Stars: Jack Lord, James MacArthur, Ricardo Montalban, Gavin MacLeod, Leslie Nielsen

Summary: One of TV's longest-running crime dramas (only LAW & ORDER would surpass its record-setting 12-year run), the 1970s television series HAWAII FIVE-O captivated audiences with its smart and stylish take on the standard policier formula. Filmed entirely on the Hawaiian archipelago, the action-packed series followed the crime-fighting adventures of an elite state-police squad anchored by quintessential tough guy Steve McGarrett (Jack Lord) and his detective team of Danny "Danno" Williams (James MacArthur), Chin Ho Kelly (Kam Fong), and Kono Kalakaua (Zulu). Almost single-handedly rewriting the book on police dramas, the series distinguished itself with intricate plotting, inventive cinematography, exotic locations, and, of course, an indelible theme song and timeless catchphrase ("book 'em, Danno!"). This collection resurrects the iconic show with all 24 episodes of its 1968 debut series, which featured guest stars Ricardo Montalban (FANTASY ISLAND), Gavin Macleod (THE LOVE BOAT), and Leslie Nielsen (AIRPLANE).

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There's plenty to like about Hawaii Five-0, the late '60s cop show debuting on DVD. Like the music, featuring Morton Stevens' popular theme song. Or the lovely Hawaiian scenery. And let's not forget "Book 'em, Danno," the signature line delivered (although not nearly as frequently as one might expect) by star Jack Lord's Steve McGarrett, not to mention Lord's perfect hair and wrinkle-free slacks. As for everything else, let's just say that Hawaii Five-0 has not aged well. Some of that is inevitably due to the infinitely more sophisticated production values of the series that have followed in its wake; Five-0's technology, sets, and other practical elements are laughably primitive by current standards. Problem is, the cheese factor extends to pretty much every other aspect of the show as well. Most of the action sequences are utterly tension-free, and the pace is frequently glacial, with interminable scenes bogged down by talky exposition. The dialogue is risible: McGarrett refers to one adversary as "a dirty, double-dealing fink," while the so-called hippies who populate the islands utter the kind of idiocies that could only have been written by cubes whose closest contact with the counterculture came from TV commercials for Hai Karate men's cologne ("Looks like splittin' the scene was real cool, baby" is but one egregious example). Lord does a decent job as the stiff-but-heroic McGarrett, variously described as "a hardhead," "an organizational misfit," "a brilliant operator," and "a rebel," but by and large the acting (including guest shots by Sal Mineo, Ricardo Montalban, Gavin MacLeod, and Yaphet Kotto) is wooden. Story-wise, "Cocoon," the pilot, features an intriguing premise wherein U.S. intelligence agents undergo sensory-deprivation torture before spilling their secrets; elsewhere, the elite Five-0 team deals with jewel thieves, gold smugglers, kidnappers, gamblers, murderers, mobsters, all-purpose "criminal masterminds," and even "Red agents" spreading the bubonic plague. In sum: with its light (if not quite frothy) tone, Hawaii Five-0 will offer harmless escapism to some viewers, especially those with a nostalgic bent. Others, however, will long for more substantial fare--you know, like Deal or No Deal. --Sam Graham

Main Language:	English
Region:	Region 2
Special Features:	Interactive menu
Release Date:	April 16, 2007
Runtime:	1220 minutes
Certification:
Catalogue Number:	P H E 9187
Keywords:	Five, English, Hawaii, Box, Set, Seven, Tv, O, Drama, Discs
Genre:	Drama