For your eyes only vs octopussy

James Suzuki · April 2010

What movie is better in your point of view? Is it an equal fight? Or does fyeo take the win?

james362001 · April 2013

I much prefer Octopussy (1983) and is one of my top 3 favorites. So much action and suspense and a good cast.

James Suzuki wrote:

What movie is better in your point of view? Is it an equal fight? Or does fyeo take the win?

Mr_Osato · April 2013

For your eyes only. Easily. Octopussy has Bond dressed up as a clown and put in a gorilla suit. Do I need to say mo(o)re?

Rod Slater · April 2013

Octopussy! And if EON cut out some of the sillier moments it wouldn't even be close!

Octopussy has a better PTS (one of the best in the whole series!). It has a great opening sequence with the death of 009. The auction scene, backgammon, the safari. Moore is at his absolute best as Bond. The quips work and he is also deadly serious. The clown sequence is awesome and I never get the criticism. It is a great scene! I really think if they had just cut out the tennis sound effects, tarzan yell, etc. that it Octopussy would be consistently ranked much higher!

Blackleiter · April 2013

My vote goes to FYEO. I think Moore gives his finest performance as Bond, and the level of silliness typical of the Roger Bond films is cut way down. Octopussy is a close second as the best of Roger Moore's Bonds.

Rod Slater · April 2013

Blackleiter wrote:

My vote goes to FYEO. I think Moore gives his finest performance as Bond, and the level of silliness typical of the Roger Bond films is cut way down. Octopussy is a close second as the best of Roger Moore's Bonds.

Coming from you, I take that as high praise! I also agree that both films are awfully close as far as Moore's best performance as Bond!

KKwheelchair · April 2013

Octopussy

Thunderpussy · April 2013

I enjoy both but would have to vote for FYEO.
One of Moore's Best performances. -{

raptors_887 · April 2013

I thought Octopussy was a way better movie. Its one of my favorites in the Bond series where as FYEO is one of my least favorites.

Also I thought the talking parrot in FYEO was much sillier than anything done in Octopussy.

Thunderpussy · April 2013

)
For years it would've been a Bond film,
without at least one silly scene.

Although that Parrot was so good he was
asked back for TLD.

Jarvio · April 2013

They're both excellent, and are numbers 3 and 4 on my list, with OP just beating FYEO...

Blackleiter · April 2013

Rod Slater wrote:

Blackleiter wrote:

My vote goes to FYEO. I think Moore gives his finest performance as Bond, and the level of silliness typical of the Roger Bond films is cut way down. Octopussy is a close second as the best of Roger Moore's Bonds.

Coming from you, I take that as high praise! I also agree that both films are awfully close as far as Moore's best performance as Bond!

I try to give credit where credit is due! -{

Higgins · April 2013

FYEO, I prefer any day over OP and between them, there is TSWLM as Moore's second best outing on my list.

Smiert-Spionam · April 2013

FYEO every day of the week! Alot of the silly moments are watered down, Bond is more ruthless (kicking Loque over the cliff), and the Bond girl is (IMO) a lot better. I would probably count LALD as my favourite Moore outing but FYEO is right up there. I would probably say that, as a fan of Winter sports, Bond on skiis adds alot of plus points for me.

)

I'm not saying that OP is a bad film, it's certainly fun but there are too many laughable moments (Gorilla Costume/Ordering a tiger to SIITTTT/Tarzan yell). I am also in the minority that doesn't really rate Kamal Kahn as the 'main' villain (Gobinda was alot more terrifying and Orlov was more psychopathic). I am probably risking the rath of the vast majority when I say that I much prefer AVTAK to OP.

Sir James Moloney · April 2013

Smiert-Spionam wrote:

I'm not saying that OP is a bad film, it's certainly fun but there are too many laughable moments (Gorilla Costume/Ordering a tiger to SIITTTT/Tarzan yell).

I think John Glen really struggled with maintaining a consistent tone in his films. FYEO is mostly quite serious but is bookended by Blofeld & his stainless steel delicatessen at the beginning and That Bloody Woman, Dennis and a parrot at the end; OP has the silly moments you mentioned (and bonus points for not including the clown costume!); AVTAK has California Girls, the dumb policeman and K9-from-Doctor-Who-clone; LTK is mostly okay but has the ridiculous final scene with cheerful amputee/widower Felix planning a fishing trip and a winking fish. I think TLD is the only one that maintained a consistent tone (the flying carpet and red-or-dead scenes were wisely edited out.)

I'm a big Glen fan but wonder why his films seem to suffer from this? Or is it down to Michael G Wilson? As with so many questions about the 80s, it's hard to separate the two.

Firemass · April 2013

It's a close call. FYEO is more serious, more down-to-earth, but Octopussy is more fun and more entertaining. The silly moments fit better in Octopussy because the whole story is pretty over-the-top. Just think of the Bond battle with Q in the hot air balloon and the elephants catapulting the girls onto the castle walls. Whereas the serious minded FYEO runs into trouble with even the slightest attempts at humor.

After reading the Fleming short story collections my opinion of both films increased quite a bit. The Risico portion of FYEO is Roger Moore's finest work as 007. I like the yellow Citroen chase more than the Rickshaw chase in OP. The scene in Q's FYEO workshop and the identigraph is a lot cooler than Q's India workshop. A Bond girl with a cross bow is also pretty awesome.

Octopussy features a fantastic pre-title sequence, a beautiful John Barry score, and a riveting 2nd half with the race to disarm the bomb, storming the palace, and death defying acrobatics on Kamal's plane. Meanwhile, FYEO has a lackluster pre-title sequence, a dated Bill Conti score, and a rather dull 2nd half with an overlong rockclimbing scene. Octopussy also feels timeless, whereas FYEO is clearly made in 1981.

Kristatos is a decent villain, but General Orlov and Kamal Kahn are more memorable. And how bout Bond driving his Mercedes on the railroad tracks? That's one of those classic "This is a Bond Film" moments.

I'd give Octopussy 8/10 and FYEO 7/10

Of course, A View to a Kill beats them both.

Mr_Osato · April 2013

I gotta agree with the critic on Glenn: Even with a serious movie like FYEO, he manages to put in some rediculous humor that seems out of place. The whole Bibi Dahl character, the Thatcher scene, the parrot. I wonder why that is.

All in all, FYEO is the second or third best Moore movie in my book, right after TSWLM and LALD. OP is perhaps a better movie than MR, but I prefer MR to watch mo(o)re.

LastRatStanding · April 2013

I've always got a confused look on my face when people go on about FYEO being super serious. Yes there isn't too much gadgetry, the story can be pretty dark and Bond kicks a car off a cliff, but it's still undoubtedly a Moore era film with ridiculous humour, characters and action scenes. It's a great watch but I've always thought it isn't quite sure what it wanted to be. Octopussy on the other hand does; it wants to be a classic Moore adventure with great entertainment value and it achieves that well. I rate FYEO highly but OP is surely better!

Firemass · April 2013

LastRatStanding wrote:

(FYEO) isn't quite sure what it wanted to be. Octopussy on the other hand does; it wants to be a classic Moore adventure with great entertainment value and it achieves that well. I rate FYEO highly but OP is surely better!

I agree. Roger is better suited for the grandiose, fantasy-laden adventures like Moonraker and Octopussy.

Rod Slater · April 2013

Mr_Osato wrote:

I gotta agree with the critic on Glenn: Even with a serious movie like FYEO, he manages to put in some rediculous humor that seems out of place. The whole Bibi Dahl character, the Thatcher scene, the parrot. I wonder why that is.

You know, I'm wondering if the whole Bibi character was just thrown in too LOOK obviously too young and immature for Roger so that the age difference between Bond and Melena wouldn't draw too much scrutiny...

Thunderpussy · April 2013

Rod Slater wrote :

You know, I'm wondering if the whole Bibi character was just thrown in too LOOK obviously too young and immature for Roger so that the age difference between Bond and Melena wouldn't draw too much scrutiny ....

You might have something there. after all C Bouquet would of only been about 23.
Where as Roger,... well,......... wasn't.

)

Rod Slater · April 2013

Thunderpussy wrote:

Rod Slater wrote :

You know, I'm wondering if the whole Bibi character was just thrown in too LOOK obviously too young and immature for Roger so that the age difference between Bond and Melena wouldn't draw too much scrutiny ....

You might have something there. after all C Bouquet would of only been about 23.
Where as Roger,... well,......... wasn't. )

The age difference between Bouguet and Moore is the biggest in the series.. yet although Roger is starting to show his age in FYEO he could probably pass for 40.. and she comes off as older than 23, maybe 28-30.. but with the Bibi character you don't even really question how old Melena is. If it was intentional it wasn't a bad idea! In Octopussy Roger no longer looks 40, but he still looks pretty good and when they cast Maud you have to wonder if they were thinking about casting someone a little older so not to have that huge age gap? If so... what were they thinking in AVTAK?

Thunderpussy · April 2013

I agree they age difference didn't look too Bad and by slipping
in Bibi Dahl, Miss Bouquet looked a little older. I'd never thought
of it before but I think that's why it was done.
I'd say they Might of had Dame Judi in Mind for Roger in AVTAK.

)

007bond · April 2013

FYEO and is not even a Contest.

I'm not a massive fan of Moore's Bond (Bond should never be played for laughs imo) but FYEO is Moore's best performance as Bond although i never felt he felt comfortable playing the nastier side of Bond. Even hearing he was agaisn't kicking over the car over the clff just shows that. But this and TSTLM are his best films.

DieAnotherDay · April 2013

I think FYEO is a far superior film in many ways but I re-watch OP far more...which must mean I prefer it.

Firemass · April 2013

No offense to Lynn Holly Johnson, but I wonder why Bibi was even written into the script? She didn't really have any affect on the outcome of the story. She wasn't comic relief either...mainly just a distraction. If they were trying to show a girl too young for Bond, they failed because Melina was the same age.

Blackleiter · April 2013

Firemass wrote:

No offense to Lynn Holly Johnson, but I wonder why Bibi was even written into the script? She didn't really have any affect on the outcome of the story. She wasn't comic relief either...mainly just a distraction. If they were trying to show a girl too young for Bond, they failed because Melina was the same age. |)

I agree. The Bibi character was unnecessary, annoying and easily the weakest element of FYEO.

Rod Slater · April 2013

Firemass wrote:

No offense to Lynn Holly Johnson, but I wonder why Bibi was even written into the script? She didn't really have any affect on the outcome of the story. She wasn't comic relief either...mainly just a distraction. If they were trying to show a girl too young for Bond, they failed because Melina was the same age.

Yes but Melina doesn't look the same age Bibi! Bibi is played pretty much as an immature teenage girl and Melina as a mature young woman. But I would agree that the character serves very little purpose, except to put Bond on the ski slopes and later knocking the gun out of Eric's hand.

Peppermill · April 2013

I’m surprised so many people choose OP over FYEO. I thought FYEO would win this one by a landslide. I however also choose Octopussy but like FYEO a lot too.

DEFIANT 74205 · April 2013

For Your Eyes Only is, in my view, the best Bond film starring Moore, by some margin. It is very well written, and very well scripted. The way it seamlessly incorporates two of Fleming's short stories into one film is masterful. I believe it is the most "Fleming-like" of all Bond films that Moore has starred in, and for that reason, I would rate it well and truly above not only Octopussy, but also every other Bond film that Moore has starred in.

I'm also very surprised that so many people would choose Octopussy over For Your Eyes Only.

Blackleiter · April 2013

DEFIANT 74205 wrote:

For Your Eyes Only is, in my view, the best Bond film starring Moore, by some margin. It is very well written, and very well scripted. The way it seamlessly incorporates two of Fleming's short stories into one film is masterful. I believe it is the most "Fleming-like" of all Bond films that Moore has starred in, and for that reason, I would rate it well and truly above not only Octopussy, but also every other Bond film that Moore has starred in.

I'm also very surprised that so many people would choose Octopussy over For Your Eyes Only.

Agree 100%.

For your eyes only vs octopussy

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