cdunbar-3

If you're a fan of the original series, your take on this revamping will probably depend on how much a purist you are. The pilot begins with an interesting premise that offers thorough background information on the origins of the team. It's a slick looking production, in that it takes advantage of the locale and the attractive leads. Having said that…the series would work better if it had created new characters. Anyone who loved Jack Lord will find Alex O'Loughlin a poor substitute for Steve McGarrett. He hasn't the same charisma. When recreating characters from an original series, it's inevitable that there will be viewers who object to the substitutes. Had the producers started fresh with new characters, but kept the spirit of the original formula intact, there would be less tendency to compare the two series; each would stand on its own merits. In that respect, the new Hawaii Five 0 has a tough act to follow. None of the lead characters share strong chemistry, although with further episodes this might improve. The strongest element this new series has going for it is a well written plot; the dialogue could be crisper but as characters develop and writers get a stronger feel of the material, that might happen. Overall verdict: no better than the other crime dramas currently on the air but certainly promises room for improvement.

This study of relationships within a dysfunctional family has all the elements of an overwrought soap opera. After viewing the film, I considered that there was an overabundance of drama, with many plot developments straining credulity. Having said that, I was unaware of these flaws while watching the film. Astonishing performances raise it above the material. Young actress Tatiana Maslany gives a compelling performance as Ruby, a 13 year old desperately in need of parental guidance. Abandoned by her mother, left with a father emotionally unable to be that provider, Ruby flounders. She makes numerous bids to grow up too fast, flirting with danger and tragedy results. Yet amidst much grown up and juvenile angst, there's a core of tenderness at the heart of the complex relationships, a ray of hope that suggests this family may be down but not altogether out. The well seasoned performers portray this subtlety effectively, with cinematic rather than soap opera results.

Not as gripping as it could have been but the essence of Jodi Picoult's story is intact. An interesting aspect of the novel was the graphic novel intersecting each chapter, which explores the father's psyche. His conflicted feelings for wife and daughter are revealed vicariously through his illustrations and story-telling. His wife's obsession with Dante's Inferno, the class she teaches at university, becomes his obsession, too, since he explores the same theme through his comic book characters. Had this been a big budget film with animation telling this aspect of the story, it would have been visually intriguing! The father's sensitivity and artistic bent is an essential part of the central conflict and does not come across convincingly in this TV movie. On a superficial level, this film tells a story of a family in trauma, but the actors are not compelling enough to ring true. Any husband and wife who have struggled with raising a teenage child will probably agree this is a weak portrayal...but a young audience might identify with the teen angst of Trixie, the troubled young victim.