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The new, flashier “Hawaii Five-O” tips its hat to the original CBS series with snippets of familiar scenery from the show’s iconic intro, including a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it shot of Steve McGarrett standing on a lanai at the Ilikai.
But in this latest version, screened Wednesday for local entertainment writers, McGarrett’s hair moves in the wind and there is lots more gun play, explosions, car chases, martial arts mayhem and liberal use of the word “haole.”
Even jaded kamaaina who’ve seen countless screen representations of the island’s landscape will be impressed with the stunning aerial photography of Oahu on display throughout the “Five-O” pilot. HD viewing is highly recommended.
The attractive cast, headlined by Alex O’Loughlin as McGarrett, Scott Caan as Danno, Daniel Dae Kim as Chin Ho Kelly and Grace Park as Kono, have good chemistry, and the characters are loosey-goosey enough to share a beer at the end of the day, a scene hard to imagine for their straight-laced counterparts from the past.
The “Hawaii Five-O” pilot also was screened Wednesday in Pasadena for the Television Critics Association, with O’Loughlin and Caan answering questions.
Hawaii will get an advance screening of the pilot Sept. 13 at a red carpet “Sunset on the Beach” event in Waikiki. The network premiere is a week later.
