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| How Would You Rate This Episode? |
| 10 (Perfect!) |
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2% |
[ 1 ] |
| 9.5 (One of the Best) |
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2% |
[ 1 ] |
| 9.0 (Excellent) |
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4% |
[ 2 ] |
| 8.5 (Very Good) |
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8% |
[ 4 ] |
| 8.0 (Pretty Good) |
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16% |
[ 8 ] |
| 7.5 (Decent) |
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22% |
[ 11 ] |
| 7.0 (Average at Best) |
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18% |
[ 9 ] |
| 6.5 (Not So Good) |
|
18% |
[ 9 ] |
| 6.0 (Pretty Bad) |
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2% |
[ 1 ] |
| 5.0 (Just Awful) |
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4% |
[ 2 ] |
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| Total Votes : 48 |
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SelleckLover
RENLEDUN, Protectrix of the Realm
Joined: 10 Feb 2007
Posts: 1017
Location: Sunny Southern California
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rubber chicken
Master Location Sleuth
Joined: 30 Apr 2007
Posts: 678
Location: Great Lakes region
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 Posted: Mon Feb 25, 2008 6:09 am Post subject: |
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| James J. Walters wrote: | | After you zeroed in on the north shore, how did you find the beach location? I didn't notice any obvious "markers". |
Well I actually didn't zero in on the north shore, even with Roger Mosley saying they stayed at Turtle Bay for Operation: Silent Night. I looked at first on the north shore but just couldn't find the place (disappointed in myself now). Because of the mountain far in the background I ended up looking on the west coast of Maui towards the east coast of Molokai, because Molokai has mountains that gradually get lower and lower just like in the two episodes. (Since I couldn't find it on the north shore I was considering whether maybe Mr. Mosley was talking about the scenes filmed inland, because I just couldn't recognize the place - seems silly now).
I finally discovered that the mountains on the northwest of Oahu do just the same thing, and in comparing them to the episodes they fit exactly - each low and high spot matches perfectly. I just wasn't thinking that a view like that could work on the north shore (feel dumb now...)
It's a little hard to explain in words how the beach matches up, but I am positive it's the right place. I needed a point that looks out to open ocean one way, then when panning to the left is looking at the mountains. And also a beach which has the same curves, and the exposed rock with the sand matching up. And then the vegetation behind that. And for Operation: Silent Night there needed to be the beach down the coast where they launched the boat (you can even see the strange round black rock seen when launching the boat). Needless to say, this isn't as coincidental as my description might make it sound. There are numerous small and large matches that I made that can only work in the right place. It's just hard to describe all the visuals sometimes.
Here's the black rock on the right side of the picture.
Also, some history. The old airstrip just to the east and northeast was Haleiwa Airfield (or Haleiwa Fighter Strip) in WWII, where five fighters were able to take off during the attack on Pearl Harbor and then shot down seven enemy planes (according to that link).
On Wikimapia a post says "This is the small training field from which Lieutenants George Welch and Kenneth Taylor took off in P-40Bs to engage the Japanese on December 7, 1941. They, along with three other Army Air Force pilots shot down nine of the attackers (confirmed), probably shot down four others and damaged at least two more."
Last edited by rubber chicken on Thu Sep 17, 2009 7:28 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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J.J. Walters
Site Admin
Joined: 02 Jan 2007
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rubber chicken
Master Location Sleuth
Joined: 30 Apr 2007
Posts: 678
Location: Great Lakes region
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J.J. Walters
Site Admin
Joined: 02 Jan 2007
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Jay-Firestorm
Fleet Admiral
Joined: 18 Mar 2009
Posts: 387
Location: Berkshire, United Kingdom
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| Posted: Thu Apr 23, 2009 1:10 pm Post subject: |
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Wednesday / Thursday’s review; this one was never one of my favourites, but maybe not terrible either.
[Rating=7.5]
When a wealthy Navy buddy of Magnum’s is kidnapped, his Japanese wife comes to Magnum for help, asking him not to tell her strict father who never approved of the marriage. Not one of my favourites, but not a totally bad episode either…
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This review contains spoilers.
This episode has never exactly been one of my favourites of the series. The story is so-so, and just doesn’t stand out as one of the better of the second season. However, coming to watch it again to review, I have to confess that maybe it wasn’t quite as bad as I remembered it to be.
I have a casual interest in all things Japanese, so that works in the episode’s favour for a start. Irene Yah-Ling Sun is likable as Dick’s innocent wife Mitsu, but John Fujioka comes across as a stereotypical strict Japanese father and is given little to really work with. From the off, I guessed that he would be the true villain of the episode.
The episode has a ‘ying yang’ (!) of good and bad sequences. The flashback to Dick and Mitsu’s wedding night is not needed, and is overlong and awkward, as if it was just thrown in to fill screen time.
On the other hand, the scene with T.C. and Magnum following the kidnapper’s car in the chopper (complete with a car that turns out to belong to McGarrett of Five-0!) is well shot and quite exciting.
Also to note is Rick’s underworld contact of this episode, ‘Shaky’, said to be a Police Sergeant; Rick’s regular underworld contact, Ice Pick, would not be introduced until the next season.
The revelation that Dick faked his own kidnapping to start a new life comes as quite a twist, but is handled badly, and much more could have been made of it.
Overall, I’d say that there is a good story in there somewhere, but on this occasion the episode just seems to be badly executed. It is not my least favourite of the season (that goes to the next episode, ‘The Sixth Position’; and I personally don’t care for season opener ‘Billy Joe Bob’ much either), but ‘The Taking of Dick McWilliams’ is at best a middling episode that just feels like it could have been so much better.
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Other notes, bloopers and misc.:
* A couple of the commercial breaks are abridged on the DVD version, but I lost count of which ones!
* I thought I’d spotted a great flub when T.C.’s sunglasses show the helicopter to be stationary on the ground, but it has already been spotted. Either way, shots of Magnum and T.C. in the helicopter also show the sky to not be moving, where the chopper is on the ground.
* The fight between Nishimoto and Magnum has several clear shots of their stunt doubles. |
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J.J. Walters
Site Admin
Joined: 02 Jan 2007
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Location: Suburbia, USA
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| Posted: Sun May 17, 2009 5:17 pm Post subject: |
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I've added the Higgins-Magnum "Rocky Beach" scene to the 'Video' page, and I've added it as a "Classic Scene". I think it's one of the best Higgins-Magnum scenes of the series. It poignantly illustrates the complex but caring father-son relationship that Higgins and Magnum share. The scene is truly a "gem in the rough". You won't find scenes like this in many other shows of the genre, that's for sure.
http://magnum-mania.com/Video/Rocky_Beach_Scene.html
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Higgy_baby
Rear Admiral
Joined: 15 Jul 2009
Posts: 86
Location: Canada
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| Posted: Wed Sep 02, 2009 3:35 pm Post subject: |
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Yes James, that scene on the beach is outstanding. The way Higgins selflessly implies his advice is very well done.
Flubs:
The usual continuity gaffs. TC's chopper has the black pontoons then it doesn't when TS gets out at the beach house. They are back on when heading back and I think off again when they land back at TC's. Likely a lot of old stock footage intermingled with new shots.
When Rick stakes out the pickup of the Ransom money I heard him radio that Charlie picked up the loot in a Yellow Bronco. The vehicle that races away sure looks like an Orange Willy's to me.
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Of course this changes nothing between us. I still expect you to respect the rules and regulations pertaining to your stay on the estate. There will be no wild parties, no outragous liberties, no unauthorized overnight guests...
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N1095A
World Class Private Investigator
Joined: 27 Aug 2007
Posts: 1536
Location: A log cabin in the mountains.
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IKnowWhatYoureThinking
Macho Taco & Coops Connoisseur
Joined: 01 Apr 2008
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Location: NC
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