An explosive cartoon for adults

Rating: 9/10 (24 February 2014)

What can I say about this film, other than it was just extraordinarily great? It is totally unique in it's place on the cinematic scale, unparalleled by any comedy or cold war drama that came before or after.
The movie's best strength by far is it's cast. All of the best players are here and they hold nothing back: Peter Sellers, George C. Scott, Slim Pickens, Sterling Hayden...they all play such diverse characters. Each of them are all so utterly insane in their own ways and yet so believable. How each actor managed to do this with such expertise is beyond me.
Funny enough, the story is still just as relevant now as it was back in it's hay day. One would think that because the cold war is long over, the film would start to show it's age. But the reality couldn't be farther from. Audiences both young and old continue to find enjoyment in this film. The endearing and politically charged script rolls off the tongue so fluidly and makes for a sharp, viewing experience no matter what your age or historical expertise may be. It is this value which I believe has made Dr.Strangelove feel ageless. And like most timeless films, the themes of the film are universal. Every citizen of every nation in the world knows and understands the effects of war and how damaging they are to society. Which is why so many people resonate with the paranoia and anxieties that these characters bring to to the story.
Dr.Strangelove is no less than a brilliant masterwork of film making. It is a fuming concoction of raging testosterone, American patriotism and gruesome comedy. All of this contrasting with the very real threat of nuclear war makes for a very efficient and cathartic story. The film's only weakness would be that it is certainly not to everyone's tastes. But then again, no Kubrick film is.