Encore Viewer's choice Bond rankings?
Of all the Bond classics Octopussy gets ranked #1 on Encore.
Must have been the title had a lot to do with it.
You other viewers may fill in the rest with your thoughts.
👳
I'm completely baffled by it too, especially since all the other rankings seemed to be about what you'd expect.
Watching it again right now, I have to admit that it does have some genuinely tense action sequences, although the final sequence on board the plane is ridiculous even by Bond standards. The plot has always seemed a bit too confusing and convoluted to me, but maybe other people appreciate that it has a more complex plot than other Bond films, with an additional subplot of the conflict between the two Russian generals.
Then again, maybe voters just wanted another opportunity to see that Cuban girl in the beginning bare her legs (can't say that I blame them, either). ;-)
While I am also surprised by such a high ranking, what I can't understand is the overwhelmingly negative reaction on this site, as demonstrated by the "worst Bond" thread. Yes, there are things about it that are comical, but if we're honest that is true of most of the Bond films, especially during the Moore era. And the "goofy" aspects of this movie, like the tiger scene or the Tarzan yell, are entirely incidental to the main plot. Compare that to a movie like Moonraker (which I actually like), where the laser-equipped space shuttles are a major plot point. Or Diamonds are Forever, which plays more like a parody of an action film. I have to think that the title has a lot to do with the negative reaction, maybe even sub-consciously.
As someone who has seen all but 3 of the Bond films, I tend to agree with Leonard Maltin, who gave the movie ***1/2. Not the best, but one of the better entries in the series.
While I prefer the first three Bond movies Octopussy is a guilty pleasure and lots of fun. It,like most of the Roger Moore films, isn't realistic. But then you have to remember that this is the way the eriters\directors convienced the Moore 007. Not the best but it's a lot of fun regardless.
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