Octopussy
On letterbox LD: good to great picture, proper color timing!!, good transfer of the original soundmix.
A flawed movie yes, but still an enjoyable romp. The problem stems from the initial writing by George MacDonald Frasier, which makes portions of the film seem like an adventure novel/cheesy serial. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but the problem was that the way it was done was already dated.
The other issue is that the film suffers from major Raiders-itis, as did virtually every action/adventure film of the time period. It wants to show that it can do things just as well as Indiana Jones, so all of the rough and tumble aspects in India are cranked up.
And why must there be a minimum of three plots??? Why? Why must we pay attention to the villains who are cardboard and ineffective when there's Steven Berkoff aping Buck Turgidson as the mad General Orlov?? There's a constant unbelievably hard tug back and forth between the serious and the comic, so much so that it disorients the viewer and makes the quieter passages stick out.
One of my fondest college memories is trying to explain the plot of Octopussy to my roommates. They never got it. I died laughing. I used to try and figure out all the plot holes as a 6 year old. It still doesn't all make sense.
However, when compared to the mess that is NSNA, Octopussy is Shakespeare. Even with the Tarzan yell, Bollywood cliches, clown disguise and atrocious combover mounded hairpiece thing that is considered 007's hairstyle from 1981-1985.
3.5 balls out of 4..."little Octopussies". ;)
Okay, so NSNA isn't really all that bad. But it's such a wasted opportunity and a complete mess that you can't ignore the fact that it had no real reason for ever being made. When you stack the two against each other, it's the quality craftsmanship across the board that Cubby Broccoli so vividly maintained that makes Octopussy work. NSNA was doomed from the start, and it was only because of the tireless cast/crew efforts that anything was ever salvaged. Whenever I re-watch OP, its flaws aren't enough of a problem to detract from a refined older series making a rough and tumble adventure movie.
Whenever I watch NSNA, when I'm not cringing/wincing/facepalming like a madman, I stare at the screen and desperately hope for anything to work or not fizzle out. Sean still has it, and has a fresh direction to go on (all he ever needs in a role to be honest) but otherwise THERE IS NOTHING, save for an empty void most personified by the vapid Kim Basinger. Then I finish the film and feel that I've reached a new low by wasting another two hours and seeing NSNA again for about the 50th time.