Hawaii Five-0: The Second Season Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.0

Hawaii Five-0: The Second Season Blu-ray Movie Review

Season two of one of TV's best shows arrives on Blu-ray in a splendid five-disc set.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman September 18, 2012

Hawaii Five-0 represents a best-case scenario for modern non-episodic television. It's action-packed, suitably dramatic, consistently intense, and features very well-drawn characters participating in robust story lines. It elevates above the procedural and weaves together underlying core stories that amplify the intensity and bring out the best of all involved, whether in the writer's room or out on the set. The series does well to build characters and advance plot under any premise, whether casual crime solving or hardcore forays into season two's primary backdrop, which also happens to roll over from season one. Better, the series doesn't merely rehash its 1970s namesake. This is cutting-edge stuff that absorbs audiences and makes use of modern technologies, current events, and 21st century issues in making a name for itself, even if its namesake hearkens back to a bygone era of "classic" TV. It's a big, sweeping program, every episode practically a mini upper-level movie in terms of production values, plot, acting, and craftsmanship. The series -- like television's other top shows -- betters many movies in terms of characterization and not only thanks to its extended runtime and ample opportunity for fleshing the team out. Season two betters season one in every way. It's established from the start but introduces new dynamics and characters that only cement the show's excellence and round it into, arguably, the best thing going on broadcast television and one of the finer programs on television, period.

Escape!

Below are spoilers for season one.

McGarrett (Alex O'Loughlin) has been implicated in and arrested for the murder of Hawaii's late Governor Jameson. The Five-0 team has been disbanded. Willaims (Scott Caan) holds firm to his belief in McGarrett's innocence while living as an "unemployed civilian." Kelly (Daniel Dae Kim) has been reinstated into the Hawaii Police Department with the rank of Lieutenant. Kalakaua (Grace Park) is under investigation and has been suspended from the HPD. The state's new Governor, former Lieutenant Governor Sam Denning (Richard T. Jones), plans to use McGarrett's conviction as a political tool to demonstrate his resolve and no-nonsense approach to governing. Though McGarrett's been framed, Kelly believes he knows the true killer's identity: Wo Fat (Mark Dacascos), a Hawaiian crime boss who aims to cover his tracks by murdering McGarrett in prison. The would-be assassin, however -- an old McGarrett nemesis -- only wounds the ex-Navy SEAL, hoping he'll escape and hunt down Wo Fat before the crime lord can clean up the mess once and for all and assassinate the assassin. McGarrett does indeed escape, and his escape coincides with the arrival of Joe White (Terry O'Quinn), his former SEAL instructor and confidant. When the old team unearths evidence clearing McGarrett but not identifying the true killer, Five-0 is reinstated by Governor Denning but without the broad powers and license to operate above the law the team enjoyed under Jameson. Now, with both White aid and a Governor-appointed liaison named Lori Weston (Lauren German) -- the latter assigned to serve as the Governor's eyes and ears on the team -- on the task force, Five-0 is once again free to tackle Hawaii's toughest criminals and solve its unsolvable mysteries, though the business of Wo Fat and the late governor's murder -- including shocking new revelations pertaining to the case and the mystery of "Shelburne" -- will test's Five-0's resolve and skill in putting to rest the most challenging case it's faced yet.

Hawaii Five-0 is a blast to watch considering its immersive story lines, great characters, and high production values. The series refuses to settle into garden-variety television, making each episode an event, constructed of a great scale and scope that takes full advantage of slick production techniques and the gorgeous Hawaiian backdrops. It's the perfect escapist television series, drawing in audiences with not only intriguing and oftentimes immersive story lines, but truly defining the very essence of "escapism" by mere sight of its setting. It's as if the show is a weekly getaway, a series that not only offers well-made procedural television elements but does so away from the urban jungles that are the setting for so many of the alphabet soup crime shows that favor dreary and dark environments as the backdrop for their tales of murder and intrigue. With Hawaii Five-0, however, audiences are bombarded with lush backdrops and drool-worthy scenery that rivals many travelogue videos. It's a brilliant concept (albeit a brilliantly recycled concept) to turn a television series into a multipurpose endeavor that takes the best of all words and succeeds in meshing them all together into one singularly awesome entity. The series' robust plots and rough-and-tumble action blend very well with the Hawaiian landscape. It doesn't have the dramatic muscle of Breaking Bad, the faultless intrigue of Lost, the unforgettable characters of The Sopranos, or the epic violence of The Walking Dead, but for network television procedurals, Hawaii Five-0 stands atop the heap.

There's so much to love about Hawaii Five-0 -- the gripping stories, the Hollywood-big action scenes, the paradise backdrop -- that it might be a bit easy to overlook the cast and cast of characters. Every character's supremely developed, with interesting arcs that begin with well-conceived back stories that give real, appreciable, dramatic shape to them. Certainly, there are the overreaching generic attributes (divorced father, ex-SEAL, disgrace police officer, and so on), but those attributes are finely defined, shaped, and sometimes even reshaped as the series moves along, season two in particular. There's not a dull primary or secondary character in the series, all of them worked over finely and brought to intricate life from page to screen where the most nuanced detail of their backgrounds and physical appearances are molded to episodic television perfection. The cast is fantastic, and the arrival of Terry O'Quinn adds another layer, not only adding a veteran face to the mix but lending to the series a natural injection of gravitas that keeps it in order and enhances season two's dynamics. The returning cast falls effortlessly into part, dramatically and physically both, showing faultless chemistry and displaying natural screen presences. As added bonuses, fans will note both a crossover from CBS' NCIS: Los Angeles as well as a nice collection of cameo appearances, including Robert Englund, Jimmy Buffett, James Caan, Dennis Miller, Patty Duke, and Ed Asner.

Hawaii Five-0: The Second Season Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Hawaii Five-0: The Second Season arrives on Blu-ray with a gorgeous 1080p transfer. The series offers brilliant colors in every episode. It's truly a spectacle of rich, brilliant hues, all of them very much distinct and natural and presented with the vibrance and accuracy high definition audiences demand. Whether the island's lush greens or alluring blue waters, whether bright Hawaiian shirts or gold trim on police dress uniforms, the image absolutely sparkles, under the daylight in particular but offering a balanced and true color scheme even under less-than-ideal lighting conditions. Additionally, details are oftentimes exquisite. Facial textures are intricate and always complex, clothing lines and stitches are always apparent in close-ups, and the image's general stability and clarity allows for the Hawaiian backdrops to appear very well defined and sharp even at distance. Black levels are true, and flesh tones don't drift too far towards an unnaturally warm shading. The image is free of any intrusive anomalies, save for light banding evident in small spurts, evident, for example, in the dreary North Korean prison in episode ten. Otherwise, this is a brilliant high definition transfer that serves up plenty of eye candy in every episode.

Hawaii Five-0: The Second Season Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Hawaii Five-0: The Second Season's box jacket (and CBS' press release) indicates a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack is included, but the season features only a Dolby Digital 5.1 presentation (additionally, a Dolby Digital 2.0 track is available). Fortunately, all is not lost. The Dolby Digital track delivers a healthy, full-bodied, entertaining listen. From the first moments of episode one forward, listeners will appreciate the effortless envelopment and rich, seamlessly-reproduced sounds that flow from every speaker. The show's theme music enjoys robust presence and excellent clarity. It immerses the listener in the energetic notes which play widely across the front and with an evident surround support structure. Island ambience gently surrounds the listening audience, and a few manmade elements, such as rattling vehicles and buzzing helicopters, are naturally inserted into the track and do well to place the listener within their moving metallic pieces. Gunplay is a sonic highlight. Shots burst into the stage with positive presence and authority, erupting from all sides and impacting metal surfaces near the end of episode two. Another listening treat comes in episode ten, a shootout in a jungle environment that offers heavy pops and thuds as shots pour from every direction. Supporting elements like blaring alarms also play loudly but cleanly and accurately. Dialogue is precise, playing from the center channel with a natural presence. It might not be the lossless track claimed on the packaging and in press materials, but this is a very good Dolby Digital presentation that largely satisfies in every scene.

Hawaii Five-0: The Second Season Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Hawaii Five-0: The Second Season contains episode-specific supplements in the form of commentaries and deleted scenes. Disc five contains five extras that broadly cover the entire season.

Disc One:

• Episode 201, "Ha'I'Ole":
  
  
  • Deleted Scenes (1080p, 1:05).
  • Audio Commentary: Developer Peter M. Lenkov and Actors Alex O'Laoughlin, Daniel Dae Kim, and Grace Park.
• Episode 202, "Ua Lawe Wale":
  
  
  • Deleted Scenes (1080p, 1:29).
• Episode 205, "Ma'Ema'E":
• Deleted Scene (1080p, 0:47)

Disc Two:

• Episode 206, "Ka Hakaka Maika'I":
• Deleted Scene (1080p, 0:44).


• Episode 210, "Ki'Ilua":
• Deleted Scenes (1080p, 7:24).
• Audio Commentary: Developer Peter M. Lenkov and Co-Executive Producer Paul Zbyszewski.

Disc Three:

• Episode 212, "Alaheo Pau'Ole":
• Deleted Scenes (1080p, 5:26).

Disc Four:

• Episode 216, "I Helu Pu":
• Deleted Scene (1080p, 1:28).


• Episode 220, "Ha'Alele":
• Deleted Scenes (1080p, 2:37).

Disc Five:

• Episode 223, "Ua Hala":
• Deleted Scene (1080p, 2:32).
• Shore Lines: The Story of Hawaii Five-0, Season 2 (1080p, 30:36): Cast and crew discuss the season one final arc and where those developments take the beginning of season two. They discuss Terry O'Quinn's presence and character, adding the Westin character and what her presence means to the greater story arc, Tom Sizemore's role in season two, the "Shelburne" mystery, the scope and scale and stories of various episodes, cameos, blending in the NCIS: Los Angeles cast, the season finale's shocking dynamics and developments, and more.
• Aloha Action! Season 2 (1080p, 23:29): This extra takes an extended look into the making of season two's many complex action scenes, detailing how many of the intricate stunts were crafted on an episode-by-episode basis.
• Hawaii Five-O'Ahu: An Interactive Guide to Season 2 Locations (1080p): Users may click on several locations to learn more about them via both text and video snippets. Included are Waimea Falls, Kualoa Ranch, Halawa Prison, Kahala Beach Apartment, Aina Haina House, Magic Island, Precinct, Waikiki Beach, and International Market Place, Waikiki.
• Becoming a SEAL: An Insider's Guide to the World's Toughest Training (1080p, 8:46): Actor Alex O'Loughlin's total immersion into character and dedication to partaking in SEAL training. The supplement also shows audiences highlights of BUD/S training.
• Gag Reel (1080p, 10:08).

Hawaii Five-0: The Second Season Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

While Hawaii Five-0 cannot match the excellence of cable's finest series, it's perhaps the best thing going on network television. It's big and beautiful both at once, featuring high-caliber action scenes and lush backdrops to accentuate a great cast and gripping story lines. Not every episode's a thriller, but then again what series -- particularly those that run more than a dozen or so episodes per season and don't follow a continuing plot line -- can say as much? This is modern-day television at its peak, visually, stylistically, and dramatically. The second season only enhances the promise of the first, and it looks like Hawaii Five-0 is here to stay. And for television fans, that's a great thing. CBS' Blu-ray release of Hawaii Five-0: The Second Season offers excellent video and audio qualities in addition to a host of supplemental content. Highly recommended.