Bond’s exchange with Moneypenny in Octopussy lands with an odd mix of nostalgia and discomfort, largely because of the sudden introduction of her younger assistant, Penelope Smallbone. Bond, momentarily wrong-footed, compliments Smallbone as being every bit as “attractive and charming” as Moneypenny, only to be abruptly corrected with this pointed line. The scene feels like the filmmakers’ attempt to confront aging head-on, both for Roger Moore and Lois Maxwell, whose years in the roles are unmistakable by this point. But instead of adding depth, the moment plays awkwardly despite being self-aware.

Moore’s signature charm carries this movie, yet the sequence underscores the unavoidable truth that there’s an age limit for a significantly older and still convincing James Bond. Octopussy brushes right up against that boundary without quite knowing what to do about it.