i have read fail safe ( the book ) by eugene burdick and harvey wheeler about 10 time and see the fonda movie about 5 and both be fantastic . i wait with anticipation for the clooney version and count off the day till it be to be air . i put post it note on my mirror and door so i wouldn not forget . and when i finally saw it i want to throw up . they play around with the original script and character and generally screw the whole thing up . in my opinion it be a mess . the book be best and i very much encourage you to read it if you like the movie ( fonda version ) . the writing ( narrative ) in the book be almost like a character . it be absolutely great . the fonda version be excellent and i would recommend it to anyone . but this film still do not do perfect justice to the book which i still think be well . the clooney version should be take out and burn . they try so hard to copy the fonda version even to the extent of show it in black and white like the original . the clooney version come up way short of either the book or the fonda movie . american in our zeal be always try to improve on thing that need no improvement . and we generally screw thing up when we do . this be a good example of a massive screw up . keitel and dreyfus overact their part to the point of silliness . when compare to the cool and professional style of fonda ( the president ) and dan oherlihy ( gen. warren black ) in the 1964 movie they weren not even on the same planet . the subtle acting of most of the character in the fonda film actually heighten the tension . dreyfus be do everything but somersault in the bomb shelter apparently not know when enough be enough . though i think dreyfus and keitel and clooney be superb actor they simply do not work in this televised live performance . i couldn not in good conscience recommend this presentation .