Review: Book Of Boba Fett
HARRY LEADER, EUGENE, OREGON
With only about seven minutes of screen time and four lines in the original Star Wars trilogy, the character Boba Fett was an instant fan favorite. After first appearing in Empire Strikes Back, Boba Fett had everything fans were asking for: a character that was mysterious, cold, and dangerous
If you are an avid Star Wars fan you are probably familiar with The Book Of Boba Fett. The series is a spin off of the 2019 hit show, The Mandalorian. The Book of Boba Fett centers around Boba Fett, a bounty hunter and villain introduced in the original Star Wars trilogy. Boba Fett did not fail to capture the attention of almost every Star Wars fan. With his amour, jet pack, and flamethrower, Boba is the ultimate badass of the Star Wars universe.
Fans have been asking for the infamous bounty hunter to return the franchise for decades and they have finally gotten their wish.
This series is a love letter to fans of the franchise and opens a new lane to Star Wars. The series is a space western combined with a mafia drama. Boba Fett, played by Temuera Morrison, changes the viewers previous interpretations of the ruthless bounty hunter into a man who is struggling to find his identity while also trying to make his way in the criminal underworld. In the book of boba fett, Boba is no longer just a cold blooded killer, but more of a robin hood character on a journey to seek justice for those wronged by fear mongering crime syndicates. Morrison allows for fans to fall in love with the character Boba Fett even more as they see him portrayed in a completely different light than the original trilogy. One very noticeable trait of Boba is his helmet. In the films he never took it off, however, we get to see the legendary bounty hunters face in this series quite a lot. Bobas choice to walk around without his helmet allows people to finally see him as more human.
Another main character is legendary Assassin, Fennec Shand. Shand is played by Ming-Na Wen. Fans may recognize Wen’s voice from the blockbuster animated film Mulan where she voiced the title role, Fa Mulan. Wen brings a somewhat humorous energy to the cast, often cracking sly comments while still being one of the most deadly characters in the series. Wen’s humor offsets Boba’s serious nature which is similar to other characters in the franchise.The series boasts an all-star production crew with Directors Robert Rodriguez, Bryce Dallas Howard,
Dave Filoni, Kevin Tancharoen, and Seth Green. Rodriguez directed three episodes in the series, with the other directors taking one. Many of these directors were coming off of stellar projects including season 2 of the Mandalorian.
Dave Filoni has been George Lucas’s replacement as the Star Wars Executive Creative Director, so his knowledge of the series is immense. Every detail of this series from costumes to sound seems like it was handcrafted to really set each scene and allow for the viewer to dive into the story. From bringing back characters from previous franchises to epic fight scenes, Filoni and The Book of Boba Fett’s other directors have been delivering memorable moments for fans to enjoy.
On top of great directing, the visual and audio in the Book of Boba Fett is impeccable. Industrial Light and Magic brings back its stunning practical effects used on the Mandalorian which makes vast forest and desert landscapes built on computers look real. In one scene, set in a forest planet, the background is extremely detailed with swaying trees and birds in the distance shown in vivid detail. Lucasfilm and Disney did a great job of creating new planets and landscapes that were truly out of this world. The production budget for Book of Boba Fett was around $15 Million per episode, and it was definitely worth the cost.
Composer Ludwig Göransson delivers a great soundtrack that really sets the tone for scenes throughout the series. From ominous fanfare in tense situations to upbeat dubstep in shootouts, Göransson makes every scene immersive for the viewer. The Stranger , one of Görannsson’s featured tracks, gives a spaghetti western vibe to this space western. By bringing in obscure instruments like a bass recorder, Göransson has created iconic sounds that differentiate The Book of Boba Fett’s music from any other soundtracks.
The Book of Boba Fett does struggle to find an original story within the Star Wars franchise and borrows from its predecessor The Mandalorian a lot. Some fans are upset with the series and think it’s pure filler until The Mandalorian season 3, but Disney’s path for The Book of Boba Fett is one that uses other series to build on a central franchise like The Mandalorian. From the casting, music,and set design the series is a huge step in the right direction for the overall Star Wars franchise.
Boba Fett in a scene from the series