Insane Air Force Brigadier General Jack D. Ripper (Hayden) issues the go code to his bomber wing through fear of an eventual communist invasion. While the planes armed with nuclear bombs head for their Russian targets, US President Merkin Muffley tries to find a way to minimize the inevitable international carnage.

Whilst trying to adapt Peter George's Red Alert, a serious novel about a holocaust caused by inflexible military and political policy, Kubrick realized it was impossible to make a straight movie of the ridiculous scenario. A switch to satire proved much more successful, and allowed for a second collaboration between Kubrick and Peter Sellers (the first being their auspicious partnership on Lolita two years earlier).

Sellers is awesome, playing three of the film's five main roles; the British Group Captain Lionel Mandrake, the President, and the eponymous doctor, perhaps his most accomplished performance. Strangelove (a former Nazi scientist now researching weapon systems for the Americans) is a fantastic comic creation, a man completely unable to control a bizarre affliction which causes him to refer to the President as "mein Fuhrer" and randomly perform Nazi salutes.

The film treads a dangerously fine line between horrific bad taste and powerful satire. Fortunately the judgement is consistently spot on. The scene in the war room where President Muffley must attempt to communicate the impending disaster via telephone to a drunk Russian premier at a noisy party is played perfectly, the potentially horrifying confrontation immediately defused by the Russian's accusation that Muffley never calls for a friendly chat anymore. One of the best lines of the film sums up the absurdity of its premise perfectly - upon seeing a general wrestling with the Soviet ambassador, the President informs them, "You can't fight in here! This is the war room."

In 1964, with the Cuban Missile Crisis fresh in viewers' minds, the Cold War at its frostiest, and the hydrogen bomb relatively new and frightening, Stanley Kubrick dared to make a film about what could happen if the wrong person pushed the wrong button -- and played the situation for laughs. Dr. Strangelove's jet-black satire (from a script by director Stanley Kubrick, Peter George, and Terry Southern) and a host of superb comic performances (including three from Peter Sellers) have kept the film fresh and entertaining, even as its issues have become (slightly) less timely. Loaded with thermonuclear weapons, a U.S. bomber piloted by Maj. T.J. "King" Kong (Slim Pickens) is on a routine flight pattern near the Soviet Union when they receive orders to commence Wing Attack Plan R, best summarized by Maj. Kong as "Nuclear combat! Toe to toe with the Russkies!" On the ground at Burpleson Air Force Base, Group Capt. Lionel Mandrake (Peter Sellers) notices nothing on the news about America being at war. Gen. Jack D. Ripper (Sterling Hayden) calmly informs him that he gave the command to attack the Soviet Union because it was high time someone did something about fluoridation, which is sapping Americans' bodily fluids (and apparently has something to do with Ripper's sexual dysfunction). Meanwhile, President Merkin Muffley (Sellers again) meets with his top Pentagon advisors, including super-hawk Gen. Buck Turgidson (George C. Scott), who sees this as an opportunity to do something about Communism in general and Russians in particular. However, the ante is upped considerably when Soviet ambassador de Sadesky (Peter Bull) informs Muffley and his staff of the latest innovation in Soviet weapons technology: a "Doomsday Machine" that will destroy the entire world if the Russians are attacked.

Starring, Peter Sellers, George C. Scott, Sterling Hayden, Keenan Wynn, Slim Pickens , Peter Bull , James Earl Jones , Tracy Reed.

Directed by one of the greatest directors of all time Stanley Kubrick.

Nominated for 4 Oscars while not winning a single one. including Best Picture, Director, Adapted Screenplay and Lead Actor Peter Sellers.

Kubrick's only comedy is one of the very best black comedies ever made and perhaps the best political satire of the century. i heard great things about this movie, i saw it and yes it was an excellent move. one of the most enjoyable and funniest movie ever, and really good. i had a good time. i wasn't sure whether i will like it or not but i did.

first of all before anything else, hands down and a big humble bow to Peter Sellers for portraying 3 characters at once with such sheer brilliance. i loved his performance, flawless and outstanding. one of the funniest and comically brilliant performance i have seen. superb. good acting by everyone.

Kubrick did an outstanding job with this movie, he deserved an Oscar for this to be honest. good screenplay and editing. nice cinematography and art direction. it is in Black and White which makes it more good looking. nice score too.

it has one of the most funniest, silliest and laugh out loud scenes ever. that Coca Cola company one, the War Room and others. the ending is epic. i loved how these characters gets effected by Bombs slowly and how they have been shown.

the movie shows the event of United States Air Force general who orders a first strike nuclear attack on the Soviet Union, ofcourse it satirizes the nuclear scare. the try to prevent the nuclear holocaust since the attack will activate the Doomsday machine. i loved the ending "Mein Führer! I can walk!,". great visuals and music. ONE OF THE BEST MOVIES EVER.