Hatari! (1962)

Directed by Howard Hawks. Starring John Wayne, Red Buttons, Elsa Martinelli, Hardy Krüger, Gérard Blain, Michèle Girardon, Bruce Cabot, Valentin de Vargas, Eduard Franz.

Light romance, adventure and comedy in the East African savannah among a crew of game catchers led by a rough-and-ready John Wayne-type (conveniently played by John Wayne). Virtually no “point A to point B” narrative to speak of, the movie toggles between scenes of pursuit/capture of wild animals and frivolous fare among the company folk back at the compound. The only two females in the group are, of course, pursued like animals themselves, and when it comes to harboring crushes, everyone operates at the uncertain, goofy level of teenagers. Mostly breezy despite its indulgent length, and some of the nature and wildlife photography in motion is enthralling, but even under the scorching African sun, there’s no reason for the pic to dawdle and laze the way it does, and it’s hard to get invested in the success of people who’s goal is to capture animals for the circus (zoos, too, but who’s to say what sort of zoos they are?). Title is a Swahili word meaning “danger!”

55/100