One of the Best Movies Ever

Rating: 10/10 (16 December 2004)

Like most of Stanley Kubrick's films, "Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb" is an excellent movie. A combination of a great (and funny) story and wonderful acting makes this one of the best movies ever, and certainly the best Kubrick movie.
The movie begins when cleverly named Brig. Gen. Jack D. Ripper (Sterling Hayden) orders his B-52 bombers to attack with nuclear weapons inside the Soviet Union. However, unknown to General Ripper and the rest of the world, the Soviets have built a doomsday weapon, which will detonate and cover the earth in nuclear radiation for the next 98 years if the Soviet Union is attacked.
Group Captain Lionel Mandrake (Peter Sellers) is from the British Royal Airforce. When he learns of the order to attack, he tries to persuade General Ripper to issue the recall code, only known by the General. Meanwhile, in the Pentagon War Room, General "Buck" Turgidson informs the President (also played by Sellers) of the attack, and the President is, to say the least, rather annoyed. He orders the army to capture the air force base and get General Ripper to issue the recall code.
When the army finally captures the base, Colonel "Bat" Guano (Keenan Wynn), who is charged with getting General Ripper on the phone with the President, finds that the General has shoot himself, leaving behind only a piece of paper, on which several seeming meaningless phrases are written. However, Group Captain Mandrake realizes that it's really the recall code, and gets on the line to the President, after some arguing.
The recall code is issued, and all planes turn around. That is, all but one, piloted by Major T.J. "King" Kong (Keenan Wynn). His plane has been hit with a missile, and the radio is dead, so he is unable to get the recall code. When this becomes obvious, everyone is at chock. Enter Dr. Strangelove (once again, played by Sellers), an ex-Nazi scientist. His rather crazy solution is to settle in a mine shaft and live there until there is no more nuclear radiation.
The movie is a very funny one. It has some very memorable quotes such as "Gentlemen, you can't fight in here! This is the war room!" and General Rippers rather funny speech about bodily fluids.
But in order to really appreciate this movie, you have to see it for yourself, and I strongly recommend that you do! This movie gets a very deserving 10/10.