‘Chief of War’ review: Jason Momoa’s historical epic is more than just its big battle scenes

When you call a series Chief of War, you’re setting an expectation for jaw-dropping battle sequences and wartime chaos. It’s unsurprising, then, that Apple TV+’s new historical epic carries those in spades — and boy, do they deliver. From a horrifying beach invasion to an unforgettable volcanic showdown, Chief of War delivers enough adrenaline-fueled fight scenes to make you feel like you can run through a wall or two.

Yet for as much as those battles stuck with me — and granted, I’m a sucker for epic battles — it’s Chief of War‘s lulls between storms that wound up sticking with me the most. Here, the series tells a tale about the corrupting power of prophecy, and about the compromises people make in order to ensure their survival. These themes undoubtedly heighten the stakes of Chief of War‘s spectacular battles, although they occasionally risk being drowned out by the spectacles themselves.