Customer Reviews

Hawaii Five-O - The Complete Seventh Season

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I've recently completed watching HAWAII FIVE-0: THE SEVENTH SEASON, and highly recommend it to all fans of this classic cop show.
This season, the first complete season produced after creator Leonard Freeman's death, maintains the fine mix of stories (featuring great guest actors of the time including Leslie Nielsen, Bruce Boxleitner, Sam Elliot, William Windom, Ossie Davis, Vic Tayback, Frank Gorshin and many more)and the usual wonderful performances by Jack Lord, James MacArthur, and crew. The guys battle art thieves, a computer hacker, a wealthy rancher who becomes a vigilante, a terrorist threatening to set off a volcano, a bomber, mobsters, a serial killer and more, including another caper with Steve McGarrett's arch-nemesis Wo Fat.

So how does this season stack up against previous seasons? While it doesn't have quite the ratio of excellent episodes that a few of the previous seasons had (namely seasons 3 and 6, my favorites), it is still packed with many solid and entertaining stories, with only a few mediocre ones in the bunch. The show is still about 3 seasons away from starting it's decline.

As for the DVDs themselves, CBS-Paramount has done fine job of presenting these episodes in digitally-remastered quality, looking better than they ever did when they originally aired on the network, and much better than their grainier syndicated, chopped-up versions. There is the usual disclaimer on the box about some episodes possibly being edited, but based on the run times of the episodes and comparisons with my uncut VHS recordings, these episodes all appear to be complete.

Once again, HAWAII FIVE-0 on DVD continues to entertain and remind us why it is one of the greatest cop shows of all time. All fans should do themselves a favor and order this set and enjoy another 24 adventures in paradise. Please keep them coming, CBS-Paramount!

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.

These shows from the 1970's are quite fun to watch!There are so many character actors guest starring,you may not know there name but remember the face from Columbo,Barnaby Jones,Rockford Files and so on.These shows where much more REAL than the so called reality shows that sadly have taken the place of REAL entertainment.You sit back,relax and forget about everything else and enjoy a actor like Jack Lord and his crew as they created one of the great shows that had a 12 year run.I say thank you to these great REAL actors and entertainers.Don't hesitate to buy these awesome 70's shows,there fun to watch,put away and pull back out and watch again and again,Jay - Colorado.

I really enjoyed this series. Jack Lord and all the others were great. These shows are very interesting and I just love to hear McGarrett say "Book em Dano". You will really enjoy it even if you have never seen it before. Go on and try it. You won't be disappointed.

Season Seven of the long-running series features the same great storytelling, locations, acting, writing, and music as its predecessors. The 24 episodes presented in this set have been restored to crisp color and sound, only adding to the enjoyment of the dramas presented...and what dramas they are.

"Hawaii 5-0" was always a series that dealt with more than just the cops and crooks theme; it dealt with the social and political issues of the day and was sometimes on the edge of issues that were just emerging. Examples of the latter would be "Diary of a Gun," a tale about the path of murder and death followed by a too-easy-to-get "Saturday Night Special," and "Computer Killer," a story of a computer "hacker" with murderous intentions.

Other outstanding installments include "I'll Kill 'Em Again," "Right Grave-Wrong Body," "The Two-Faced Corpse," "Ring of Life," the "Thelma and Louise"-like "A Woman's Work is With a Gun," "Bones of Contention," "Presenting ...in the Center Ring...Murder (featuring the return of frequent villain Wo Fat), "How to Steal a Masterpiece," "Hari-Kari: Murder" with a rare television appearance by Ossie Davis, and "Welcome to Our Branch Office," a lighter-than-usual episode with guest stars Cameron Mitchell and Frank Gorshin.

Two of the best and most tense-filled episodes are "We Hang Our Own" and "The Hostage." The former features Leslie Nielsen as a wealthy patriarch who seeks revenge after the murder of his youngest son, played by Bruce Boxleitner. Perry King also appears as the older son. "Hostage" deals with a traumatized World War II veteran, well-played by veteran Dane Clark, who holds a young girl (Linda Purl) hostage in an Hawaiian high-rise. Both episodes are well-acted and series star Jack Lord gets to show his acting mettle as well.

Even the two "weak" episodes of the season have something going for them. Boxleitner returns, as another character, in "And the Horse Jumped Over the Moon," a not-so-engaging episode that is salvaged by some stunning scenes of parachuting and the Hawaiian landscape. It's too bad the story isn't as captivating. "Small Witness, Large Crime" benefits from an early scene of a jet taking off as an assassin makes ready to hit his "target." Whether or not the plane shot was planned or just a coincidence is not important; it's still an impressive sight.

Like other season sets, the only "extras" are the episodic promos. It would've been nice if there had been some commentary from the last surviving member and longest, sans Lord, of the original cast: the late James MacArthur.

I was really looking forward to the seventh season of Hawaii Five-0. I'am having to return it because some of the discs were not connected to the case. The part which holds the dvd in place were broken, and pieces were rolling around in the case. Stop using cheap cases to hold the dvds. A couple of the discs were scratched as well. Before receiving the series, I was hoping this would not be a problem. This has happened before, with the same problem with other movies or tv series from other sellers.

I intend to order this show again from another seller. Hopefully, this won't be a problem again. The five stars are for the show, which I like alot. This was one of the greatest series on television and still is.

I bought the whole series and I am very please with the purchase.
Just like when I was a kid.
My wife likes them too.

The six discs in this seventh season Region 1 DVD boxset of Hawaii Five-O played fine. Nice menu screens as always, although they're still using an old version of the show's theme tune. Also worth noting that (not including the first season DVD set) this is the first Hawaii Five-O DVD boxset with episodic promos for all the episodes in the boxset.

This seventh season of the long-running hit cop show has all the action and beautiful scenery of the first five, but the scripts are more uneven and a few stretch credulity a bit too far. As usual, some of the acting is a little stiff, but in this show the realism of authentic local people adds to the charm. In spite of two or three (relative) stinkers, several episodes in this set rank among the best ever.

The key word is disappointed! Who knew? I have always loved Hawaii five O and thought that there would never be a time that I could be disappointed with this series, but I had forgotten that the cast changed several times before the show finally trickled off into "no-where-land"

Even the shows somewhat regulars seemed a bit stiff an "unhappy" with what was going on with the scripts! Danny was looking more an more like he had somewhere else he wanted to be, and Steve? who could tell what was on his mind? He an Danny had always seemed to be more friendlier than the other crew, but in this set, they barely seemed to speak to each other an even then mostly by phone. I got the impression that more people were "dropped in" as potential regulars (or not) so that no one individual would be able to have more words on the script than any of other cast!

I see that there are several seasons that I don't have yet, but I think I should be going back in time an purchasing the older seasons instead of the newer ones! Although it was in good condition, I don't think I would recommend this one!