[A] supremely ironic comedy on the possibility of nuclear annihilation.
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work ![]()
Reviews Counted:56
Fresh:56
Rotten:0
Average Rating:9/10
Consensus: Stanley Kubrick’s brilliant Cold War satire remains as funny and razor-sharp today as it was in 1964.
Theatrical Release:00-00-0000
Synopsis: DR. STRANGELOVE OR: HOW I LEARNED TO STOP WORRYING AND LOVE THE BOMB is Stanley Kubrick's Cold War masterpiece. Based on the novel RED ALERT by Peter George, the film is set at the height of the... DR. STRANGELOVE OR: HOW I LEARNED TO STOP WORRYING AND LOVE THE BOMB is Stanley Kubrick's Cold War masterpiece. Based on the novel RED ALERT by Peter George, the film is set at the height of the tensions between Russia and the United States, when all it would take to destroy the world was one push of a button. And General Jack D. Ripper (Sterling Hayden) is just the man to do it. Convinced that the Russians have infiltrated America's "vital essence," the crazed Ripper gives the go code to the 843rd bomb wing to attack Russia, setting in motion a series of darkly hilarious vignettes involving gung-ho soldiers, wacky generals, spying Russians, drunken premiers, battles with soda machines, fights in the War Room, and the Russians' top-secret Doomsday Machine. Shot in black and white, the film has three main centers of action: one of the B-52 bombers, on which a group of loyal men know they are about to start World War III; Burpelson Air Force Base, where Group Captain Lionel Mandrake (Peter Sellers) is trying to convince everyone that Ripper has gone mad and the bombing must be stopped; and the War Room, where President Merkin Muffley (Sellers again) is trying to make peace with the Russians. The finale featuring Sellers as Dr. Strangelove is a comic gem. Hayden, George C. Scott, Slim Pickens, Keenan Wynn, and Sellers (in three roles) are especially terrific in what may be the funniest, most poignant black comedy ever made, a vicious satire on the farcical aspects of the military and the cold war. [More]
Starring: Peter Sellers, George C. Scott, Sterling Hayden, Slim Pickens
Starring: Peter Sellers, George C. Scott, Sterling Hayden, Slim Pickens, Peter Bull, Keenan Wynn, James Earl Jones, Tracy Reed, Jack Creley
Director: Stanley Kubrick
Director: Stanley Kubrick
Screenwriter: Terry Southern, Stanley Kubrick, Peter George
Producer: Stanley Kubrick
Composer: Laurie Johnson
Studio: Sony Pictures Entertainment
Reviews for Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop...
It still features Peter Sellers' finest three performances as well as proving that the supposedly humourless Kubrick was up for a laugh.
Perhaps Kubrick's most perfectly realised film, simply because his cynical vision of the progress of technology and human stupidity is wedded with comedy.
The film is a model of barely controlled hysteria in which the absurdity of hypermasculine Cold War posturing becomes devastatingly funny--and at the same time nightmarishly frightening in its accuracy.
A fantastically satirical picture with many chuckles and a goodly amount of suspense.
A masterpiece of satire, paranoia and straight comedy. One of the all-time classics with a great cast and many memorable moments. Sellers is magnificent.
Hysterically funny cold war satire. Peter Sellers' triple role is the crowning touch. One of Kubrick's greatest films.
Not only is the movie wickedly funny, it's a subversive anti-war film that shows just how easily a conflict could erupt and the end of the world be brought about.
Dr. Strangelove is one of the most hilarious and desperate satires in the history of cinema.
Kubrick's great 1964 tragicomedy about superpowers on the nuclear brink continues to fascinate new generations of moviegoers, as its frequent reissues attest.
This is one of the greatest political satires, if not the greatest ever made. A not to be missed film.
The whole thing is a bit too contemptuous of our defense system for my comfort and taste, wrote NY Times critic Crowther, showing that Kubrick's dark satire was so ahead of its time that critics didn't know what to make of it; Crowther was not alone.
Stanley Kubrick's 40-year-old satirical polital-comedy about the end of the world is especially disturbing as one ponders world events at present.
Dr. Strangelove's status as the movie that confirmed both Stanley Kubrick's reputation and the arrival of beat-sick irreverence can no longer be retracted.
... like a morbidly sick Looney Tunes short with its cartoon heroes struggling impotently to keep hold of a hot potato.
Latest News for Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to...
February 04, 2009:
Exclusive: Inside Pinewood/Shepperton - A Photo Tour
Every year, the BAFTA film awards present a trophy for Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema. Introduced in 1978, the award recognises an organisation or a person's career... More...
June 22, 2007:
AFI Announces Top 100 Movies of All Time ... Again
Ten years ago the AFI gave us a list of the Top 100 American Films Ever Made -- and when that was done they churned out 15 other lists every few years. And then last night they... More...
More DVDs
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 14% 14% | The Ugly Truth |
| 98% 98% | Up |
| 36% 36% | G.I. Joe: The Rise of … |
| 52% 52% | The Taking of Pelham 1… |
| 45% 45% | Ice Age: Dawn of the D… |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 36% 36% | Angels & Demons |
| 68% 68% | Funny People |
| 25% 25% | Four Christmases |
| 45% 45% | Shorts |
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
Sponsored Links
Around The Network
Fresh Links
Featured

Subscribe to RT's YouTube channel and don't miss a second of our cracking video content.

Follow Rotten Tomatoes and join us as we tweet about the week's releases.



Top Critic

