Great Political Satire, Perfected by Kubrick's Directing and by the Hysterical Performances of Sellers

Rating: 10/10 (19 August 2005)

Cold War tensions are very high, and US bombers have been ordered to destroy the USSR. The plan has been started by insane General Jack Ripper, who fears that the Soviets will destroy Americans' "precious bodily fluids." A war room full of Generals, Politicians, the President, the Soviet Ambassador, and wheel chair bound genius Dr. Strangelove, must stop Jack Ripper from succeeding in his plan. If the bombers attack the Soviet Union, a doomsday device that the soviets have will be triggered and it will "destroy all plant and animal life" on earth.
This movie's tagline "The Hotline Suspense Comedy" says a lot. There is a lot of suspense in this movie, and it is funny at the same time. This is a great political satire, as it pokes fun at the cold war and how Americans feared the Russians. While the movie is really funny, it is meant to be seen a couple of times. There is a lot of subtle humor present, that is hard to pick up on when you first see the movie. Much of the humor comes from the hysterical Performances by comic genius Peter Sellers. He plays three characters, but the most memorable character is the wheel chair bound Dr. Strangelove. One of the funniest moments with his character is when he has trouble controlling his hand, and it ends up choking him. Another character played by Sellers, The President, also has a memorable line, "You can't fight here, this is the war room."
Stanley Kubrick is a genius. This movie shows how he has a sense of humor, and he also displays his masterful directing skills. There is one scene in this movie which involves military combat. That scene is about 20 years ahead of its time. The hand-held camera movements are very realistic, and this was made 24 years before Saving Private Ryan. The special effects involving the bomber flying are also great. The model of the bomber is realistic looking, unlike the fake models that often plagued black and white movies of long ago. And the background effects are also pretty realistic. I'm surprised this didn't win an academy award for Best Effects.
The other actors are good, especially George C. Scott. It's kind of funny to think that he played General 'Buck' Turgudson, and then a few years later he played real life WWII General George Patton.
Dr. Strangelove is a brilliant movie. Peter Sellers gives great performances(he plays 3 people, which makes the movie even more fun), there are plenty of funny lines, the direction is great, and the story is very good. The humor in this is a lot funnier if you know more about the cold war. Those who are kids and haven't learned much about the cold war might not understand this, and might not find it to be funny. Otherwise, Dr. Strangelove is a classic that I highly recommend