01-08-2025
Jason Momoa's new drama will have you googling, ‘Did Hawaiians ride sharks?'
Swept Away with Madonna. Battlefield Earth with John Travolta. Actors' passion projects should be approached with caution, because they're often turkeys. Thankfully, Jason Momoa's Chief of War (Apple TV+) is not in this category, although it is trying to appeal to two quite distinct markets: people with an interest in the unification of the Hawaiian islands in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, and people who want to watch the Game of Thrones/DC Comics man-mountain hitching an underwater ride on a shark he has just lassoed.
The shark scene is the opener and is far more cartoonish than the action that follows, although Google, 'Did Hawaiians ride sharks?' and the internet will tell you that they did, actually. It's a meaty historical epic bearing similarities to Disney's Shōgun: political intrigue, violence, exotic locations and a brooding hero. There is a lot of dialogue, most of it (all of it in the first two episodes) in the Hawaiian language, as characters scheme and discuss ancient prophecies.
It is punctuated at regular intervals by vividly shot battle scenes, all of which involve Momoa fending off attackers with an almost superhuman level of skill: throw spears at him, and he simply catches them and chucks them over his shoulder before pummelling the spear-thrower into submission. One of the most common sound effects, if you watch this with the subtitles on, is 'bones crunch'.
Hawaiian-born Momoa spent 10 years creating the series with Thomas Pa'a Sibbett, the writer and producer – we'll take it on trust that the series is well-researched. The striking costumes are historically accurate – Hawaiian warriors favoured buttock-baring loincloths and the kind of feathered capes that would have looked great on Tina Turner – and the cast is predominantly Polynesian. They include Temuera Morrison and Cliff Curtis, who made their breakthroughs in cult New Zealand film Once Were Warriors and have since developed solid Hollywood careers. The stirring score is provided by Hans Zimmer. The cinematography makes Hawaii look heavenly.
The main characters are all real figures from history. Momoa plays Ka'iana, a warrior of noble lineage who just wants to live in peace but gets drawn into war between Hawaii's four kingdoms and is soon machete-ing people in the head with gusto. From episode three onwards, the action becomes more international as Ka'iana sets sail with Captain John Meares on a ship bound for Alaska. Meanwhile, British sailor John Young is left behind during an expedition to one of the islands and becomes an adviser to the king. These parallel storylines introduce some English dialogue to the episodes, and also lead to Momoa adopting the Western custom of wearing trousers.
It's a big canvas, but the focus remains firmly on the star. John Meares wrote of Ka'iana in 1788: 'He was nearly 6ft 5in in stature, and the muscular form of his limbs was of an Herculean appearance.' Momoa is a suitably gargantuan presence, but also has a charisma that makes his scenes sizzle and the other scenes fizzle.
The narrative is also a little hard-going because half the names begin with 'K' – obviously this is historically and culturally appropriate, but as you're just becoming acquainted with the characters it's hard to keep track of who is who when they're called Kamehameha, Kahekili, Keoua, Kupule, Kalani'opu'u, Kupuohi and Ka'ahumanu. And the storyline sags when it turns to romance or familial woes – it's far better when concentrating on the action.
