The next Game of Thrones may have just arrived on streaming. Starring Game of Thrones breakout star Jason Momoa, the new Apple TV+ series Chief of War is Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. The show, which premiered on the platform on August 1st, has an impressive 89% Tomatometer score, the scale that measures critics’ response to a project. Though Chief of War trades Game of Thrones‘s fantasy setting for historic Hawai’i, the show still possesses many of the aspects that made Game of Thrones a television phenomenon — complex characters, warring kingdoms, and vivid, breathtaking visuals.
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Set in the late 18th century, the official description for Chief of War reads, “Hawaii’s four kingdoms are divided by war; to prevent further bloodshed, a Hawaiian war chief embarks on a mission to unite his people as an existential threat approaches their shores.” The threat is European colonization. Momoa co-created the series and stars as the war chief Ka’iana. The first two episodes not only shed light on an under-explored period of American history, but also makes for a vastly entertaining war epic.
Chief of War also reunites Momoa with frequent collaborator and Boba Fett himself, Temuera Morrison. The two have shared the screen before in Momoa’s previous series Frontier as well as played father and son in the now retired Aquaman franchise in the DC Extended Universe. This time, Morrison plays King Kahekili, a superior to Momoa’s Ka’iana.
Critics Praise Momoa’s Performance, Authenticity in Chief of War
For a subtitle-heavy historical epic, the critic’s reviews have been overwhelmingly positive for Chief of War. According to Nina Metz of the Chicago Tribune, “none of [the show] would work without Momoa’s considerable screen presence” in the series that the actor, a native of Hawai’i, has called his passion project. The Wrap‘s Adam Davidson claims “Momoa and [co-creator] Thomas Pa’a Sibbett have got something special on their hands” with Chief of War.
Kelly Lawler of USA Today adds, “Filmed with a nearly all-Polynesian cast and often told in the Hawaiian language, the series is transportive, immersive and enlightening – the prettiest and bloodiest history lesson you’ll get all year.”
However, the adherence to the Hawaiian language seems to pose a barrier to entry for some. Though the critics have given Chief of War a respectable 89% on Rotten Tomatoes, the audience score is considerably lower, currently clocking in at 74%. The viewers’ main complaint? The abundance of subtitles.
“It’s just too hard on my eyes to read subtitles for the entire series,” wrote user Jeff V.
The subtitles issue may lessen as the series goes on with the arrival of the European colonizers. Therefore, for those able to stick with it, Chief of War seems to hold enough promise to be the next great epic on TV. Momoa’s star power is in full effect on full blast in the series, paving the way for Chief of War to soar past its initial stumbling blocks.
The first two episodes of Chief of War are currently streaming on AppleTV+. New episodes will premiere weekly on the platform through September 19th.
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