By Haile Lidow
Staff Writer
No TV remake has ever been entirely successful. However, the CBS classic “Hawaii Five-O” was remade with modern interpretation that premiered on Sept. 20. This remake may very well be an exception to this rule.
Within minutes of the reincarnated 1970s opener, Steve McGarrett (Alex O’Loughlin) is humanized, provoking sympathy for the loss of his father and an understanding of his undying need for revenge on the men behind the crimes. He quickly receives carte blanche from the governor of the island, with free reign to operate outside the constraints of the law.
With the help of his newly acquired partners, Danny “Danno” Williams (Scott Caan); Chin Ho Kelly (Daniel Dae Kim); and Kono (Grace Park), McGarrett navigates the underground crime web of Honolulu and solves not one, but two crimes.
The plot itself is not exceedingly original or innovative, and the overall episode is not necessarily thought-provoking. However, it is mindlessly entertaining in an effective way that gives a sense of escapism into the lives of the attractive cops the show revolves around. Simply, it is exactly what a good action show should be.
With the beautiful tropical backdrop and high-packed action scenes throughout, the characters remain believable, a credit to both the acting and the directing. The generous number of well developed action scenes sparks a concern, however, that the show will not be capable of producing such expensive, mind-blowing scenes in every episode to come.
In contrast to the original 1970s hit, the two main characters of the new series, McGarrett and Danno, are on more equal terms, both fighting for dominance but never quite gaining authority over the other.
Although it may appear to be that McGarrett is the center of the main plot, Danno is developed at an equal level of depth that creates a balance for the story to build upon without favoritism toward one character.
Also representative of the changing time is the increased prevalence of women in authoritative roles in the new series. For example, the governor in the original series was a middle-aged man, whereas the modern version is played by a fairly young woman. Forty years ago that would have been unheard of, and it is a sign of the times that such a powerful role would be held by a woman.
Although there are many differences between the 1970s and modern versions of the series, one aspect remains very much the same: the classic surf rock theme song. The new version is, as expected, slightly shorter, but was re-recorded by most of the original musicians, giving it the authenticity of the original.
This modern remake of the classic is being thrown into a crowded field of action-adventure shows but already stands out as one of the most polished and entertaining series of its genre.
The writing creates a deeper level of human emotion and hardship that can be related to in addition to the superficial pleasure stemmed from the constant action.
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