Hawaii Five-0 | B+

For anyone who has seen the original Hawaii Five-O that ran from 1968-1980, you know it's classic American television that is hard to surpass. The new Hawaii Five-O does it justice.

It's not as thought-provoking as Fringe, but if you enjoy seeing gunfights, things being blown-up and people with witty banter, it is certainly the show for you. The new Hawaii Five-O pays homage to the original with a cameo of McGarrett's car and a rebooted theme song. The show centers on a special branch of the Hawaii Police Department that only answers to the governor.

So when a reptilian villain asks, "What kind of cops are you?" the answer is a new kind of cop that doesn't play by the rules. They play hardball, speeding around town in fancy cars, shooting at bad guys and basking in the brilliant Hawaiian sun.

The role of McGarrett, originally played by Jack Lord, falls to Alex O'Loughlin. O'Loughlin has been CBS's pet for a while now, and they've tried to harness him on the short-lived Moonlight and the even shorter Three Rivers. He's easy on the eyes for viewers and behind his eyes lies a deep passion for justice, regardless of the means by which he goes to get it. McGarrett is not a simple character to match, but O'Loughlin steps up to the challenge.

Surrounding McGarrett are the wrongly disgraced ex-cops Chin Ho (Daniel Dae Kim, Lost), Chin Ho's nubile police-cadet cousin (Grace Park, Battlestar Galactica), and Danno (Scott Caan, Ocean's Eleven) new to Honolulu from New Jersey. Chin Ho is the new Hawaii Five-O's departure from the original. On the original show, a man plays the portly Detective Chin Ho Kelly whereas in the new version a woman plays the part.

O'Loughlin and Caan work well together, developing a natural rapport onscreen. Their bromance blossoms from challenging each other's power and masculinity to sharing beers over a sunset.

Normal reboots, especially those of popular shows, do not fare too well, but Hawaii Five-O lives up to its predecessor, combining past and present. It will be interesting to see if it can keep living up to its origins or if the first few episodes are a one-time deal.