MLGG: Pop Culture News, Reviews and Interviews

With the assassination attempt on Fett having failed, news reaches the newly installed crime lord that certain citizens don’t respect his rule. Venturing out into the streets to confront the issue directly, he handles the situation in a uniquely pragmatic way – which turns out to be a very wise decision. Meanwhile, Fett’s recent past still haunts his Bacta-infused sleep, with an escalation of the situation between the Tuskens he’s sought to assist and the vicious swoop gang he’s taken on, with tragic consequences.

There’s a lot to like about this episode; it’s as well produced and acted as you’d expect from the Disney Plus output we’ve seen thus far and the action – along with the special effects – gives The Book of Boba Fett a remarkably big budget sheen. For the most part, it really wouldn’t look out of place on the big screen.

Krrsantan’s name finally spoken out loud is something that’s very exciting for fans of Star Wars comics, though the way he’s dealt with perhaps does present some continuity snags for the fans who’ve really paid attention to the Wookiee bounty hunter’s history with Fett – it’s a minor issue for the most part, but there’s no recognition between the two of them that they’ve met before, let alone worked together, as has been the case on the page. One thing that is apparent though: the big scene he appears in here is absolutely phenomenal and really drives home just how powerful he is.

All told though, despite impressive action scenes, the episode is a bit of a meandering mess that doesn’t really go anywhere. It’s still fun, but it still feels like we’re building to something without any ground of particular note being covered. There’s an extended chase sequence through the streets of Mos Espa that’s stuffed with so many daft clichés, including the old ‘painting being carried across the road’ and ‘market stalls to crash into’ tropes that it just has to be a joke, though it completely undermines the tone of the sequence. The significant reduction in the flashbacks this time around is welcome, but we’re left with a plot point that’s introduced and just forgotten about.

There was a time when having any new Star Wars material was lapped up, almost regardless of the quality. It was just great to spend more time in the universe. The drought – punctuated only by two terrible Ewok movies in the post-1983, post-Return of the Jedi world – felt like it lasted for a very long time (and yes, I am aware that Marvel’s Star Wars comics ran until 1987 – but they were extremely difficult to get hold of in the UK), with Timothy Zahn’s Heir to the Empire in 1991 truly kicking off the expanded universe renaissance that continued with Dark Horse Comics picking up the license and doing great work with Dark Empire. Boba Fett was revealed to have survived the Sarlacc in Dark Empire too, but that continuity has long since been deemed non-canon.

I guess it’s a case of being careful what you wish for. Though it’s not bad by any stretch of the imagination, it just feels as if there’s not much story to be told in The Book of Boba Fett at this point. He’s always worked best as an enigma; the flashbacks casting him in a more heroic light and even the ‘present day’ scenes – which reveal him to be more benevolent in nature – feel like awkward attempts to reposition the character, almost as a way to justify fan appreciation of the Bounty Hunter. It’s entertaining, but it could perhaps have functioned better as a shorter series or made-for-streaming film. With four episodes left to go, however, there’s still a good chance that the magic will return – as was the case with the finales of each season of The Mandalorian.

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