Review of Acapulco H.E.A.T.

"Acapulco H.E.A.T" (the first season, 1993-94) is a pleasant but not enormously exciting action show which could perhaps be described as a cross between "Mission: Impossible" and "Baywatch". The locations are attractive, the music is catchy, and the large cast is very likable (Catherine Oxenberg is a total sweetheart). Every character contributes something and they work well together (Brendan Kelly does take some getting used to, however, as he looks more like Al Bundy than the suave super-spy he's supposed to be!). The problem is that most of the episodes are rather slow-moving, with only about 5 out of their 42 minutes dedicated to real action. And when the action does come, it's rarely memorable (Michael Worth is easily the best of the bunch in that department). The villains aren't anything special, either; the show tries to have a recurring one, an assassin called Strake, but he stands only just a notch above the rest. "Acapulco H.EA.T" had a second season in 1998-99, with a largely different (and smaller) cast, which shared most of the same strengths and weaknesses. You can grab them both on DVD for a cheap and fair price. ** out of 4.