It's complicated... I really like the directing, acting and writing but, there are issues with the way it's shot that I just can't deny. As much as I love the storytelling and the fantastic performance but, there are also certain scenes that didn't need to exist.

The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

. . . because most of the African animals shown in this flick have been slaughtered to extinction by ISIS terrorists since HATARI! was shot in the 1900s, just like the JURASSIC WORLD dinosaurs. And it's small wonder that these critters even made it to the 1970s, as you watch HATARI!'s "MAD MAX"-like convoys of leaded gasoline guzzling jeeps running amok all over the countryside, crashing into this species and that. Obviously, most of the animals being kidnapped by John Wayne's pirate outfit are destined for the "bush meat" market. Wayne's procurer-in-chief character--"Sean Mercer"--all but admits this, when he notes that the 500 Vervet Monkeys his crew of White Europeans has just rounded up will yield only $6,000 in aggregate--the price of meat, NOT zoo exhibits! Speaking of bush meat, Wayne is not very interested in the chick throwing herself at him here (zoo photographer "Dallas") until she's converted into a low-maintenance lover, through FGM--courtesy of the "Warusha" tribe which forcibly "adopts" her. (Though this scene, 98 minutes into HATARI!, is not presented as graphically as similar material in this year's GREEN INFERNO, Sean's reaction to Dallas' "modifications" proves her FGM is more finalized than that of INFERNO.) If this is somewhat of a HATARI! low-light, getting to hear Henry Mancini's "Baby Elephant Walk" tune in two variations is the main highlight here.

This movie has it all:1.) adventure;2.) wild animals;3.) beautiful settings;4.) beautiful ladies;5.) a great story;6.) a great cast lead by John Wayne;7.) a great director, Howard Hawks;8.) a great musical score by Henry Mancini that 'accidentally/incidentally' spawned the #1 worldwide hit-song..."Baby Elephant Walk;"9.) a lot of comedy;10.) and, a lot of enjoyment by whomever sees this movie! :) John Wayne is the tough but fair leader he always is. Hardy Kruger and Bruce Cabot are his tough right-and-left-hand men. Gerard Blain is the 'new-guy' who makes a great impression. Red Buttons is the helpful and innovative guy who is also the comic-relief. AND...Elsa Martinelli and Michèle Girardon are the beautiful ladies who complete this African safari adventure.Why would someone so young and beautiful kill herself!?!? RIP Michèle Girardon.I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this movie to anyone from the ages of two to 122! :)

This movie directed by Howard Hawks hasn't aged well, since it came out in 1962. Shot in Technicolor and filmed on location in northern Tanganyika in what is now Tanzania. The story didn't have that epic 'Call to Adventure' feel that it should had. I think, it hurt that director Howard Hawks decided not to use a plot for the movie, instead letting the characters develop and tying it together with Book Ends. The movie plays more like a romantic comedy, than an adventure movie. Most of the film, has John Wayne's animal dealer character, Sean Mercer trying to fight off the sexual advance coming from newbie, animal photographer, Maria D'Alessandro AKA Dallas (Elsa Martinelli) and her non-stop nagging. It's seem a bit odd, for the movie to have a romantic pairing of then, 27-year-old Martinelli with Wayne, a man twice her age. It's also a bit jarring that her character falls immediately attracted to Sean, despite the fact that he treats her brusquely and distrusts her. The love story gets a little creepy, when Sean Mercer find out that other men, are fighting over, Brady de la Court (Michèle Girardon), a colleague's now adult, daughter. After all, most of these men, help raise her. The European actresses that play them were the worst. They come across as very annoying. The rest of the cast are a mixed bag, in acting. Hardy Kruger as Kurt, the German driver, and Chips (Gérard Blain), the French straight shooter, sounds and look like villains, than heroes with their think European accents. Red Buttons as Pockets, the team joker, was pretty fun to watch. I still don't buy him, as a rocket scientist. Not one bit. The sequence with the rocket to capture monkeys is a bit, out-there and comes out of nowhere. Other characters like Luis Francisco Garcia Lopez (Valentin de Vargas) are pretty forgettable. I really forgot that he was in the film. John Wayne was alright as the main lead. It's pretty believable, that he would go to Africa, and go on Safari missions. I just wish, they didn't tied him up, most of the time, with these tiresome romance sub-plots. I was really hoping for more powerful drama and adventure. Something like 1966's Born Free, or 1952's The Snows of Kilimanjaro. Don't get me wrong, the movie does have some good action sequences with real life animals. Call me, nostalgia, but it's just nice to see animals being part of the film, rather than CGI creatures. Hatari is so fascinating to watch, because of that. It's nice to see the big name movie stars work with truly wild animals. It's funny in a way that some scenes had be redubbed to cover up Wayne's swearing at them. It was beautiful shot. Much of the film revolves John Wayne's team, chasing wildlife in jeeps and trucks across the African plains, roping and capturing animals for zoos & circuses. The way that they drive full blast through herds of animal in top speed was intense and somewhat dangerous. The way, the movie shot the chase with the rhino has influence filmmakers for years to come. A good example of this film, influence art is 1993's Jurassic Park. The car chase with the T-Rex kinda mirrors the Rhino scene in this film. One of the lamest action sequences in the film, had to be the scene where Chips shoots a crocodile that is threatening Kurt. The crocodile was just stock footage, and you never once, see the creature on screen with the main actors. As far as we know of, no animals or people were seriously injured, during filming, but there has been stories leak of random animal attacks, such as leopards. While, the movie characters are not, technically poachers, since, they're hunting during the season. There is a lot of things about this movie that today's society might find offensive or look down upon. After all, this movie portrays, an activity that is now, deem illegal in most Africa countries; which is wildlife catching. This procedure is banned today over concerns of exhausting and killing the targeted animals. I can see why, there was a lot of scenes of wildlife animals getting significant disturbances in their natural habitats. The rhino in the end, looks like he was so much pain, and about to pass out. It was a bit disturbing! While, I'm definitely not an animal-rights activist or part of PETA, I see these acts of 'animal-kidnapping' kinda cruel, because it can often affect hunting, breeding and feeding patterns of the animal herd that the wildlife hunters took members from. Thank god, that most zoos, today, only take animals that are injured or neglected. Most of the animals in zoos, are often from breeding or SSP (Species Survival Plan) programs. So you really can't make a movie, like this, today, without some kind of protest. While, I find this movie kinda upsetting, Hatari does have some good scenes with animals that I love. All of the scenes with the three baby elephants was very charming and cute. Even, if you never heard of the movie, Hatari, you probably heard of that famous whimsical tune from by Henry Mancini "Baby Elephant Walk" that came from this film. Another memorable musical moment is jazz duet of Stephen Foster's "Old Folks at Home" (Swanee River). Henry Mancini did a good job with the score. While, the music didn't sound anything, close to epic, it did capture the lifestyle of the 1960s where everybody smokes and drink way too much. I just wish, more of a John Barry's Born Free, type of a feel. The humor is a bit dated and cheesy. There were some really funny moments that I kinda like, but some were a bit politically incorrect, such as the black face scene. Overall: Hatari is fun movie with some cool animals and beautiful scenery. It's one rare movie that need to be watch. At least, once.

'Hatari!', which means 'danger' in Swahili, is one of Howard Hawks' most delightful late period films. The story centers around a group of men (and 1 strong woman) who capture wild animals in Africa and then sell them to zoos. Trouble starts for the group when a beautiful photographer, played by Elsa Martinelli, comes to the camp to capture them at work. She's not ready for the toughness of the job the team does and soon realizes she'll have to adjust her decidedly metropolitan ways to be successful.As in many of Hawks' pictures, the main characters are professionals and are good at what they do. The friction with the photographer stems primarily from her not being a fellow pro at capturing these animals and thus the threat she poses to the group's solidarity and, perhaps, safety. Hawks plays much of the picture for laughs (the milking goat scene with Red Buttons had me howling), but he gives us a great sense of adventure and danger in the spectacular sequences where they chase down rhinos and giraffes and other animals and attempt to capture them. The cinematography in these sequences is nothing short of astonishing and must've been incredibly difficult to capture on film. The characters are richly written by the great Leigh Brackett and the inevitable romance that ensues between Elsa Martinelli and John Wayne is nicely written and, at times, very funny.All in all, this is a classic Hawks' film. It has a bit of everything a fan of Hawks will like: a group of professionals working together, lack of a 'plot', strong willed women, great comedy, fine cinematography, and witty dialogue. It's rather long at 157 minutes for probably some tastes, but I was never once bored during this lovely gem.