Reviews

Other writers have well summarized the plot, so I will only comment that the writers give us plenty of plot complications but the storyline is refreshingly easy to follow. This is more than just soap opera sex, as the corporate infighting is related well to issues of the founding family, with the corporate developments very well set forth.

I'm a car freak, so I find the silly looking cars in the film a good example of the challenge faced by the Olivier character (Loren Hardeman) in designing and building a sensible car that will actually appeal to a great number of buyers. Hey, were this an easy task, GM would never have gone bankrupt a few years ago. And, this storyline reminds us how huge auto companies have become--rather than being run by family such as the Hardemans here or even the Fords (Ford actually hired an airplane guy from Boeing to run the company). My fellow car freaks might also want to view the "Wheels" from the Arthur Hailey novel....but then that film lacks Kathy Beller so why bother????

Speaking of whom....I would watch Kathy Beller read the phone book for two hours (she is that gorgeous, love her long hair for starters) I think I am being objective when I say her performance is topflight, and I am amused that some other writers feel the same way (she was also great in an eighth (?) season "Hawaii Five-0" episode, Beller fans). This film also gives us other great performances from Duvall and Down ......but oh you reviewers are soooo right about Olivier. I've always found his work overdone and hammy, but, here, ham is served with every word from him.

Fortunately, Olivier does not ruin the pleasure of this film....so enjoy a ripping tale of corporate intrigue with plenty of sex to "complete" the story.....

As the previous reviewer asks, please don't judge this wonderful series by this terrible episode. This episode is a preachy, schmaltzy, heavy handed propagandistic sermon in favor of gun control. It is reminiscent of those film strips schools used to run in grade schools, with all the sublety of a sledge hammer. I am open to gun control laws, but I really hate an entertainment series becoming self-righteous as this episode does.

The summary in the prior review does not need to be repeated, but let me add that the script makes Five O and the cops look plain stupid when they apprehend the apparent shooter perhaps 200 feet from a mailbox, see that they guy has no gun, but do not think to check the mailbox for the gun....amazing....

Yep, it's a stinker....

Come on, people, the film is funny. Too many reviewers are focusing on the bit that Ben Stiller's character is, well, a louse. I have news --there are a lot of louses out there, just as there are a lot of hot looking young women with a history of cocaine abuse. The script isn't afraid to get laughs from these issues, and it does. I laughed hard at the insistence of the Mariachi Band invariably showing up at the most inopportune times, and I loved the sunburn bit cuz I have actually have experiences with young women who would not put on sunscreen for the same reason as the Lila character.

And, I suggest that the ending is not only funny, but is absolutely consistent with Ben Stiller's character....

If anything, this film should be less offensive than the original 1972 version, which is hilarious but does focus on the Jewish man's infatuation with the "dream WASP blonde". Here, both beautiful women seem WASP-y, so no such issue.

So, stop making value judgments and you will probably laugh...

Oh, no....this episode is to bad it's a miracle that CBS actually bought the series made from this Pilot. Leonard Freeman, writer and producer, has obviously seen too many James Bond films, with this silly storyline setting up McGarrett as a Super tough guy involved in international intrigue. Steve's job as head of the Hawaii State Police is almost ignored, as he plays Superspy.

One reason why people love this series is the authentic and beautiful filming in America's most beautiful state (Ok, I'm biased, I live in Hawaii). But, this pilot cost about $9--yes, nine dollars== to film, as much of it takes place on a dark set with Wo Fat and Andrew Duggan's character waiting for something to happen, rather than having Steve and the Cast running around actual locations in Hawaii on a police investigation.

Honest, the episodes get way better....ignore this one and watch the rest....

A fine episode with most of the factors that made Five-0 such a great success for so many years.....this episode is highlighted by a stunning guest performance by Thayer David (perhaps best known for stage work, along with a few memorable film roles) as a crippled mobster.

There is also a great performance by Hawaii born actor Seth Sakai as the rival mobster. Sakai appeared in a number of FIVE0 episodes over the years, but this is one of his best guest shots.

The episode has a car chase with a Lincoln Mark IV racing through sugar cane fields, Steve McGarrett barking orders but displaying rare bits of humor, the makings of a romance involving Dano, and great as usual location filming including the Hyatt Waikiki Hotel (just down the block from Waikiki Park Heights condohotel), the entrance of which hasn't changed much in the last 30 years (I recently walked by this hotel).

The script has double crosses and plenty of suspense....all in all, top flight....

This story of a crazed killer using hits on a website to "assist" him in his killings is a refreshing high tech twist on the what I call the "killer-thriller" type of film. Not all the computer gibberish is comprehensible to those of us--such as myself--who aren't computer geniuses, but the major or breakthrough plot points--the eye blinks for one, the early use of what is actually the GM Onstar system in her SUV for another--are carefully planted and credible.

It's irrelevant to whom Diane Lane is married in real life, or who her mother in law is....what matters is that her performance here is top flight. She lets the makeup department avoid glamorizing her, and she comes across very convincingly as a 40 something woman professional highly competent in her job. I'm not a huge fan of hers (I recall her miscast role in the stinker "Must Like Dogs", but now I'm digressing, sorry) but her performance here is nuanced and top flight.

Refreshingly, the filmic style is even vaguely evocative of those wonderful 1940's Film Noirs, with rainy nights and a generally dark patina. I hear Portland is a cold, rainy city, so setting the story there was a wise move for atmosphere.

Some other writers have already made the point that is a bit amazing how the "bad guy" is sooo competent, and even hacks into her Saab's engine computer....but, hey, maybe its possible and even if it's not it still gives the film an exciting sequence.

Not a masterpiece, but very much worth seeing....

I should be a sucker for any of these episodes....I live in and love the state of Hawaii, I know the islands so well I can often pick out where the actual location is in this series or in my favorite, "Hawaii Five-0", I love film noir/forties private eye films, and so on.....but this episode is just ghastly.

The danger/plot revolves around the question of who's a Nazi & who's Jewish.....why it matters soooo much more than 30 years after Nuremberg is given short shrift, and why there are Jews and Nazis chasing each other around Hawaii, of all places, (a state that is about 3% Jewish)adds to the oddity. The acting is laughable, with the Saul character played sooo broadly that it is difficult not to laugh at times. There are attempts at humor, with a sushi delivery--"your wish for fish", but the episode has very little humor or credible drama.

Others will comment on the oddity of the premise....why Robin Masters needs BOTH Magnum and Higgins to "secure" a house to which he almost never comes, how the Magnum character survives since he rarely gets paid for his "cases", why Magnum is allowed to run up all sorts of miles on the boss's Ferrari, and more. This series hit the air just as "Hawaii Five-0" was dying, so the market was probably hot for another Hawaii based series.

The series has enough fans more enthusiastic than I to inspire me to advise skipping this episode and watching later ones....they will be better. The narration is a venerable and sonderful film noir device, and it gives better episodes than this a nice feel...

Too, the location filming is beautiful, especially to those of us, probably almost all of us, who love Hawaii, its perfect climate & its unrivaled natural beauty of beaches and mountains. But later/other episodes will display the breathtaking scenery along with a strong storyline....skip this one and watch those.

I am a huge fan of "Hawaii 5-0", but thank heaven the episodes started to improve as this silly episode could have cancelled the series all by itself.

Mainly, we have laughable casting. I challenge you to watch this episode without laughing at the figure of Mexican born Actor Ricardo Montalban playing a Japanese character. Even with the Charlie Chan ---style makeup attempting to give him sorta Asian eyes, he's still a major joke. Personally, I even think it's an insult to Asians, as we were long past the 1930's thing of hiring WASP actors to portray Asian characters (Chan, for example).

But, insult or not, the casting is laughable indeed and makes it impossible to take the script seriously. I suspect Ricardo did the role for a free vacation in Hawaii, and the producers only had this script ready for shooting.....I mean, I can't imagine Mr. Freeman reading the script and saying, "Wow, what a great part for Ricardo Montalban!"

The one really wonderful part of the episode is the use of Henry Kaiser's Estate Home in the beautiful Portlock area of the island of Oahu (East/past Waikiki). Thank you, Hank, for letting them use your house, as the house is an absolute masterpiece of Mid- Century Modern Design. This house is thankfully still standing, and remains one of the most special--and most valuable--homes on the entire Island. (Mr. Kaiser has since died and I believe the house is now owned by a local Asian-American billionaire).

If you cant remember Montalban--unlikely.....yes, he is the guy who went on to make "Corinthian Leather" famous in his commercials for the Chrysler Cordoba. Of course, he didn't use the Asian makeup in those ads.....thankfully.

Some of the negative posts keep snarling that the film is dated..... sure it is--lots has changed since 1967. For one thing, Jill St. John nee Jill Oppenheim is a classic Rat Pack hottie, with the elaborate hair that never seems out of place and apparently has enough shellac in it to varnish a kitchen. The hippie movement brought us the natural look in "hottie" women, with long, straight flowing hair and little makeup, but Frank's Rat Pack women were still into a gaudy Vegas look. And, I'm no expert on 1967 fashions, but I sure don't think men ran around in a warm climate (I was raised in So Cal) wearing hats with their suits.....but enjoy this look back at 1967, when fashions and what was "cool" were changing dramatically (today's starts don't even change their names, chuckle).

The film is beautifully filmed on actual Miami locations, by a renowned cinematographer Joseph Biroc (check him out here on IMDb). And, of course Richard Conte's house is no mansion, with its chain link fence along the waterway---he's an honest cop, not a multi- zillionaire....but the house looks real cuz it is real!

I submit that Richard Breen's script if full of truly great "hard boiled" lines.....even the one where Jill dumps Frank, telling him, "you'd probably just lose me in a poker game anyway" and Frank agrees. Check out Sue Lyon, who looks great to me--if Jill fails to excite you (she does nothing for me), I think you'll like Sue, as she is even convincing in the part (beside being hot looking).

So, stop being grouchy and enjoy!

The movie is just plain fun....maybe more fun for those of us who were kids and fans of "The Ramones" around the time the film was made. I've watched the film over and over, by myself and with friends, and it is still fresh and funny. At the risk of being too serious, the concept of being a big fan of a certain band is timeless, and high school students boredom with drudgery of some classes is just as timeless.

And, the film has some gem lines/scenes.....references to how our "permanent record" in high school will follow us through life. (Let me assure you I've been out of high school for, uhhh, some years and it's not following me).....the famous "static" line ("I'm getting some static"....."Not as much as you're going to get", as Principal Togar approaches).....the school board member who is so decrepit he's attended by nurses....the Nazi Hall Monitors love for a "body search" ......Principal Togar announcing, "I give you the final solution", and burning the Ramones records (note: records were what came before CD's) ....and of course Joey Ramone noting, "Things sure have changed since we got kicked out of high school", followed by Togar asking "Do your parents know you're Ramones?"

Just one piece of advice.....don't look up where the stars are now.....Joey Ramone sadly died young. Dey Young, who was a major hottie in the film, today reminds us we all age....PJ Soles career never advanced as we might have expected......... Marla Rosenfield, as one the other students, apparently appeared only in this film (one of my male friends dies over her every time we watch the film), though I submit her performance was more than adequate and should have brought her more teen film roles. And, does anyone know what happened to DJ Don Steele?

So, watch and enjoy.....don't think....just have FUN!

....and even more awful, as it is hopelessly dated. They obviously didn't have much of a script, as they keep putting in song scenes that run way too long, especially for such lousy songs. Secondly, Yvonne Elliman is set up way too adoringly, as in hindsight she had the basic "flash in the pan" career; in the episode, though, one would think she became a truly great star with a lasting career. And, as far as dated, check out James Darrin's clothes in particular--they had to slaughter lots and lots of little polyesters for his shirts alone, not to mention a few white suits on "Sonny" that look like leftovers from the "Saturday Night Fever" wardrobe. Even Darrin's name in the episode--"Johnny"--is so cliché; isn't there always a hustler named "Johnny" in these extortion type plots?

The only real pleasure is Ross Martin's bad guy, having a great time, it appears, chewing up scenery in an absolutely breathtaking oceanfront mansion.

This was a late episode, and it shows.....even Jack Lord looks a bit tired, but not as tired as the script.

OK, I'm one of the major fans of "Hawaii Five-0", but even I admit some episodes are better than others....and here's one of the best.

Susan Dey looks incredibly lovely & plays very well the role of a young hottie who became involved in Las Vegas type crime--skimming and money laundering. Her brother had moved to Hawaii, and is a surfboard glasser....and "Susan" gets help and a bit of romance from one of her brother's friends, owner of Pipeline Surfboards. Finally, the series brings in one of Hawaii's best known activities, surfing-- the inclusion of the surfing culture gives this episode an especially authentic, "local Hawaii" feel. The script has the customary hit men chasing Susan, and they get "booked" in the end, but it's a very Hawaiian trip to that point.

Great episode...

Absolutely riveting episode.....a policeman stopping on Diamond Head Road is shot by a sniper high atop in an old military structure up a hill from the road. HPD and 5-0 respond, and the action is non- stop from them on. No scenes in Steve McGarrett's office, the whole cast is involved here, and the scenery is even more breathtaking than usual....almost the whole episode is filmed along Diamond Head Road, which winds along cliffs overlooking the ocean.

A small guest shot by Annette O'Toole--then at the height of her "hottie" years--stands out as a sensitive guest performance.

All in all, one of the best episodes----Hawaii 5-0 has many, many great ones but this is one of the best....watch for it on reruns or DVD....

A great script with surprising humor. Hume Cronyn plays an "over 50" former insurance investigator who turns to crime....not just for the money but for the challenge. McGarrett is a bit less frenzied than usual, as he seems to realize that the Cronyn character (Lewis Filer) is not a violent, dangerous type.

The music score is a special part of the episode--light hearted and perfectly attuned to the Filer character's attitude.

I've read that "5-0" was able to get many top guest stars just cuz the star wanted an excuse for a Hawaiian vacation. If that is true, then hurrah for vacations, as Cronyn's superb performance shows us once again why he was a star for over 50 years.

OH--as you watch episodes of "Hawaii 5-0", watch for continuity errors.....the series was filmed on location around Oahu and it seems as if it was often too much trouble to match the shots with another outside shot. As a result, McGarrett's car--Mercury Park Lane Brougham sedan--sometimes changes in mid-chase to a coupe or a Ford Custom 500 sedan.

OK, there are some great scenes here, such as the opening bank robbery, and especially the Imperial (car) chasing Matthau's crop duster plane (bet you never knew an Imperial was an offroad vehicle) .....but the real problem is a slow, slow pace with way too much time spent in dull scenes that advance the plot but bore the hmhm out of me...the old geezer in the gun shop is an example of a really boring scene.....and how they managed to make a scene in a "house of ill repute" slow and boring is beyond me but they did....so, sorry, I give it a "6".....

And, I suggest one reason why DIRTY HARRY was such a hit was indeed the theme...remember that by 1972 Americans were pretty tired of excuses for criminals, rampant lawlessness, etc.....that's one reason why President Nixon won a landslide victory in 1972. So, yes, I side with the writer who says this film flopped as the hero is a criminal, unlike in Dirty Harry....

OK, if anyone is reading this 10 years plus after the film's premier, I'm sure you're puzzled by my claiming this is a romantic film....but it is.

Master thief Macauley--DeNiro--falls in love with a relatively shy young woman. He and she are on their way to a new life together, when he decides that her love and their new life are just not enough--he must risk all that by stopping to kill a traitor to his criminal group. He turns his back on love and romance for one more criminal act, and is pursued and shot as a result by Lt. Hanna (Pacino).

In contrast, Chris Chihurlis (maybe Shirhulis,the Val Kilmer character) is saved from capture by his wife's undying love for him. The couple has fought viciously throughout much of the film, but when the police pressure his wife (Judd) to betray him, entice him into a police trap, she subtly waves him off, knowing she may never see him again but that he will be neither killed nor captured by the police. She risked her own freedom in so doing, but this couple was saved by love--the DeNiro character lost all when he turned his back on love.

The message, the theme inherent here--love is everything, treasure it, seek it above all, and it may literally save your life, save your freedom.

All in all, a magnificent film...and one of the best depictions ever of The sense of place that is Los Angeles....SEE IT...

Yup, this is a hilarious comedy...Remember that this was released in the late 1970's, the Carter Presidency, when seemingly everything the Federal Govt did resulted in chaos at best and expansion of the Soviet Empire (Afghanistan) at worst.....in this film, the emphasis of government's silly controls is the inability to have Coors Beer in Eastern states, and especially the Federal 55MPH speed limit...

Bandit and Cletus accept the challenge to bring Coors to the rich guys who like it---certainly a victimless crime at worst....and disobey the Federal 55 MPH speed limit in the process. Along the way, all kinds of everyday individual Americans help Bandit & Co. avoid the representative of Big Government--Sheriff Justice. The truckers put Bandit "in the rockin' chair" and watch with great delight as the police drive past for just one example....the waitress at the "choke and puke" AKA drivein restaurant marshalls her car loving customers to help, for another example...there are many more examples of individual Americans helping another independent American--Bandit--defeat the forces of bureaucratic big government enforcing one of the most hated regs of the time, the 55MPH speed limit (which speed limit was repealed some years later).

This film with its subtle and perhaps unintended Libertarian message of individual Americans against the forces of Big Government was the second biggest box office hit of 1977.....I remember sitting in the theatre watching most of the audience members STAND & CHEER for the Bandit...............I haven't seen this spontaneous kind of audience involvement since....of course, I did see the film in California's Orange County, a very politically conservative area, chuckle....("behind the orange curtain", we said back then)

Then barely three years later, what happened in the 1980 Presidential Election? The candidate--Ronald Reagan--who for 20 years or so had been railing against big government and its reliance on petty bureaucratic regulation, who for 20 years had been talking about the importance of each individual American's rights, who quoted Thomas Jefferson's famous "That government governs best which governs least", who said that it was the president and not the American people who were afflicted by "malaise", who said that the indomitable spirit of the American people would again make it "morning in America" --- overwhelmingly defeated an incumbent President Carter, and won again in 1984 in one of the greatest landslides of all time. It was that same aversion to big government adversely affecting the lives of all Americans that put Ronald Reagan in the White House twice and put "Smokey and the Bandit" nearly at the top of the late 70's Box Office hits.

And, I submit, you don't have to like Reagan as a President to see the connection here....you may like to drive 55 in an effort to save fuel....but the film, I submit, arguably foreshadowed the massive cultural/political shift that elected President Reagan....

Hope I didn't spoil the film for you liberals out there.....regardless what you think of the above, it is still one of the ALL TIME FUNNY FILMS! And, if the Academy weren't such snobs about comedies and rednecks in particular, Gleason should have been up for Best Supporting Actor!

"Get Smart" has so many brilliant episodes, but this is one of the best. A classic spoof of all the Charlie Chan films, when Anglo actors always put on funny makeup in order to portray Chinese/Hawaiian Detective Charlie Chan--here we have the Anglo Forman trying to look and sound Asian as Master Hawaiian Detective Harry Hoo. As my wonderful Asian girlfriend said years ago, watching this episode on NICK, "He's not Asian!" But, that doesn't stop Forman from quoting Chan-style aphorisms and doing a bad Asian accent, with "Moment, prease, Mistah Smart", a favorite trademark phrase. Leonard Strong adds to the arguably politically incorrect fun with another wonderful portrayal of Asian badguy "The Craw". All in all, lets' hope GET SMART comes out on DVD soon so we can enjoy this subtle spoof!