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 Hawaii Five-O

(June 19, 2010. – Editor)               Alex O'Loughlin, Scott Caan, Daniel Dae Kim and Grace Park star in the modern remake of a television classic, Hawaii Five-O.

Detective Steve McGarrett (O'Loughlin), a decorated Naval officer turned cop, returns to Oahu to investigate his father's murder and stays after Hawaii's governor persuades him to head up the new team with his rules, her backing, no red tape and full blanket immunity to hunt down the biggest "game" in town.  Joining McGarrett is Detective Danny "Danno" Williams (Caan), a newly relocated ex-New Jersey cop who prefers skyscrapers to the coastline but is committed to keeping the Islands safe for his 8-year-old daughter; and Chin Ho Kelly (Dae Kim), an ex-Honolulu Police Detective wrongly accused of corruption and relegated to a federal security patrol, who is also a former protégé of McGarrett's father. Chin's cousin, Kono (Park), is a beautiful and fearless native, fresh out of the academy and eager to establish herself among the department's elite.  McGarrett vows to bring closure to his father's case while the state's brash new FIVE-0 unit, who may spar and jest among themselves, is determined to eliminate the seedy elements from the 50^th state.

For those who remember the original series, there are enough references and homages to keep you smiling. First is the theme music. That very fast and lively music was a top 10 song when the first series was released. And it may be again, as that catchy music once again sets the pace for an action-filled hour of television. But don’t go thinking that all they did was hire new actors and remake the old scripts. The characters may have he same names from the original series, but the people the actors portray are not the same group of people we saw 3 decades ago. Each has been brought into the modern setting with different traits and abilities that reflect how cops work and think now, not thirty years ago.

Also new is the relationship between McGarrett and Williams. In the old series, Williams was the strong silent type who was always at his boss’ side. This time out, the relationship is an on-going battle of wills that brings an additional dimension to this cop drama. Also starring in this effort is the island of Oahu, Hawaii. The big waves, beautiful palm trees and amazing beaches provide an amazing contrast to the seedy underworld that the characters must hunt down each week.

Right from the first episode, I get the impression that the writing staff is in touch with the islands and how they operate. If they continue to include that element in their scripts, this show will soon carve out a niche for itself in a sea of other cop shows. Check this one out. It’s fast and fresh, while reminding us what we liked about the original.

 

Editor

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