Hawaii Five-0: Season 1

In the grand scheme of things, I've always had a soft spot for reboots. There is something about redoing a series or a series of movies (Batman) that allows for a different take...in TV, it's become the "fleshing out" of a storyline that draws me. The one example that I can clearly point to is "Battlestar Gallactica". I have never denied my dislike of the old series, its cheesy special effects...and that dislike of the old series has likely enhanced my fondness for the reimaged version we had in the last decade. But BSG 2003 was incredibly topical for the time--uncomfortably so at points, given how it was mirroring the Iraq conflict, its views of torture, and the way the series delved into religion. The reboot of "Hawaii Five-0" isn't meant to be a series with deep undertones, obviously. In both it's versions, the series has had one constant co-star--the islands and the scenery that make up the 50th state. The beaches, the mountains, the stunning view of Honolulu and the rural areas...those sights haven't changed. But the difference--as we have seen with many series that had their origins in the late 1960s and early 1970s and have been brought back to the screen in the 21st century--is the much more complete history we get in the reboots. I fully admit that I could either take or leave the old version of "Five-0". I loved the theme song--there isn't a person who has heard that track who does NOT love that music. But I was never a great fan of that cast--Jack Lord and friends seemed bland, almost wooden at times; and as with all television at the time, we were dropped into the middle of the Five-0 unit's world at the beginning of the series. So it only figured that this generation's "Hawaii Five-0" would introduce us to the unit from its origins, with a fuller accounting of the characters and the tale. Which is why we meet Steve McGarrett as a Navy SEAL, born on "The Big Island", sent away from Hawaii for his safety by his police officer father, only to be drawn back after his father is murdered by the brother of a terrorist McGarrett has captured...which leads into the larger mystery of his father, and a long-term investigation he was conducting. Accepting a "gloves-off" position from the Governor of the state, McGarrett puts together a group of "Untouchables"; allowed to go after the bad guys as they see fit, and HOW they see fit. The casting for this series has been excellent, even if CBS influenced part of it. The Eye has a habit of, when they latch onto a male star they feel has "it", they WILL find something for that actor. There have been some pretty good examples of that philosophy--Mark Harmon had "Chicago Hope" before "NCIS". Simon Baker had "The Guardian" and was part of the short-lived "Smith" ensemble before "The Mentalist". David Caruso had "Michael Hayes" before "CSI Miami". Alex O'Laughlin had been the Apple of the execs at The Eye for four years. They introduced the Aussie to America as the vampire dectective Mick St. John in "Moonlight" in 2007, as one of the doctors of "Three Rivers" in 2009, and as the male lead in the CBS Productions' movie "The Back-Up Plan" also in 2009. Suffice it to say that someone at CBS knew they had SOMETHING with O'Laughlin, they just needed to figure out the perfect setting and role. Hello the "Five-0" reboot, and hello to the iconic role of McGarrett. O'Laughlin has a LOT of fun with his take--it's a far more physical and humorous role than what Lord did back in the day; emphasizing his SEAL training and using his Navy connections--especially his female Navy intelligence officer girlfriend (Michelle Borth) to get satellites retasked, how at ease McGarrett is back in Hawaii. But the ongoing storyline of McGarrett--his father John's murder, and the deeper web that his father was involved in--has become the darker side of Steve, and what drives him. It was well-known, LONG before "Hawaii Five-0" was completely put together, that Daniel Dae Kim was going to get Chin Ho Kelly--DDK had fallen for Hawaii during the six years "Lost" was shot there. HE WASN'T LEAVING--and really, who could blame him??!? The backstory of Chin--where Chin is tied to the McGarretts because John was his training officer/first partner, and finding Chin as a "mall cop" working at the beach after resigning from the Honolulu department under a cloud of suspicion regarding money taken out of lock-up--gives Chin a great internal dignity, a want to prove that he is still a man of the law while protecting the real circumstances of the disappearance of the money. Again, DDK's Chin is a little rougher than Kam Fong's Chin in the original series--a Harley-ridin', shotgun-toting officer, with a little bit of a history with a certain female doctor (Reiko Aylesworth)... Obviously, one couldn't even begin to compare Grace Park's Kono Kalakaua with Zulu from HF-0, version 1. I've often wondered if Park has spoken to her agent--"Next time we try to get me in a series, can it NOT be a situation of a reboot with me playing a formerly male character??!?" Park's Kono--Chin's cousin, the former surfer joining HPD as have many members of Chin and Kono's family--seems as willing to take risks as McGarrett. She's also as smart as a whip, working around the computers that Five-0 has installed in their offices, and has no qualms about getting phyiscal with bad guys. Plus, she's gorgeous. Then again, it's Grace Park--we shouldn't have expected any different. This brings us to Scott Caan's Danny Williams; a brilliant take on the character by showrunners Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci, and a scene-stealing season on the part of Caan. Williams gets reimaged as a HPD detective who transferred from New Jersey to be close to his daughter after his ex-wife remarried and moved to Hawaii. He DESPISES Hawaii--the beaches, the weather, the attitude, the food ("You DON'T PUT PINEAPPLE ON PIZZA!!!!"...); he isn't enamored with McGarrett's willingness to not follow "police procedure"--and frequently isn't enamored with McGarrett ("Anuerysm Face"--loved that line), openly wonders why he's letting Steve drive HIS car (Do love that Camaro), has issues with McGarret's T-shirt/cargo pants work clothes while insisting that a tie looks more professional...AND HATES BEING CALLED "DANNO", except by his daughter. Clearly, Cann's take on the nominal number-two of Five-0 really goes away from James McArthur. AND IT IS A BETTER TAKE. Cann very much reminds me of his father when James was younger and more energetic--his Sonny Corleone days--and the energy he brings to Danny is just a kick. The supporting players play large--and yes, I'm using that as a pun when I mention Taylor Willy's Kamekona,Five-0's street information person. Clearly, the former sumo wrestler isn't a small person. However, Teilor Grubbs is--and she is solid as Danny's daughter, as is Claire van der Boom as her mother--Danny's ex-wife. Masi Oka really doesn't get enough screen time as Five-0's medical examiner, Dr. Max Bergmann, though we get enough to realize that Max operates off the beaten path. Dennis Chun--whose father WAS Kam Tong--has a recurring role as HPD Sgt. Duke Lukela, a character also from the original series. The veteran actress Jean Smart plays the Governor of Hawaii, Pat Jameson, in the first season. Without giving any spoilers, it is safe to say that Smart draws liberally from having worked with Gregory Itzin on "24". Of course, there's Mark Dacascos--because the legend of "Hawaii Five-0" must include Wo Fat. The Chairman from "Iron Chef America" gives a certain amount of menace to his appearances during the year as the crime boss/terrorist/mercenary/All-Around Bad Guy. Being the martial artist that he is, Dacascos knows how to radiate the danger that should be associated with the story's main and ongoing antagonist. Given that in this version of the story, Wo Fat is really connected from the beginning with the deaths of both of McGarrett's parents, it seems proper that while he isn't seen too often in the first season, Wo Fat plays a key part of the storyline. For the most part, Season 1 of "Hawaii Five-0" is standard cop fare--murders, kidnappings, piracy...but what makes the season is the writing. The byplay and verbal sparring between the lead characters is brilliant and well executed. In it's way the series is more spirited than the original version--again, a good thing. That we have the two ongoing storylines in the season--McGarrett starting to unravel his father's investigation, and the story of why Chin Ho left HPD--draws the viewer into the season. Bottom line here is that it's a good cast, and it's a great looking cast. It's a familiar story to many, updated for this generation, and we get to see Hawaii. It's heavy on the action, good with the humor. Overall, it's easy on the eyes and an easy story to follow. Honestly, it's much more watchable than the original series. That might be sacrilege to some, but to me, it's the truth. Highly reccommended.

We watch it all the time.

Amongst the river of procedurals in this day and age, it takes a little something extra to stand out to me. Having never seen the original Hawaii Five-O, I came into this series unspoiled and open to being impressed. And believe me, they had me hooked from the first explosion.Okay, I'll admit, the majority of the cases aren't that hard to figure out. In fact, I dare say that the cases - with the exception of the character driven story arcs that are woven throughout the season - aren't the big draw for this series. Its the character's chemistry with one another - specifically Alex O'Loughlin's Steve McGarrett and Scott Caan's Danny "Danno" Williams. It's the location, because I can barely remember a series shot solely in Hawaii (maybe Magnum PI). The combination of a cast that works well together, draws the viewers in and makes us care about them AND the beautiful, exotic backdrop of Hawaii is an intoxicating mix.The action and drama of solving the cases with this crew is tempered by moments of touching friendship and hilarious banter - again Danny and Steve are the main magnet for this show, I have no doubt - and underneath the day-to-day dealings in crime fighting, there is a mystery. It always helps to have an ubber-villian like Wo Fat tied into this mystery.Not since the days of Starskey and Hutch, I have rarely seen to leading men play off each other so well, as our Steve and Danny. Season one builds their partnership as well as their friendship, because both are semi-outcasts in Hawaii. Steve's laser-focus, inherent bravery and penchant for leadership is balanced with a vulnerability that only Alex O'Loughlin can produce. Scott Caan brings the rough around the edges New Jersey Cop, the true outsider in Hawaii, to the table with the compassion of a father who moved half way around the globe to be with his daughter. Daniel Dae Kim's Chin Ho Kelly and Grace Park's Kono add the cement to hold this team together on the island.The character driven episodes are, in my opinion, the best by far. We learn about what drives our heroes, what scares them and what they will kill and die for. Steve's family is fully of secrets yet to be fully vetted out. Danny must reconcile with his ex, and with his need to make the island - the island that makes him feel even more like an outsider - a safer place for his kid. Chin deals with the mystery behind his disgrace from the HPD, along with his cousin Kono, who's just getting her feet wet as the rookie cop.These are character begging to be drawn out for the viewer, and towards the end of the season, we are starting to see that. I can only hope to get more of the character development and character driven plots I'm starving for in Season 2.Season 1 is a wild ride, getting to know these characters and how they do their job. Not to say that there aren't a couple of dud episodes, but for the most part, the writers expertly balance the action with angst, the solemness with humor, and they picked a fabulous cast to play it all out for us.

A great show to watch with so much crime drama

Buena serie, viene únicamente subtitulada al español en 6 discos, entretiene un buen rato.Gracias Amazon por el envío

no la verdad esperaba que el audio estuviera en castellano, la culpa de hacer este pedido es mia porno haber tenido mas paciencia en leer la reseña

Only have two more seasons to buy! 😉 This is my favorite show! Love it! 😍 Dvds are in very good condition, they all work well. At a very decent price as well. Highly recommend! 👍 Very fast delivery!

Bonjour,Même si la série est le remake de l'ancienne du même nom que j'avais vu en son temps (je n'ai plus 20 ans), j'ai, sans conteste, adoré cette version, de l'action, de l'humour, de la sensibilité, des acteurs parfaitement choisis et un doublage en français très bien choisi également.ET je recommande cette série à tous ceux qui ont envie de voir de très beaux paysages, l'archipel est sans aucun doute le 5ème membre du 5-0.

Im Groben und Ganzen schließe ich mich den zuvor gestellten Rezensionen voll und ganz an. Im positiven Sinne.über Hawaii Five-O bin ich durch einen der Hauptdarsteller (Alex O'Loughlin) "gestolpert". Da ich ihn in Moonlight gesehen habe, war ich schon eine Weile auf der Suche nach neuem Serienmaterial mit ihm.Von der alten Hawaii Five-O TV Serie mit Jack Lord usw., habe ich nur ab und zu einige Teile gesehen. Nun sie entsprach dem damaligen Zeitgeist und war mehr so im übertragenen Sinne ein >bisschen< wie James Bond auf Hawaii. Im Kleinformat versteht sich. Vielleicht hab ich sie auch deswegen ganz gern geschaut.... wenn ich dazu kam.Als ich dann von dieser Neuauflage gelesen habe, war ich natürlich gespannt wie man die Story in die Gegenwart transportieren würde. Sagen wir, ich bin positiv überrascht. Außer den Namen der Protagonisten und der Location ist der Plot der Serie vollkommen neu aufgezogen. CBS hat da ein Gutes Team unterschiedlichster Charaktere zusammengestellt, und ich würde sagen die Mischung macht es aus. Auch wenn viel Aufmerksamkeit auf Steve McGarrett und Danno Williams liegt, was ich keines Falls kritisieren möchte, ohne Kono und Chin Ho wäre das Team nicht vollständig. Und egal wie lange die Serie letztlich läuft, hoffe ich das dieses Team in seiner derzeitigen Aufstellung dauerhaft erhalten bleibt.Ein Manko muss ich jedoch einräumen. Die eigentliche Ermittlungsarbeit einer solchen Polizeisondereinheit fehlt etwas. Akten wälzen, auch wenn's nur am PC geschieht. Spurensuche, Gerichtsmedizin usw.Es würde auch reichen, das hin und wieder etwas großzügiger anzudeuten. Das ist jedoch letztlich eine Sache des Senders. Außerdem würde es zulasten der Aktion Szenen gehen und der herrlichen Diskussionen zwischen den Darstellern. Ich denke es ist so wie Daniel Dae Kim es im allgemeinen ausgedrückt hat: Das die Leute nach dem Winter und der Kälte einfach gerne ein Paar Leute in der Sonne, am Strand, beim Surfen oder im üppigen Dschungel Grünzeug sehen wollen. Dazu reichlich Aktion und auch jede menge Spaß. Und ich finde das bringt die Serie auf jeden Fall rüber. Mitfiebern und Spannung eingeschlossen.Sehr positiv finde ich das es einen fortlaufenden Handlungsstrang gibt. Der Mord an McGarretts Eltern zieht sich wie ein roter Faden durch die Serie und wird immer wieder mal aufgegriffen. Manch einen stört das, mich nicht. Man will wissen wie es weiter geht. Und doch sind die einzelnen unabhängigen Fälle sehr unterschiedlich, sie machen den Hauptteil der Serie aus.Nun zur DVD Box speziell. Sie ist übersichtlich, die reichlich vorhandenen Special Features sind sehr informativ und unterhaltsam.Ich möchte ganz besonders jedem, der englisch gelernt hat, den UK Import "ohne deutsche Tonspur" wärmstens empfehlen. Die Stimmen der Darsteller sind original einfach unschlagbar. Außerdem ist das Englisch klar und deutlich gesprochen so das auch Leute mit leicht verblassten Schulenglischkenntnissen sich schnell wieder in die Sprache einfinden und der Handlung problemlos folgen können. Die deutsche Synchronisation in allen Ehren, doch sie verhaut so manche Pointe und die Übersetzung ist auch nicht so ganz astrein. Ich habe die erste Season natürlich zunächst auf deutsch gesehen. Doch da klingen die Darsteller, allen voran Alex O`Loughlin und Scott Caan, wie weich gespülte Teddybären.Und eins ist sicher auch die Season 2 kommt mir nur im Originalton ins DVD Regal!