I enjoy watching this movie (and even stayed up till 2 AM this last time just to do that) but that is not to say it that it is at all believable; with a plot that's pure fantasy from beginning to end, it makes THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE look plausible by comparison. A list of its story problems would probably be as long as the shooting script. Still, it has an absolutely first-rate cast giving decent performances, has some witty moments, and is filmed with glorious black and white cinematography, ever so-suitable for its subject matter. Moreover, it does actually develop its theme about the role of the armed forces brass in our government perfectly well enough to satisfy most any secondary school civics teacher in the land, and for that reason it can also be judged an honest treatment however fanciful it develops the details. Therefore I give it my personal idea of an IMDb seven-star rating: not "great" but definitely worth seeing.