25 Octopussy
Description
This article is from the James Bond FAQ, by Michael Reed reed55@core.com with numerous contributions by others.
25 Octopussy
An interesting question concerns Robert Brown appearing as "M" in the film.
The original "M" was Bernard Lee, who died after appearing in 1979's
"Moonraker". EON did not use "M" in "For Your Eyes Only" out of respect for
Lee, but then they knew they needed the character to return.
What sets fans' minds off is that Brown had already made an appearance in
"The Spy Who Loved Me" as Admiral Hargreaves. It is never stated whether
Brown is playing Lee's character, Sir Miles Messervy, or is playing
Hargreaves as a new "M". But the clear inference is that he played Messervy.
EON had recast actors in different roles very early on and when Dame Judi
Dench took over the role, Bond mentions her "predecessor" in a singular
fashion. In "The World Is Not Enough" there is a picture of her predecessor,
which is a portrait of Lee. It is visible for a split moment after the
holographic image of Renard is turned off. The novelization of "Licence To
Kill", six years later with Brown still in the role, features Sir Miles.
The other common question pertains to the Faberge eggs. Namely which one was
destroyed on camera. It was the real one. 009 is found with the fake. Bond
then switches it at the auction and keeps the real one. Later he shows off
the real one during the backgammon game. We also see Q put the transmitter
in the real egg. The real egg is then stolen by Magda and given back to
Kamal Khan. When Orlov arrives he claims that the "fake" has caused enough
trouble and smashes the egg. But it is the real one that is smashed, as the
Q Branch transmitter is in it.
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