Now that the first installment of the "new" Hawaii 5-0 is history, it's time to do a little comparison to show how different it is from its predecessor, a difference that is not for the better.
In the 2010 version, viewers meet a Steve McGarrett (Alex O'Loughlin) who is out for vengeance against the man that murdered his father.
Along the way, the new Steve reluctantly enlists the aid of a stateside-born-detective in the form of Danny Williams (Scott Cain).
The pair is later joined in their crime-fighting efforts by Chin Ho Kelly (Daniel Dae Kim) and Grace Park as "Kono" who has now been recast as a female.
The villain for the episode is James Marsters, looking a tad meaner than he did in his more recent incarnation as "Brainiac" on "Smallville." The pilot left the possibility that he may return.
"Glimpses" of Hawaii's natural beauty are few and far between and the musical score just drones on annoyingly in the background.
The action is relentless and the development of the characters is rushed, indicating that the pilot episode would've been better in the two-hour movie format.
Speaking of that...
The original series premiered with a two-hour pilot, setting the stage for the combination of action, great script-writing, and memorable characterization that would last for twelve years.
Jack Lord is introduced as the no-nonsense Steve McGarrett, head of an elite crime-fighting force set in the tropical paradise known as Hawaii. Tim O'Kelly and Lew Ayres, respectively, are featured as "Danny" and "The Governor." Both will be replaced by James MacArthur and Richard Denning in the subsequent series.
Kam Fong is "Chin" while Zulu takes on the role of "Kono" which he will have for the first four years of the series.
The movie also introduces McGarrett¹s chief nemesis, Wo Fat, brilliantly played by American actor Khigh Deigh, who will periodically pop up to carry out his Communist plans.
In the film, Fat is determined to get government secrets by any means necessary, including brainwashing and torture. And this is a good degree of action in the installment.
Guest stars are familiar faces from 60¹s and 70¹s TV: Leslie Neilsen, Andrew Duggan, James Gregory, and Nancy Kwan. Future frequent guest Soon Tek-Oh has a speechless part as one of Fat's lab "torture chamber" technicians.
The score by Morton Stevens is thrilling, mixing traditional Hawaiian rhythms with a contemporary jazz-influenced score.
Hawaii has never looked better, with the camera lovingly focusing on some of the island state's most beautiful natural and man-made landmarks.
So, what's the prognosis for the new show?
It will probably draw a young audience because of the cast and the action.
But, if the pilot is any indication of the episodes to come, those of us that fondly remember the original will probably pass this remake by.
FIVE for the new pilot and a BIG TEN for the original!
In the 2010 version, viewers meet a Steve McGarrett (Alex O'Loughlin) who is out for vengeance against the man that murdered his father.
Along the way, the new Steve reluctantly enlists the aid of a stateside-born-detective in the form of Danny Williams (Scott Cain).
The pair is later joined in their crime-fighting efforts by Chin Ho Kelly (Daniel Dae Kim) and Grace Park as "Kono" who has now been recast as a female.
The villain for the episode is James Marsters, looking a tad meaner than he did in his more recent incarnation as "Brainiac" on "Smallville." The pilot left the possibility that he may return.
"Glimpses" of Hawaii's natural beauty are few and far between and the musical score just drones on annoyingly in the background.
The action is relentless and the development of the characters is rushed, indicating that the pilot episode would've been better in the two-hour movie format.
Speaking of that...
The original series premiered with a two-hour pilot, setting the stage for the combination of action, great script-writing, and memorable characterization that would last for twelve years.
Jack Lord is introduced as the no-nonsense Steve McGarrett, head of an elite crime-fighting force set in the tropical paradise known as Hawaii. Tim O'Kelly and Lew Ayres, respectively, are featured as "Danny" and "The Governor." Both will be replaced by James MacArthur and Richard Denning in the subsequent series.
Kam Fong is "Chin" while Zulu takes on the role of "Kono" which he will have for the first four years of the series.
The movie also introduces McGarrett¹s chief nemesis, Wo Fat, brilliantly played by American actor Khigh Deigh, who will periodically pop up to carry out his Communist plans.
In the film, Fat is determined to get government secrets by any means necessary, including brainwashing and torture. And this is a good degree of action in the installment.
Guest stars are familiar faces from 60¹s and 70¹s TV: Leslie Neilsen, Andrew Duggan, James Gregory, and Nancy Kwan. Future frequent guest Soon Tek-Oh has a speechless part as one of Fat's lab "torture chamber" technicians.
The score by Morton Stevens is thrilling, mixing traditional Hawaiian rhythms with a contemporary jazz-influenced score.
Hawaii has never looked better, with the camera lovingly focusing on some of the island state's most beautiful natural and man-made landmarks.
So, what's the prognosis for the new show?
It will probably draw a young audience because of the cast and the action.
But, if the pilot is any indication of the episodes to come, those of us that fondly remember the original will probably pass this remake by.
FIVE for the new pilot and a BIG TEN for the original!