Movie Review: "Magnum PI - The Complete Fifth Season"

Talk about a blast from the past. Thank goodness for the invention of TV on DVD. Because of it, I have been able to discover two of the best TV shows that came out of the 80s, Murder She Wrote and Magnum PI. While Murder She Wrote is something that the whole family can enjoy, Magnum is more edgier. And just plain cool. For those unaware, Tom Selleck plays Thomas Magnum, a private investigator (or PI as he hates to be called) who lives in the guest house on the estate of author Robin Masters in beautiful Hawaii. Jonathan Higgins is the caretaker of the estate and puts up with Magnum and his use of the house and Ferrari. Magnum's two best friends who fought in the Vietnam War with him, Rick who runs the King Kamehameha Club and TC who runs a helicopter service, "help" with out with his cases.

The best thing about the show is that the chemistry is just terrific. Magnum and Higgins have a love/hate relationship which the two actors portray superbly. (FYI: Did you know that Higgins isn't really British? The actor is from the South!) Higgins wants to keep a British tight ship around the estate while Magnum wants to live a more relaxed lifestyle. The two clash over nearly everything and they do it in such a convincing way. Magnum's relationship with TC and Rick is just as good. He keeps promising he'll pay them back which he never does so the other two always find a way to make him repay him in other ways. Also like in Sex and the City, the location becomes a character in the show. Hawaii is shown to perfection here, from the beaches to the locals, you really want to visit after watching.

This season had some really great episodes ranging from the hysterical to the bizarre to the deadly serious. My favorite episode was the two parter where the four team up to go back to Cambodia to help out a friend who's been kidnapped by the military there. I enjoyed seeing the four be serious for a change and actually team up to work together. A very moving episode that showed Magnum's serious side mixed with his past. The whole season is non stop good stuff with episodes showcasing murders, bank robbers, stolen identities, etc. And the humor in the show is fresh and not dated. TC and Rick give me the biggest laughs, especially TC because he says stuff so dead pan serious at times.

The only thing I find quite disturbing about the show is how SHORT Magnum's shorts are. I mean he's wearing shorts that are shorter than the average pair of boxers! But I got to admit, he has the legs for it. Haha, I know he was a dreamboat back in the day, I'm just not a fan of the mustache. LOL. I could watch this series over and over again. Shows like this makes me wish I had been older in the 80s. There's no sex, little violence, no language just a really good storyline with a cool character. Why can't TV today be like this?