"I won't say we won't get our hair mussed - but no more than 10-20 million dead tops!"

Rating: 9/10 (11 November 2016)

There is a simple message to be had from this film of course: in the words of Eric Idle "There's fools and idiots sitting on the trigger." and he ain't foolin'! When a US base commander goes "a little funny in the head" and orders a nuclear attack on Russia farce follows farce in ensuring the end of the world is actually delivered. And all to the sound of Vera Lynn...
The acting in this film is totally admirable. Peter Sellers has won the lion's share of the acclaim for his superb three role performance, but what about George C. Scott's opportunistic hawk general? Scott is absolutely brilliant, and Stirling Hayden isn't far behind him as General Jack D. Ripper, convinced the Commies are subverting our bodily fluids by fluorinating the water! Sellars shines supreme as the title character, whose rogue arm aches to snap the Nazi salute. And of course Slim Pickens' B52 commander, determined beyond the call of duty to deliver his 40 megaton payload.
Kubrikian touches abound, from the cinema verite combat scenes to the absurdity of having to raid a Coca Cola drinks machine for loose change to save the world this is so artfully stamped with his signature.
This is a brilliantly satirical film that is beginning to seem more not less relevant as time goes on. You only have to look at the future USA, UK, North Korea and Russia to agree with Mr. Idle.