Performances Save Unfunny, Subpar Story

Rating: Null/10 (9 January 2003)

Stanley Kubrick is considered by some a masterful director, an appelation that has proven rather exaggerated. Certainly Kubrick can add great tension via his direction, but his choice of story material often is uninspiring, and whose weaknesses are often aggravated by his quality of direction.
Dr. Strangelove is a case where Kubrick's strengths and weaknesses come to the fore. The basic story is patently absurd - a deranged US general, Jack D. Ripper, launches a B-52 bomber against Soviet Russia - but the cast make the most of it, particularly Peter Sellers in his signature involvement as three seperate characters, an RAF officer trying to stop General Ripper's attack (he is especially good when clashing with an Army officer played by Kennan Wynn), US President Merkin Muffley, and the wholly deranged advisor, Dr. Strangelove. Also shining are George C. Scott as a US Air Force general, and the B-52 crew of Slim Pickens, James Earl Jones of Darth Vader fame, and Shane Rimmer, Scott Tracy of "Thunderbirds." The B-52 scenes are supposedly meant to be humorous, but are done straight, and are more fascinating as a result.
Kubrick's more overt attempts at black humor tend to fail, making for a very uneven but still intriguing film.