Shout at the Devil (1976)

Shout at the Devil is the kind of big, brawny old-fashioned adventure they don’t really make anymore—sunburnt East African vistas, wartime danger on the horizon, and two swaggering stars (Lee Marvin and Roger Moore) trading grit and charm as the story barrels from one scrape to the next. It’s cheerfully corny in the best way, with a breakneck pace that keeps piling on peril, narrow escapes, and larger-than-life bravado until you realize you’ve been smiling through the whole ride. Peter R. Hunt stages it with a muscular sense of momentum, and the movie’s unapologetically pulpy vibe makes it feel like a dog-eared paperback brought to life. Fair warning: it’s not subtle, and there’s an unpleasant elephant-hunting scene that may be a dealbreaker for some, but if you’re on the fence and craving a lively, consistently entertaining war-adventure throwback, this one earns its grin.

Shout at the Devil is clearly aiming for old-school, globe-trotting wartime adventure with big personalities, exotic locations, and a revenge-to-mission storyline that wants to feel sweeping and romantic. The problem is it often plays like a collection of incidents rather than a gripping journey, with uneven tone and characters who don’t deepen enough to make the long stretches feel earned. If you’re expecting the crackling momentum of a Bond-era Roger Moore vehicle or a tight, tense war film, this can come off predictable and oddly lethargic despite the action. On the plus side, there’s a rugged star presence from Lee Marvin, some handsome period atmosphere, and it may satisfy viewers who enjoy slower, vintage adventure epics—just be warned about an unpleasant elephant-hunting scene.