Product Details

• Actors: Jack Lord
• Format: Box set, Color, Dolby, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono), Spanish (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono)
• Subtitles: Spanish, Portuguese
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 6
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Paramount
• DVD Release Date: July 31, 2007
• Run Time: 1206 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (70 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000PGTPC8
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #9,564 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)

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  Movies & TV > Television > Crime > Hawaii Five-O

• For more information about "Hawaii Five-O - The Second Season" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

• This is item 2 in The Hawaii 5-O Series.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Solving crimes and putting the perps behind bars is Steve McGarrett's bag. Why, he says so himself, and in so many words, in the very first of the 24 episodes collected in this five-disc set comprising the complete second season (1969-70) of Hawaii Five-0. Portrayed by Jack Lord, and described by no less an authority than the New York Times as "a model of steadfast decency" and "beyond cool but still so square he could have been Lawrence Welk’s cop brother-in-law," McGarrett is the leader of the islands' crack, four-man police unit, and as usual, he has his hands full. Perhaps that's why the man has no discernible sense of humor and only the merest suggestion of a social life. Between keeping his famous hair in order, delivering stern lectures about right and wrong to clueless lowlifes, and, as he puts it in another Second Season episode, constantly worrying "about a world without law and justice… where no one gives a damn about anything," who has time for such trivialities? This season finds McGarrett and cohorts Danno (James McArthur), Kono (Zulu), and Chin Ho (Kam Fong) dealing with the usual complement of sleaze: murderers, gamblers, druggies, prostitutes, insurance scammers, low-rent terrorists, and so on. But Hawaii Five-0 offers its share of weirdness as well. In "Forty Feet High and It Kills!", Red Chinese uber-criminal Wo Fat (Khigh Dhiegh) and his crew orchestrate a fake tsunami warning so they can kidnap a brilliant scientist (an amusing performance by Will Geer) and force him to conduct genetic-tampering experiments designed to create a master race. In the fairly ridiculous "King Kamehameha Blues," a group of young folks steal the legendary king's robe from a museum, just to show they can; it's a measure of McGarrett's ultra-hardline attitude that the governor's offer of amnesty to the thieves if they'll return the precious garment really sticks in his righteous craw. And in "The Singapore File," McGarrett travels overseas in order to accompany a comely murder witness back to Honolulu; though tempted by her charms, he's far too scrupulous to indulge in any extra-curriculars while on the job (and Steve McGarrett is always on the job). Hawaii Five-0's other elements are a mixed bag. As always, the Hawaiian scenery is gorgeous. Morton Stevens' theme song remains one of the best ever, and much of the other music, especially the jazzy stuff, is also terrific. However, the show isn't big on either action or tension; too many scenes are slow and talky. And in the final year of the '60s, when men walked on the moon and Woodstock and Altamont marked the respective high and low points of the hippie movement, its depiction of the counterculture is laughably square; it's as if the entire decade barely happened. The box set includes brief, previous-week promos for each episode, but no other bonus material. --Sam Graham

Product Description

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.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

61 of 71 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great show now on DVD. "Book 'em, Danno!", May 14, 2007

By	Valnastar "Man With No Name" (Deep 13, USA) - See all my reviews

Hawaii Five-O was not your ordinary police drama. Besides the lush location of Hawaii and the unforgettably terrific theme music, the stylized characters and story lines really added a fantastic element to the show, an element missing from more mundane or "realistic" police dramas of both then and now. When you turned this show on from week to week you never knew what kind of story you were going to see. It might be a story about thieves, mobsters or murderers, but it might just as likely be about something larger or more fantastic like international spies, assassination conspiracies or the threat of biological epidemics. Even the stories dealing with common crimes were heavily stylized, often pitting the Five-O team against near super-villain type enemies. In a way, this show mixed the best of police dramas with some of the best elements of stylized spy thrillers, classic detective fiction, and even a tinge of comic book superheroes. It's as if someone took all the best elements of Sherlock Holmes, James Bond, Mission Impossible and Batman and somehow came out with a surreal blend of police melodrama and heroic fiction that is fascinating and fun to watch.

Here is an episode list for Season Two:

Thousand Pardons -- You're Dead!
A scam to claim widows' benefits results in the deaths of the bar women used in the scam.

To Hell with Babe Ruth
A deranged Japanese WWII vet escapes from the mental hospital and tries to carry on the war.

Forty Feet High and It Kills!
Wo Fat kidnaps a scientist and wants to smuggle him to China.

Just Lucky, I Guess
A salesman uses the services of a lady of the evening, and then witnesses a mobster killing her.

Savage Sunday
A revolutionary terror group steals weapons from a local barracks.

A Bullet for McGarrett
A university professor brainwashes students to become programmed killers.

Sweet Terror
Five-O must foil a terror plot to destroy Hawaii's sugarcane industry.

King Kamehameha Blues
College students plan to steal the cloak of King Kamehameha.

The Singapore File
McGarrett tries to bring a witness from Singapore to Hawaii to testify in an important court case, running a gauntlet of dangers while doing so.

All the King's Horses
An assassination attempt on a politician leaves a confusing trail of clues regarding a former racketeer and the supposed victim.

Leopard on the Rock
A dictator's aircraft is forced to land in Hawaii as part of an assassination plot. Can Five-O protect him?

The Devil and Mr. Frog
A kidnap victim escapes his captors. Can Five-O recover the ransom money?

The Joker's Wild, Man, Wild
Two young men vie for the attention of a wealthy young woman, who has them perform increasingly dangerous and deadly acts to win her affection.

Which Way Did They Go?
A clever bank robber dupes Five-O into protecting the wrong bank. Can McGarrett and his team catch the clever crook?

Blind Tiger
A bomb sent to McGarrett in a package leaves him temporarily blind. Marion Ross (Mrs. Cunningham of Happy Days) plays McGarrett's hospital rehabilitation nurse. Meanwhile, Five-O searches for the culprit who sent the bomb.

Bored, She Hung Herself
A health technique involving hanging results in the death of the girlfriend of the health guru who invented the technique. Was it really an accident?

Run, Johnny, Run
Christopher Walken guest stars in an episode about an AWOL sailor accused of shooting an MP.

Killer Bee
One Vietnam veteran, now a psychiatric worker, tries to drive a fellow veteran insane.

The One with the Gun
A man is killed during a poker game and his brother is seeking revenge on the culprit. Can Five-O solve the murder and stop the brother from committing another?

Cry, Lie
Chin Ho is the accused in a corruption scandal involving bribery.

Most Likely to Murder
An officer investigates the murder of his own wife, leading to facts that strain his friendship with Dan Williams.
Nightmare Road
Revolutionaries want to smuggle a scientist off the island via submarine.

Three Dead Cows at Makapuu (Part 1)
A biological scientist is conflicted about his work and cows are found dead from a contagion that threatens the entire island.

Three Dead Cows at Makapuu (Part 2)
Can Five-O find a vial of deadly contagion before disaster strikes all of Hawaii?

Kiss the Queen Goodbye
An extortionist forces a politician to take her to an event where she can steal a priceless jewel, leaving a fake in its place.

The incorruptible and larger-than-life characters of Steve McGarrett and his stalwart crew of Danny, Kono and Chin Ho made for an interesting mix. At the time this show first appeared on television, only Star Trek had as ethnically diverse and interesting a cast as this show and they were the only two shows to completely eschew ethnic stereotypes in how they used their diverse cast. The show took full advantage of the diversity and beauty of both the Hawaiian Islands as well as the local population when filming, rather than hiding it. This may have been a gamble in 1968, but it's one that happily paid off and helped pave the way for a more realistic view of our country's population on TV in years to come. Hawaii Five-O was a huge ratings success and ran for 12 seasons, forever in the world of TV. And it deserved it. Then and now, these shows are fun to watch. I already own Hawaii Five-O Season One on DVD and am enjoying it thoroughly, as is my young son who is seeing the show for the first time. I am looking forward to owning Season Two on DVD shortly and hopefully more sets after that. "Be there, aloha!"

38 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Long-Running Series Deserves DVD Release, May 4, 2007

By	Terence Allen (Atlanta, GA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

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.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't worry!, August 15, 2007

By	Mike F. "Mike" (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews

The early reviews almost scared me out of buying this set, but I'm glad I didn't cave! I just finished watching disks one and two and if any episode has been edited, I sure couldn't tell. The shows are fun to watch and, like Season One, the color and sound are outstanding!

I'm disappointed about the missing episode, too, but it's possible that the studio just couldn't find a suitable print. If they never intended to air it again, they might have been lax with the film. As for the legal department theory...some nut could just as easily say that an episode gave them the idea to commit insurance fraud or become a "Red Chinese" agent or try LSD as to try a new and dangerous way of finding...well, let's just say, "self-fulfillment," so the "we'd better leave it off or they'll sue us" theory doesn't make sense. At least they were honest by printing the disclaimer on the box (the fact that there's a disclaimer at all is probably the work of the legal department!).

In addition to the previously-mentioned guest stars, I spotted former professional wrestling champ Nick Bockwinkel in a cameo as a union foreman in the first episode on Disk Two.

Enjoy. I really don't think you'll be disappointed. Aloha!