Thanks to the success of The Mandalorian, that section of the Star Wars universe is set to grow. Building upon the prequels, Boba Fett is expanded further during the latter part of his life. A direct companion piece to The Mandalorian Season 2, the series follows Fett once after escaping the Sarlacc Pit. Not content with just looking back, the series also follows Fett and partner-in-crime Fennec Shand as they rule over Mos Espa. With the same creative team and production value as The Mandalorian, the show had plenty of potential and high expectations among fans.
With Boba Fett’s personality change after Return of the Jedi, there was room for a new direction. However, his character feels somewhat lackluster, and his fair leadership as a crime lord is questionable. Despite that, Boba Fett is still a compelling lead, with Temura Morrison doing his best despite the problems with his character. Fett in the flashback scenes has some emotional appeal and does its best to justify the character change in the present. Fennec Shand is still the same character as before, though she’s more willing to do the dirty work that Fett avoids. The Pyke syndicate serves its villainous purpose but lacks the emotional weight of being a threat, despite the flashbacks attempting to build up their villainy. Cad Bane notably makes his live-action debut, even if he doesn’t have too much screen time. Krrsantan makes the leap from the comic pages to the screen with an intimidating and fierce presence. Among the cast is the mayor’s majordomo, as his lighthearted personality leads to welcome moments of levity. There are also the teen cyborgs, who are tolerable with creative and cliche elements. The characters that get the most amount of development are the Tusken Raiders, as this show fully fleshes out their culture. The Tusken Raiders have come a long way to become well-established with sympathetic value instead of savages.
In a weird turn of events, two of the seven episodes star Din Djarin. Both episodes serve the purpose of inlcuding the character in the main story. The two Mando-centric episodes feel on par with The Mandalorian‘s two seasons. However, their presence detracts from the main plot despite the superior quality of the two episodes. At the very least, the latter episode makes an effort to connect itself to the main story. While some may argue the reunion of Grogu and Mando is too soon, the set of events that lead to the sequel trilogy offsets the quick turnaround time. Mando is just as great as ever, with his handling of the darksaber leading to some great action scenes. Grogu continues his reign of cuteness with some training in the Force. Characters from the show such as Peli Motto and Cobb Vanth are welcome returns, with their presence adding to the world-building. The directing efforts of the two episodes blow the other five episodes out of the water.
In comparison to The Mandalorian, Robert Rodriguez’s influence is notable as one of the executive producers. The storytelling and direction are notably inconsistent, though it isn’t difficult to see what Favreau, Filoni, and Rodriguez were aiming towards. However, the execution somewhat missed the mark, and there’s a lack of emotional build-up towards the epic finale. The balance of flashbacks and scenes set in the present feels uneven and hampers the emotional build-up. A notable “so bad, it’s good” moment is the now-infamous speeder bike chase among the cyborg teens and majordomo. The former scene, along with elements such as the cyborg teens, makes it clear that Rodriguez was behind those creative choices. However, his bombastic direction works to the advantage of the finale, even if the pacing feels off. The flashback scenes serve their purpose, with some of the best emotional moments stemming from these scenes. There’s also a problem with the storytelling when the detour story makes for a more engaging experience than the main story. Even with the flaws in the execution, the overall show is entertaining enough to watch until the very end. In terms of world-building, the show serves its purpose to expand upon some missing gaps in the Star Wars timeline.
For the most part, the production value is on-par with other Star Wars projects, but some aspects suffer due to the directing. There are some fantastic action set pieces, such as the attack on the Pykes’ train in the second episode. However, it is juxtaposed to poorly-directed action scenes, such as the close-combat fighting in the first episode. In terms of music, the show’s theme is on-par with The Mandalorian‘s theme, along with the rest of the score. The sets remain faithful to the various parts of Tatooine as previously established in other parts of Star Wars.
Overall, The Book of Boba Fett expands upon a beloved character in a way only Robert Rodriguez could, for better or for worse. The storytelling is uneven but sets up a new chapter for a character in a direction that’s up for debate. Most of the other characters don’t have much development but make their own level of impact. A unique viewing experience is formed from the combination of good and bad elements. While detrimental to an extent, the detour into continuing Din Djarin’s story was welcome and elevates the overall world-building. Hopefully, there’s a takeaway of what elements did and didn’t work from this show for the forthcoming spinoffs.
SCORE: 7/10
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