The Book of Boba Fett must feel like a cherished Christmas present, for all the Star Wars nerds, as the mysterious bounty hunter, who has only returned for limited screentime in various other franchise projects has eventually graced our screens as the invincible crime lord.
Boba Fett, the mysterious bounty hunter, emerged as one the most unexpected fan favourites from the original Star Wars Trilogy. Even after being unceremoniously dispatched in ‘Return of the Jedi’ (1983, he eventually got his own backstory in the prequels. The beloved bounty hunter managed to stay relevant despite his limited screentime over the years, subsequently showing up in season two of ‘The Mandalorian’ last year.
After years of rumors of a solo film, Boba Fett is finally taking center stage in his own spinoff series, The Book of Boba Fett.
Checkout the trailer of The Book og Boba Fett here:
Boba Fett’s (Temuera Morrison) conventional return has set the mood for the most-awaited answers that has been bugging the audience ever since season two of The Mandalorian was televised, where Fett falls down into a Sarlacc Pitt.
‘The Book of Boba Fett’ addresses this by actually showing how the bounty hunter, played by Temuera Morrison, handled that situation. Emerging battered, scarred and substantially weakened, Boba’s armour is stripped off and later taken prisoner by Tusken raiders. The episode moves forward to the present, where Fennec Shand (Ming-Na Wen) ushers him as the next daimyo, or underworld don, after Jabba the Hutt. Various clan leaders and dignitaries pay him tribute with tokens of appreciation, barring one from a mayor who expects payment from Boba instead. Fennec offers to kill the man, but Boba refrains. He reiterates that he doesn’t wish to rule with fear but rather gain people’s respect, which shares a similar thread with the Mandalorian code. He even employs two Gamorrean henchmen who served Jabba and Bib Fortuna, ignoring Fennec’s warnings. Taking a different stance from his underworld predecessors is a risky choice. We soon get a glimpse of what this means when Fennec and Boba are ambushed by assassins in broad daylight at the marketplace. After an exciting, free-running rooftop chase, Fennec manages to apprehend one of them.
The episode closes by focusing more on Boba’s relationship with the Tuskens – a curious approach. But show creators Jon Favreau, Dave Filoni and Robert Rodriguez (who also directed this episode) have previously demonstrated their deep understanding of Star Wars lore. Although ‘Chapter 1: Stranger in a Strange Land’ looks great with fantastic practical+CGI effects and production design, the story isn’t as gripping or intense as one would expect it to be.
At just over 30 minutes long, the first episode isn’t the sort of supersized season premiere that Jon Favreau (who serves as creator and head writer) directed over on The Mandalorian a couple of years ago. Both in visual scale and narrative heft, Stranger in a Strange Land is curiously contained. Not much happens, and those expecting a Baby Yoda-level twist will be sorely disappointed.
What is Boba Fett actually doing here? Tatooine isn’t a particularly fun place to live. Why does Fett, the galaxy’s most infamous bounty hunter, want to fill Jabba’s shoes and be a mob boss on a backwater desert? Is it just about the money? A cozier retirement plan than chasing down ne’er-do-wells? Some pity for the poor moisture farmers suffering under Jabba’s empire’s boot? The episode doesn’t answer any such questions. We don’t get to know what Boba actually cares about, other than looking like a badass .
Boba Fett has had a reputation for decades as one of Star Wars’ coolest-looking characters. But if The Book of Boba Fett is going to succeed, it needs to do more than talk and let us learn more about the man inside the armor.
Stranger in a Strange Land doesn’t leave you with much to hold on to—either emotionally or thematically. The bar has been raised by The Mandalorian, and The Book of Boba Fett will need to radically reinvent itself, unless it wants to be left for dead in the middle of a pop-culture desert.
Also Read: Star Wars Eclipse: Release Date Leaked!
