Latest news with #ChiefOfWar
The Guardian
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Chief of War review – Jason Momoa is an underwater shark wrestler in this gory historical epic
There is, probably literally, only one man who could have done it. Whatever claims Hollywood likes to make for itself regarding meritocracy and diversity, only Jason Momoa has the Hawaiian heritage and the commercial clout needed (via such roles as Khal Drogo in Game of Thrones and various outings as Aquaman in the Marvel Cinematic Universe) to get an endeavour like Chief of War on to our screens. Momoa co-created with Thomas Pa'a Sibbitt the nine-part historical drama, co-wrote every episode, executive produces and stars as the protagonist Ka'iana, a Native Hawaiian warrior who would become instrumental in the fight to unify the four Hawaiian kingdoms at the turn of the 18th century. It opens with lingering shots of O'ahu, Maui, Kaua'i and Hawai'i, each island so spectacularly beautiful, so inviting, so intriguingly different from anywhere else and so lovingly captured by director Justin Chon that it all begins to take on a vaguely hallucinatory quality. Fortunately, Momoa's buttocks soon make an appearance and, though hardly less impressive than a volcanic island, their familiarity helpfully grounds us. Chief of War may be a passion project, but it still needs someone helming it who knows his assets and is willing to deploy them in the service of bringing lesser known historical events to the masses. Thus our introduction to the phenomenon of Ka'iana is him diving off a boat to wrestle a shark before killing it, after the appropriate rituals, for his people to eat. No sooner has he done this, however, than he is summoned to attend the leader of the kingdom of Maui, Kahekili (Temuera Morrison), whom he once served before becoming disillusioned by the chief's lavishly bloodthirsty ways. Many of Kahekili's men consider him a deserter and want him dead ('I would feed your heart to the pigs' says his second-in-command). This animosity sparks the first of many action sequences as Maui's top spear expert starts throwing the things at him as he approaches the chief, until Ka'iana puts a stop to this nonsense by catching one in his mighty fist and pushing it through a meaty fold of his attacker's flesh. This is about the least gory of the frequent fight and battle scenes, which are there to punctuate and leaven the complicated history that is being imparted elsewhere with a ponderousness that is perhaps inescapable in any passion project. Kahekili apologises for his previous bloodthirsty ways and Ka'iana agrees to come back for one last job – defending the islands from O'ahu, which has mustered a large army and is bent on conquest. Oh, Ka'iana. Never go back to your toxic ex-chief. He'll only exploit your strategic, tactical and muscular talents to slaughter an entire civilian population and take an island for himself. You must know this. The massacre at O'ahu (after which Kahekili builds a tower from the skulls and bones of the dead – not a subtle man) sets up the series of events that will see Ka'iana separated from his family and on board a ship full of post-Cook explorers, learning English, getting familiar with firearms and garnering the kind of knowledge that will make him even more valuable to chiefs trying to unite the islands in the face of approaching colonisation. Chief of War is a dense business. The story is so unfamiliar that, even allowing for the battle scenes, it could have done with a little more unpacking. The script rarely moves beyond the 'perfectly serviceable' range and too many of the actors have little more to do than scowl and growl (the men) or play the feisty-but-loving beauties that pass for well-rounded female characters these days. But perhaps to ask for more is to ask for too much. This is the first time the history of Ka'iana and the islands he hailed from has been told for a mainstream audience. It has a mountain to climb and it handles its heavy baggage pretty well. Momoa plays to his strengths – which, yes, include his bum, but also his air of intelligent integrity and, for all his mountainous muscularity, a stubborn gentleness that makes him credible as a reluctant warrior. It is a worthy endeavour, and if it occasionally feels too much like that, it does relax and gain confidence as it proceeds. And it will be thanks to Momoa that we can look forward to other, perhaps even better, ones in the future. Chief of War is on Apple TV+
Irish Times
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, Apple TV+: 10 of the best new shows to stream in August
Chief of War From Friday, August 1st, Apple TV+ Jason Momoa is the star, writer and executive producer of this series telling the turbulent story of the Polynesian kingdom of Hawai'i in the late 18th century. This is a passion project for Momoa, who has Hawaiian heritage. The story, based on historic events, is told from the perspective of indigenous people as they face colonisation by western armies and are forced to unite to protect their culture and heritage. Momoa stars as the warrior Ka'iana, who sets out to bring the warring factions of Hawai'i together so they can defend themselves against the white marauders, with a mostly Polynesian supporting cast. Jenna Ortega as Wednesday in season 2 of the eponymous series. Photograph: Jonathan Hession/Netflix Wednesday From Wednesday, August 6th, Netflix From the moment Jenna Ortega did her awkward zombie/corpse/skeleton/whatever dance in the first series of Wednesday, Netflix had a hit on its hands, and fans are eagerly awaiting the second series – particularly Irish fans, as this series was filmed in Ireland. Tim Burton is in the director's crypt once again, and Ortega returns as ubermoody Gen-Zer Wednesday Addams, with Catherine Zeta-Jones and Luis Guzmán as her parents, Morticia and Gomez Addams. Wednesday is starting another term with her fellow outcasts at Nevermore Academy, and she faces a chilling new mystery to solve, and new threats to neutralise, including a serial killer who is under the delusion that Wednesday is his next victim. This year the school has a gung-ho new principal, Dort ( Steve Buscemi ), who's on a mission to make Nevermore great again. Other star additions include Joanna Lumley as Wednesday's flamboyant, formidable grandmama, Hester Frump, Billie Piper as Nevermore's head of music, Isadora Capri, and Lady Gaga as the 'mysterious and enigmatic' Rosaline Rotwood. Platonic From Wednesday, August 6th, Apple TV+ Will and Sylvia are made for each other: they've got the chemistry, the almost-psychic bond and an uncanny ability to spark mayhem whenever they meet up. No surprise to learn that they're not actually a couple, although, to all intents and purposes, they may as well be. Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne return as the two best friends trying to navigate their way through one midlife crisis after another, and doing their best to support each other through relationship ups and downs, and numerous disasters at home, work and weddings, not to mention on the golf course. Alien: Earth From Wednesday, August 13th, Disney+ It's 2120, and the world is ruled by just five big corporations. So no change there. But at least artificial intelligence has come on a bit, and humans now share the planet with synthetics, which is to say humanoid robots fitted with AI, and cyborgs, or humans with lots of mechanical parts added in. And the world is on the verge of another breakthrough: a new tech that allows robots to be fitted with human consciousness. Wendy (Sydney Chandler) is the prototype of this new hybrid species, but when a deep-space research vessel crash-lands on Earth, letting loose species collected on its travels, it doesn't matter whether you're human, synthetic or hybrid: you're bound to have some nasty things gripping your face and bursting out of your chest. This new show – the first TV series in the Alien franchise – is created by Noah Hawley, with original Alien director Ridley Scott in the executive producer's chair. While the Alien films long ago lost all sense of cohesion, here's a chance to reset the dial and get back to sci-fi horror basics: humans (and cyborgs, synthetics and hybrids) battling to stop the xenomorphs before they kill everybody on the planet. READ MORE Love Is Blind: UK From Wednesday, August 13th, Netflix How far would you go to win the grand prize in a reality dating show? Snog? Have it off in the hot tub? How about marrying someone before you've even seen what they look like? This is the challenge facing the singletons in this second series of the UK version of the hit TV series. They'll spend 10 days in their own pods, where they'll be able to chat to each other via speaker, but the only visual they'll get is a sort of blurry outline through a blue translucent barrier. They'll have to rely on their lively personalities and scintillating conversation to attract a potential partner. So it's basically Blind Date retooled for millennials. To meet your beau or belle face to face, though, you'll have to propose marriage. The betrothed couples will then move in together, to plan their wedding – and find out if they actually fancy each other. The final stage is the wedding day: will they go through with it or chicken out before going up the aisle? The hosts are the husband-and-wife duo of Matt and Emma Willis, who I believe actually clapped eyes on each other before they got hitched. Reina Hardesty and Daniel Dae Kim in Butterfly. Photograph: Juhan Noh/Prime Video/© Amazon Content Services LLC Butterfly From Wednesday, August 13th, Prime Video David Jung is a former US intelligence operative who now lives in South Korea. No surprise to find that his retirement is shattered by the arrival of a ruthless young assassin, Rebecca, who is working for a mysterious espionage organisation named Caddis, and is assigned to kill him for something he did in the past. And even less surprise when he learns that the assassin is actually his daughter, who he hasn't seen for years and who thought her dad was long dead. 'I can't let you live the same life I left behind,' Jung tells Rebecca, unsurprisingly. And absolutely zero surprise to see that father and daughter now have to team up and try to get along in order to come out of this spy caper alive. Daniel Dae Kim stars as Jung, with Reina Hardesty as Rebecca. Limitless: Live Better Now From Friday, August 15th, Disney+ The actor Chris Hemsworth resumes his quest for the holy grail of healthy, happy, holistic living in this second series for National Geographic, and this time he's taking on some head-spinning challenges, including scaling a 180 metre climbing wall in the Swiss Alps, being electrocuted and pepper-sprayed as part of special-forces training, and learning to play the drums in time to perform with Ed Sheeran in front of 70,000 screaming fans. Hemsworth enlists help from an army of experts, including the cognitive scientist Dr Maya Shankar, the free-solo climber Steph Davis, the MMA fighter Kim Dong-hyun and the drummer Ben Gordon. Hostage From Thursday, August 21st, Netflix The brilliant Suranne Jones makes her Netflix debut in this explosive political thriller, in which she plays British prime minister Abigail Dalton, with Julie Delpy as the visiting French president, Vivienne Toussaint. Abigail prides herself on her toughness and refusal to negotiate with or give in to terrorists, but her resolve is put to the ultimate test when her husband is abducted and the price for saving his life is that she step down as PM. With Abigail facing an impossible choice, and Vivienne facing a blackmail plot, both leaders must find common ground if they are to deal with this threat to country and family. Invasion From Friday, August 22nd, Apple TV+ While waiting for the next episodes of Alien: Earth, why not catch up with this Apple+ series featuring more fast-moving alien horrors with flesh-shredding appendages that seem to go everywhere? But never mind them: this is 'character driven' sci-fi, so we're supposed to focus more on the interpersonal relationships and emotional arcs of the characters than on the 'Look out! It's behind you!' moments. So far we've watched the invasion through a number of perspectives in different parts of the globe. Season three sees the main characters converge with one goal in mind: to get inside the alien mothership and blast these bugs into oblivion. The Terminal List: Dark Wolf From Wednesday, August 27th, Prime Video The action-drama series The Terminal List, starring Chris Pratt and Taylor Kitsch as the US navy Seals James Reece and Ben Edwards, was a big hit for Prime Video in 2022, and the streamer is hoping that lightning strikes again with this prequel series. The first season was a revenge tale, as Reece uncovered a huge conspiracy following the murder of his family; this season the focus shifts to Reece's fellow Seal Edwards, telling his violent, explosive origin story. Pratt will still be in it, but this one mostly follows Edwards as he becomes immersed in ever more clandestine missions with the CIA's special operations, and is pulled into the darker, deadlier side of espionage.
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Chief of War' Review: Jason Momoa Turns Hawaiian Folklore Into an Ambitious TV Epic That Rivals ‘Game of Thrones'
Momoa and co-creator Thomas Pa'a Sibbett craft an Apple TV+ drama that's equal parts action-packed and illuminating Ten years in the making, Jason Momoa and Thomas Pa'a Sibbett bring their passion project to life with the visually stunning, action-packed and culturally significant series, 'Chief of War.' The Apple TV+ drama tells the story of the unification and colonization of Hawaii at the turn of the 18th century from an indigenous perspective. It's undoubtedly one of the most ambitious series in recent memory, as it takes a heavy and delicate subject matter but manages to make it action-packed and informative in equal measures, which can be a tough line to tow. I knew very little, if anything, about the history of Hawaii. However, after watching 'Chief of War,' I felt inspired to research the various real-life figures and what happened to them after the events of the 10-episode series. More from TheWrap 'Chief of War' Review: Jason Momoa Turns Hawaiian Folklore Into an Ambitious TV Epic That Rivals 'Game of Thrones' Richard Quest Burns Scott Jennings on CNN Over Trump Tariffs Spat, Says He's Not a Real Journalist | Video Warner Bros. Sets Post-Split Multiyear Contracts With JB Perrette and Bruce Campbell Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne Explain Why Hollywood Doesn't Delve Into 'Platonic' Relationships That Often The importance of 'Chief of War' stretches beyond entertainment as it gives native Hawaiians a platform to reclaim their history and tell the story of their people by bringing it to a mainstream audience. This is a big responsibility for Momoa and the cast and crew to ensure authenticity, which they achieve with cultural advisors in every production department. Also, even the inclusion of Hawaiian language dialogue was a culturally-significant moment as the language almost became extinct after it was banned from being taught in Hawaiian schools in 1896. Now, millions of people get to hear the language take center stage on one of the biggest shows of 2025. Beyond the cultural impact, 'Chief of War' is also a bloody entertaining TV show that boasts incredible performances from its cast. This could be a bold claim, but the show will be the making of Luciane Buchanan. The New Zealand actress has already made waves with Netflix's 'The Night Agent,' but her star-turning performance as Ka'ahumanu is a game-changer. In playing the queen consort and one of Kamehameha I's wives, Buchanan brings emotionality and pathos as her character must balance prophecy and tradition with the changing landscape of the modern world and the evil forces that threaten it. Another stellar performance was by the mohawk-sporting Cliff Curtis, who was impeccable as Keōua. The New Zealander's performance added a real gruesome edge to the show, portraying Keōua like a Marvel villain in the way that he seemed an indestructible threat to the protagonists and their way of life. Though the character could have benefited from more scenes exploring the reasons for his madness. Perhaps the greatest character of 'Chief of War' was the Polynesian islands with wide sweeping shots of filming locations in New Zealand and Hawaii, adding real drama and surreal beauty to the drama. Not even the bloody battles and violence could stop this from being a great advertisement to hop on a plane and take in the incredible sights that the islands have to offer. It could be the New Zealand backdrop and violent battles that are clouding my judgment, but it felt like 'Chief of War' took heavy inspiration from 'Lord of the Rings.' And just like the Tolkien stories, 'Chief of War' thrived when it leant into the mystical and fantastical. The old world superstitions and beliefs of the native Hawaiians were represented hauntingly by the Prophetess. While it's hard to strike the balance between being an authentic representation of history and an entertaining show, I would have loved to see more of the surrealist moments, as that created such a unique atmosphere within the show. And just like 'Lord of the Rings,' 'Chief of War' knows exactly how to produce an epic battle scene that had the audience on the edge of their seats with high-octane action. Without giving much away, the final battle sequence was the perfect climax to a dramatic and well-crafted series. It was fast-paced, exhilarating and ultra-violent — the image of Momoa ripping someone's tongue out of their throat and biting it comes to mind. 'Chief of War' writer and lead star Momoa made his big Hollywood breakthrough on 'Game of Thrones,' and comparisons have already been made between the two shows as the audience are taken on an epic adventure to different lands, minus the fire-breathing dragons. Whilst I can't see the upcoming Apple TV+ show having as big a cultural impact as 'Game of Thrones,' I am incredibly optimistic and excited about the future of 'Chief of War.' There are no confirmed plans for future seasons, but Momoa and Thomas Pa'a Sibbett have got something special on their hands. The promising first season has given them a perfect launching pad to further showcase the rich culture and powerful stories of native Hawaiians that have been waiting to be told. 'Chief of War' premieres Friday, Aug. 1, on Apple TV+. The post 'Chief of War' Review: Jason Momoa Turns Hawaiian Folklore Into an Ambitious TV Epic That Rivals 'Game of Thrones' appeared first on TheWrap.
RNZ News
10 hours ago
- Entertainment
- RNZ News
Chief of War cast hope new series is a 'jumping off point' for audiences to learn about the real Hawai'i
By Seni Iasona , ABC Luciane Buchanan and Jason Momoa in Chief of War.(Supplied: Apple TV+) Photo: Supplied / Apple TV+ Spoken almost entirely in Ōlelo Hawai'i and telling a story of Hawaiian culture, language and history, Chief of War was a first from the moment the script was written. The Apple TV+ drama is set in the late 18th century and is based on true events following warrior Ka'iana as he tries to unify Hawai'i's four major kingdoms before Western colonisation. It is told from an indigenous perspective and features Jason Momoa, Moses Goods, Kaina Makua, Temuera Morrison, Cliff Curtis, Luciane Buchanan, and Te Ao O Hinepinga. Momoa, who also produced and co-wrote the series, said he was "really excited for everybody" to see it. Co-creator, executive producer, writer and Kanaka Maoli Thomas Pa'a Sibbett said the series was "more than just a film" for him and Momoa. "This is our cultural background; it's our heritage; it's the faces of our people," he said. "I think because of that, there's always a search for representation, like where are we? "So for us, it just became something that we just wanted to see, we wanted to experience and let the world experience a little bit of how we see ourselves." Jason first noticed Temuera Morrison in his role played in Once Were Warriors. Photo: Supplied / Apple TV+ The significance isn't lost on Kanaka Maoli cast members Goods and Makua. Goods said his people had been waiting for Hawaiian storytelling for a long time. "We knew it would happen; that a story like this will be told on this level and showcase the language in the way that it does. "It's a jumping off point. It's a starting point for a lot of people to then further their understanding and education of what, of who we are as people." The use of Ōlelo Hawai'i is also significant in that; a dramatic turnaround from previous generations. Goods said it was almost lost in his mother's generation. "As a little girl, she was forbidden by her own parents to speak our language. They tried to get rid of our language but didn't succeed," he said. "Now it's being showcased to the entire world, and they're going to see that our language, our culture, is very much alive and well." Momoa hopes Chief of War raises the bar in Hawaiian story telling. Photo: Supplied / Apple TV+ Morrison said he was humbled to share the journey with the show's creators and other actors. "It's something quite significant, something quite monumental, we're bringing Hawaiian language to the fore," he said. Curtis agreed, saying indigenous cultural storytelling was vital because "to a large degree [they've] been erased from history". "But we're still alive, we're still here. Thousands of years later, we can connect our Māori heritage with the Hawaiian heritage," he said. "We're all struggling with the same things, are we? Even today, geopolitically, nations in the world are struggling with the idea of colonisers, oppression. How do we find our boundaries as a nation? "Should we have a right to exist as indigenous cultures? Or should we be homogenised, and have our language stripped from us and only speak one language? I mean, these are the great struggles of us in contemporary times." Cliff Curtis as Keoua in Chief of War. Photo: Supplied / Apple TV+ -ABC
New York Times
16 hours ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
‘Chief of War' Review: Battleground Hawaii
Nearly everything written about 'Chief of War' — the new series set in 18th-century Hawaii for which the Honolulu-born Jason Momoa was a creator, writer, director and star — has referred to the show as a passion project. And for about four minutes, at the show's beginning, it feels like one. The camera glides along brilliant blue water, trailing a skeletal catamaran. We hear wind, waves and the slap of paddles. Momoa towers over the paddlers, seemingly too big for the boat, before hurling himself into the water. Then — using a rope and a few flasks of numbing kava — he single-handedly catches a shark. It's a lovely and disarming scene, one that makes clever use of Momoa's hulking physique against the dramatic backdrops of land and sea. And there isn't another scene like it in the season's nine episodes (the first two of which premiere Friday on Apple TV+). There are moments of impressive violence and satisfying melodrama. But what starts like a passion project settles into work as usual. Momoa, who created the show with Thomas Paʻa Sibbett and wrote it with Sibbett and Doug Jung, plays Ka'iana, a member of one of many royal families at a time when each Hawaiian island was its own kingdom. 'Chief of War' takes place at the start of a period in the late 1700s when a series of conflicts led to the unification of the islands under a single king, and when increasing numbers of European and American ships began arriving. The show comes into its premiere carrying a seal of approval as the rare production to portray Hawaiian history from a native Hawaiian viewpoint, using the Hawaiian language (along with a fair bit of English). That responsibility may account for the solemnity that marks the storytelling; the show's fealty to the history is at the typical television-drama level, however. It is stuffed with people, like Ka'iana, who existed and with events that took place, but the story that is spun from them is largely fanciful. Timelines and relationships are juggled and fictionalized in the service of creating love stories, compressing and juicing up the course of war, and sharpening the depredations of the incipient colonists (referred to here as the paleskins). Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
