With its new Disney+ show The Book of Boba Fett, the Star Wars universe returns to the small screen - and with a popular ol' character to boot. But was this the smartest idea? Probably not...
Creator: Jon Favreau
Starring: Temuera Morrison, Ming-Na Wen, Pedro Pascal
Series length: 7 episodes
Ever since viewers saw him for the first time in The Star Wars Holiday Special in 1978 and The Empire Strikes Back in 1980, fans have been clamouring for the character to get his own spin-off show, despite the character’s apparent death in 1983’s Return of the Jedi. After his triumphant return in The Mandalorian and a solo series finally announced, fan expectations were high. However, the series is surprisingly light on the type of action the character has had in the past, and the story is an unfocused run-through of flashbacks, villain changes and interludes with other characters to the point where Boba Fett himself is quickly forgotten.
The series begins with an underwhelming opening, weighed down by flashbacks rather than pushing the main narrative forward. It’s a clear origin story for this new iteration of the character – one who speaks more and is frequently seen without his armour. This removes some of the mystique Boba Fett has built up over the years, but doesn’t replace it with much else. The modern day storyline is neglected, save for a poorly thought out action sequence with a new assassin group that is quickly forgotten about.
Chapter two is a massive improvement, striking a much better balance between its origin story and modern day, whilst divulging information on a new enemy. In sequences that are heavily inspired by Lawrence of Arabia, Boba Fett and the Tuskens take on a Pyke Syndicate train, reintroducing the group from Solo: A Star Wars Story. This flashback sequence brings with it the same notions of white-saviorism, but equally it shows Boba fully assimilating to the native Tusken culture, developing them more as a species. It helps show that colonisation is not something that is limited to our world.
Chapter three, however, is an immediate downgrade for the series, and shows the worst sights on Tatooine. No, not Salacious Crumb, but cybernetically-enhanced youths, or “Mods”, riding brightly coloured Vespas. These are not only out of place for the gritty sands of Tatooine, but portrayed poorly, with a poorly-handled speeder chase. Fett is also done dirty in this episode, having to perform a fight in his underwear. In the flashbacks, however, Temuera Morrison effectively communicates with his face alone strong emotions when faced with loss, making for a compelling reason to take the helmet off. The Mandalorian has shown that, with clever editing and voice acting, facial expressions are not always important, but here audiences are reminded of the power faces have.
The Book of Boba Fett feels incomplete, and is missing several pages
Chapter four is a fun bottle episode, as it focuses the vast majority of its runtime in the past, devoting time to showing off Fennec. Her character as a whole has been built upon massively, with her being a cutthroat advisor to Fett, who is stuck in the old ways of previous crime lords, but acts as the brains for Boba Fett’s enterprise. It’s this episode that shows this idea off the most, as the pair raid Bib Fortuna’s castle for Boba Fett’s ship, the Slave 1, which has been renamed the Firespray. The decision by Disney to attract attention to its retconned name is highly hypocritical, as Fett does not hesitate to put the ship back to its devastating use, showing the audience its iconic array of weaponry against pitiful foes.
Chapters five and six serve as fan service as pure as Din’s beskar armour, not only devoting two episodes to the character himself but giving a heaping helping of (Manda)lore, and hints to where The Mandalorian season three will go. Chapter six deserves particular praise, as it draws on many different strands of Star Wars to craft an emotional tale, and introduces another character from the animated series. The episode ends with a beautifully directed scene by Dave Filoni, drawing off the many Western duels. The series as a whole pays homage to the genre, but it is here when that is most clearly felt. The same can be said for the numerous references to other Star Wars media – they all come to a crescendo in the episode.
The finale manages to bring some of the focus back to Boba Fett, though he is still occasionally lost in the crowd of characters. The episode finally starts the war that has threatened Mos Espa for three episodes, showing our heroes being outgunned at every turn. Fett himself however receives pay off with a duel that serves his character in the show but also from an unfinished arc from The Clone Wars. The action is much better, with Boba finally showing off his full range as a fighter. Boba’s interaction with the Rancor is handled less well, as there are no scenes detailing his lessons to ride it. This is a shame, especially after the setup for that was laid out. This is where the prior chapters should have focussed, instead of telling someone else’s story.
The highs come from moments that have little to do with Fett himself, but the lows loom over his scenes
One thing that should be commented on are the effects. Apart from the chase sequence in chapter three, Lucasfilm has only been improving its CGI. This is most evident in chapter six, and is much more pleasing to look at. Ludwig Göransson’s score impresses yet again, being audibly different from his other work. It is still extremely memorable, and proves that the composer is capable of scoring the live action era of Star Wars for many more years to come.
Overall this series is mixed, with the highs coming from moments that have little to do with Fett himself, but the lows loom over his scenes. He has gone soft in his old age, which is unfortunate for a character of his prowess. Boba Fett works better as a side character, where he is more threatening and able to be the badass the audience knows him to be. The Book of Boba Fett feels incomplete, and is missing several pages.
Did you know? Matt Berry, the co-creator of Toast of London and Nottingham Trent University graduate, voices the smelter droid 8D8 in Boba Fett’s court.
The Book of Boba Fett is available on Disney+
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