Sequels and prequels are all the rage in movie land, but now we are starting to see this develop more so in cable and network TV land. The first serious offering is the remake of the legendary television series “Hawaii Five-0,” back on CBS.

Produced and distributed by CBS Television Studios, in association with Kurtzman/Orci, the new "Hawaii Five-0" keeps most of the original characters from the late 1960s – at least in name – since for the most part their histories have been changed. 

“Hawaii Five-0” is an interesting and unusual remake of the original series, presented as more of a typical procedural cop show, with a dash of comedic banter.  The pilot episode introduced the life and background of “Steve McGarrett” (Alex O’Loughlin), who has been appointed by the Governor to clean up the island and seek out his father's killer (which seems to disappointingly wrap up in a nice, tidy bow at the end of the show).  Unfortunately, for those classic "Hawaii Five-0" fans, there is no “Wo Fat” character in the pilot.

McGarrett then introduces the remaining famous characters, including “Detective Danny ‘Danno’ Williams”, played by Scott Caan, and “Detective Chin Ho Kelly”, played by Daniel Dae Kim. 

The famous role of Kona Kalakaua is recast and reborn from the original series, now portrayed by actress Grace Park, best known as “Cylon Number Eight” from the Syfy channel remake of “Battlestar Galactica."

“Hawaii Five-0” comes out with a bang, featuring an expensive chase scene with lots of military equipment and explosions.  This series appears to pull no punches, offering high-action in the vein of “NCIS”, while mixing plot lines and villains with a contemporary flavor.

Photography of the Hawaiian Islands is certainly plentiful, and viewers get an eye full of trees and resort splendor.  Yet the quality and stylizing of the imagery looks almost simple compared to the gorgeously crafted and styled imagery found on “Burn Notice” or “CSI: Miami."  Nevertheless, if you're looking for bikini babes, you will find more bare midriffs and bare legs on an episode of “Burn Notice” or “CSI: Miami” than on “Hawaii Five-0." The pilot still panders to the key demographic by keeping Park in a tiny bikini or in her underwear for most of her on-screen moments. 

Fans of TV action and exotic locales should enjoy this new version of an old classic.  If you have ever watched the original series, you may not enjoy the plot and characters due to their contemporary twist.  In any event, it remains to be seen whether “Hawaii Five-0” can become a player in the modern TV environment, or just become a shade of its former self.