Hawaii Five-O - The Complete Ninth Season Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Season 9 is arguably the last decent collection of episodes from the original Five-0 stable - I don't consider it to be nowhere near as good as when the show was at its zenith (seasons 3; 4; 5 & 6), but its good nevertheless. In fact, season opener, `Nine Dragons' is outstanding - a real rarity in the fact that it's a post season 6 episode that would probably feature in any fan's top ten list of all time greatest episodes.
So here we have `Nine Dragons' unabridged and thus coming in at circa 98 minutes. Print quality seems ok on this and other episodes - certainly much better than anything I've seen on TV here in the UK. Downside to this is that onscreen `dirt' (black flecks) can be seen from time to time in certain scenes on numerous episodes.
Sadly Season 9 is the last time we see contributions from Five-0 stalwarts Michael O'Herlihy (director) and Jerome Coopersmith . O'Herlihy often helmed some of the best episodes the show had to offer, but here his swansong is the aforementioned season opener, `Nine Dragons'. Likewise Coopersmith pens just two of the instalments in this season - whatever the reasons for their departures, their loss to the series was immeasurable and undoubtedly contributory factors to the show's impending demise.
Notable Season 9 episodes are `Nine Dragons'; `Man in a Steel Frame' - (only marred by some horrendously schmaltzy flashbacks); `Blood Money is Hard to Wash' - (although the last scene where McGarrett yells `Book `em Danno' whilst on crutches and heavily bandaged is both cringeworthy and unintentionally funny); `Double Exposure' and `Elegy In A Rain Forest' - (McGarrett's hat is yet another heinous crime against fashion)
The packaging on these discs is slightly different to previous Region one releases -there are no individual slip cases, instead, all 6 discs are supplied within the one case - which is the same style of packaging afforded to Mannix on DVD with the exception that with this 5-0 release, a cardboard case is also supplied.
Another departure is that the season 1 arrangement of the theme (which accompanied the DVD menus on all previous releases) has been replaced with the Season 9 version.
The only subtitles for this set are those in English - indeed, as is the only language on the discs.
So, If you can ignore the numerous fashion faux pas' committed by Jack Lord, accept the fact that he is also starting to show his age and, basically, that these episodes just aren't as cool as earlier entries, then this is a decent set - probably better than season 8 and hence the 4 stars for this release compared to the 3 I afforded that collection.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Hawaii Five-O - The Complete Ninth Season

Filmed entirely on location in Hawaii, the show followed Jack Lord as he played Steve McGarrett, head of an elite state police unit investigating "organized crime, murder, assassination attempts, foreign agents, felonies of every type." James MacArthur played his second-in-command Danny ("Danno") Williams, with local actors playing members of the Five-O team.

Get 24% OFF

Click here for more information about Hawaii Five-O - The Complete Ninth Season

Read More...

Hawaii Five-O - The Complete Second Season (1968) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Nothing lasts 12 years without having something going for it. In the case of Hawaii Five-O, it easy to dismiss it as a typically television crime drama that got lucky by finding its audience and keeping it. The same could be said for Law and Order. Except, in television years, luck usually runs out after two or three years. Gimmicks get old, the formula is figured out, and sharks are jumped so often they don't even complain.
But shows that last five years, much less 12, have to have something besides luck, gimmicks, and great scheduling. Hawaii Five-O had a number of things going for it. First of all, let's be honest. The setting was, and still is so lush and exotic that it is easily intoxicating. Hawaii is beautiful, and most people either live there or want to live there. Filming on location has always been a blessing when it's been done, and probably no more so than on this series.
Next, Jack Lord, playing Five-O chief Steve McGarrett, was one of a long line of no-nonsense law enforcement figures. The strength, integrity, and dedication of these kinds of characters cannot be overstated, and these characters will always have lots of fans rooting them on, not unlike Law and Order's Jack McCoy.
Finally, watching shows like this is always a treat because you see so many stars that were either big stars enjoying a working Hawaiian vacation, or lots of up and coming stars before they got their big break. Hawaii Five-O was a natural draw for both categories, and it's fun to watch them and remember when.
It's also fun to remember when you could look forward to hearing one of the best and most recognizable theme songs in television history. Not a small thing when you add it with the other factors. Hawaii Five-O had a lot going for it then, and it has a lot going for it now.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Hawaii Five-O - The Complete Second Season (1968)

Filmed entirely on location in Hawaii, the show followed Jack Lord as he played Steve McGarrett, head of an elite state police unit investigating "organized crime, murder, assassination attempts, foreign agents, felonies of every type." James MacArthur played his second-in-command Danny ("Danno") Williams, with local actors Kam Fong, Zulu, Al Harrington, and Herman Wedemeyer, among others, playing members of the Five-O team. Guest stars included Helen Hayes, Ricardo Montalban, Leslie Nielsen, Herbert Lom, Hume Cronyn among others. McGarrett's nemesis is the evil Wo Fat - "a Red Chinese agent in charge of the entire Pacific Asiatic theatre.

Get 20% OFF

Click here for more information about Hawaii Five-O - The Complete Second Season (1968)

Read More...