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3 stars
Dutch Blu-Ray
Anchor Bay
Available now
    
John Hughes had a few phases in his writing career which began at National Lampoon and the subsequent movies under its banner before becoming the unofficial voice of teenagers. The late ’80s gave way to adult fare such as She’s Having A Baby before his family-friendly scripts of Home Alone and Dennis The Menace flooded the ’90s. 
    
His script for 1991’s Dutch — a Planes, Trains-esque road trip comedy with a bratty kid- is the overlooked bridge between the last two phases of his career.  
    
Ed O’Neill stars as a working class schlub who decides the best way to bond with the spoiled son (Ethan Embry) of his new girlfriend is to drive him from his ritzy private school in Georgia to Thanksgiving dinner in Chicago. Over the long journey, the odd couple naturally bond during comic set pieces that stay true to the Hughes tradition.
    
While Modern Family has since proven O’Neill is more than Al Bundy, at the time, the actor may have had a bigger career if Dutch hadn't failed at the box office.  Heavily disliked in its initial release, Dutch has gained a loyal group of fans over the years  who appreciate the movie chiefly due to O’Neill’s charismatic performance.
 
2.5 stars
Hawaii Five-O: The Final Season
Paramount
Available now
    
Time will tell if the current version of this Hawaii-set detective drama will last 12 years as it predecessor did. In this 1979-80 season, actors William Smith and Sharon Farrell were recruited to make up for the loss of Chin Ho and the infamous Danno after James McArthur and Kam Fong Chun left the cast.
    
By this time, the show was treading water, and it’s only Smith and his commanding presence as an ex-cop who comes to the 50th state seeking the killer of his wife and son that provide the occasional spark to some rather dull episodes. 
    
The series finale, however, provides a satisfying conclusion to Steve McGarrett’s (Jack Lord) frequent battles with his arch nemesis Wo Fat, who made his first appearance in the pilot way back in 1968. 
    
While celebrity guest appearances are few in this five disc set, a very young Jeff Daniels makes his onscreen debut as a college student trying to rob a museum with the help of a remote control plane.
    
With a vintage TV spot and a useless remix video of the famous theme tune, this season is for die hard fans only.
 
Upcoming Releases
   
Jan. 24 — Real Steel; 50/50; Restless; Paranormal Activity 3; Annie Hall: Blu-ray.

    
Amanda Stefaniuk is a freelance writer who literally grew up in a video store.