Hatari!

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Hatari!

Released Jun 19, 1962

2h 39m

Adventure

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Popcornmeter

65%

Tomatometer

26 Reviews

76%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

A Tanganyka-based group of hunters (Red Buttons, Hardy Kruger, Gérard Blain) led by Sean Mercer (John Wayne) trap wild African animals for zoos. A curvaceous reporter (Elsa Martinelli) documents their exploits while having epic clashes with the gruff Irishman. She is initially frozen out of the testosterone-filled group until her strong-willed personality endears her to the men.

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Derek Smith

Slant Magazine

For all of Hatari!’s built-in references to so many of Howard Hawks’s films, it’s ultimately quite unlike anything else he ever made.

Dec 31, 2024

Full Review

Peter John Dyer

Sight & Sound

That Hataril, for all its elements of self-parody, is never downright dispiriting is largely due to Hawks' tireless flair for buoyant comedy.

Mar 6, 2020

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Richard Brody

The New Yorker

Politics take a back seat to sex, served up in a dazzling wealth of innuendo.

Mar 14, 2016

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

[UPDATED 2025 4K + BLU-RAY REVIEW] Astonishingly, stunt performers were rarely used for the exciting sequences.

Rated: 3/4

May 30, 2021

Full Review

Penelope Gilliatt

Observer (UK)

It is filmed with every possible cliché, and the romantic-comedy situations barge towards their targets with the delicacy of a rhino hurling itself at its dinner.

Apr 21, 2021

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Henry Stewart

Brooklyn Magazine

All dumb romance, immature jokes, (unconscious?) racism and a child's sense of adventure.

Apr 13, 2016

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Jim H

Great Adventure! Fun beyond dreams. Old school.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/09/24

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Haydon B

What on Earth is the plot of this movie?

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

03/14/24

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Alec B

If you can look past the dated material (which there is a fair amount of) there's a lot of enjoyment to be found in this wonderfully meandering character hangout. Even on vacation Hawks could make a coherent and enjoyable movie out of the thinnest of concepts.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/20/24

Full Review

Jack S

Rousing action, sensational location photography, a memorable score and plenty of humor amount to an entertaining adventure film. What doesn't work here are the inter-personal relationships between some of the human characters (the animals are all fine, by the way), particularly the romance between Wayne and Martinelli—they simply have no chemistry together. Also, Kruger is unlikable, Buttons is sometimes funny but often annoying and Blain's character is completely irrelevant. However, it's worthwhile for the thrilling animal capture sequences alone.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

11/08/23

Full Review

Kate N

Absolutely Fantastic and enjoyable John Wayne Movie. Definitely a must see movie

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/05/23

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Christoffer J

Its awesome with many animals and amazing movie

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/23/23

Full Review

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Howard Hawks

Director

John Wayne

Sean Mercer

Elsa Martinelli

Anna Maria 'Dallas' D'Allesandro

Red Buttons

Pockets

Hardy Krüger

Kurt Muller

Gérard Blain

Charles 'Chips' Maurey

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Synopsis

A Tanganyka-based group of hunters (Red Buttons, Hardy Kruger, Gérard Blain) led by Sean Mercer (John Wayne) trap wild African animals for zoos. A curvaceous reporter (Elsa Martinelli) documents their exploits while having epic clashes with the gruff Irishman. She is initially frozen out of the testosterone-filled group until her strong-willed personality endears her to the men.

Director: Howard Hawks
Producer: Howard Hawks
Screenwriter: Leigh Brackett
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Production Co: Paramount, Malabar
Genre: Adventure
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 19, 1962, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 15, 2011
Runtime: 2h 39m

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