedly turning their heads left then right. At one point Vijay's character also jokes that he plays a little tennis.
• Gary Russell, who plays one of the East Berlin teenagers in the car, was uncredited for his role.
• Octopussy's palace is really the Lake Palace Hotel in Udaipur.
• The film marks the first time Q joins Bond in the field mission as well as aiding him in the climactic battle against the main villain's side. During the ensuing fight between members of Octopussy's Circus and the armed guards of the Monsoon Palace, Bond and Q arrives at the scene with a Union Jack hot-air ballon equipped with surveillance TV that captures Kamal Khan and Gobinda's abduction of Octopussy. Bond jumps off the balloon to immediately pursue the trio, while Q continues to land the balloon where it knocks down a guard who points his weapon at Magda and some of the women from the Octopus Cult. As a token of gratitude to Q for the accidental help, Magda and the women surround the elderly quartermaster and give him kisses in the cheek, much to Q's visible delight.
• The locomotive used for the Octopussy circus is a former Danish States-railways Class S 740, returned to Denmark in the 1990s. This was the only time the train in question was taken out for out use during its time in the UK.
• You Only Live Twice was one of two Eon productions, the other being Octopussy, to be released in the same year as a rival Bond film. Casino Royale was the other offering. While both films turned a healthy profit, Casino Royale was accused of lowering the takings of You Only Live Twice. Ironically, on the second occasion this happened, in 1983, Connery was in the lead role for the rival Bond film, Never Say Never Again.
• The Saint Michael’s Castle used to double for St. Petersburg Military Archives in GoldenEye is actually very close to the Shuvalov Palace, which hosts the Fabergé Museum and the Fabergé egg featured in Octopussy.

Gallery

See: Octopussy (film)/Gallery

See also

• Battle of the Bonds

External links

• Octopussy (1983) at IMDb
• MGM's official Octopussy site
• The Place Where Octopussy was filmed