Why The Book of Boba Fett was Terrible
The Book of Boba Fett was a terrible piece of tripe designed specifically to lure fans into watching with the flashy name of Boba Fett and then crush their hopes and dreams against the sharp rocks of the Disney corporate machine. It is a seven-episode series that began on December 9, 2021, and debuted its finale on the 9th of February.
If you haven’t seen this show, you may now go along your merry way and be glad that I have kept your sanity and happiness intact. Boba Fett is still one of the most iconic and intriguing characters in Star Wars. Star Wars is still a great franchise. Disney cares. However, if you, like me, have already seen this utter travesty, then I want to help soothe your pain by ripping apart this disaster and watching the ashes slowly drift away.
For those who haven’t seen the series, here is a brief and spoiler-free summary of the very “interesting” and “engaging” plotline. Boba Fett sets himself up as a nice crimelord who fights the mean crimelords. We learn how he escaped the Sarlacc pit and how he met Fennec Shand, a deadly sniper assassin who is an admittedly bright spot in the show, even if the writing for her character is poorly done. Also Tuskens. The vilioquous and vivacious plot has been appropriately summarized for your pleasure.
Four Reasons why the Series Failed
The Main Character. I want to start by evaluating the man who should be the star of the show, Boba Fett. This character was played in a 6 out of 10 performance by Temeura Morrison. Morrison was strong during some points during this show, but at other times he seemed too old and rickety for this type of role. He is not the physical picture of a battle-hardened warrior, and his facial expressions are sometimes laughably over the top. I also want to emphasize the phrase “should be” because although his name is in the title, I found him to be so inconsequential that if he had been taken out of the show entirely, it would be essentially unchanged.
Boba Fett is one of the most legendary and revered characters in Star Wars. His relatively blank background possesses so much potential for a talented team of writers to create, yet nothing comes of it. Viewers are treated to a Boba Fett who is a bit tubby, constantly getting beaten in both physical and verbal altercations, and who does almost nothing competent or tactically intelligent during any of the fight scenes. After watching the series, there is no way to argue that this man is one of the most highly skilled warriors ever.
Additionally, he leaves for two whole episodes of the seven-episode show. The last thing I will say about Boba Fett is that his costume design falls far short of what it had the potential to be. They managed to mess up one of the coolest and most iconic outfits in all of cinematic history.
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The Hipster Moped Riders. They were at once both annoying and condescending, lending them an air of unearned moral superiority that would put an average social justice warrior to shame. The way Boba allows them to walk all over him constantly throughout the show is such a pull away from the viewing experience. Their bikes are ridiculous. However, if you don’t care about Star Wars or good storytelling, you might be able to enjoy them as some kind of comedic relief.
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The fight scenes were choreographed by Jon Favreau’s eight-year-old son. If you think I’m kidding, watch any of the fight scenes. They were simple and expected.
Next.
The Tusken Raiders. I want to preface this by saying that I am all for exploring and expanding upon new and exciting worlds. I love Star Wars and everything it means to the genre of Science Fiction. Star Wars is a universe with so much depth and complexity, and yet it is so accessible. That is what makes it great. It is the story of humanity, a story of love, triumph, and redemption set in a galaxy far, far away. What is there not to love? Bad acting and bad storytelling. This whole backstory was an hour longer than it needed to be. The Tuskens, for all the screen time they take up, amount to little more than cutscenes for the fight with the monster and the train heist. I just didn’t care about them. They weren’t exciting or charismatic, and Boba Fett is in this ugly white jumpsuit throughout almost this entire stretch, which does not do him any favors.
Possible Criticism
I want to end by pre-addressing some possible criticism. I did not deal with any character arcs or themes in this review. I did this intentionally because I believe that the show does not deserve that level of observation. It is simply not a well-executed artistic work. Yes, It could be mined for whatever it’s worth, but that would be a waste of precious time. Why draw far-reaching conclusions and plot theories from a terrible show. It’s almost like doing homework. If you want a Star Wars show that is well-written and engaging, watch the Clone Wars. Also, I want to clarify that I don’t want to hit too hard on Morrison himself; he respects the role and tries to do his best in a bad situation.
I love Star Wars. It is a fantastic universe. A place where you can become a mighty Jedi knight wielding the force against the powers of evil or a sly smuggler running from a dark past. Again, Star Wars is great because of its humanity. The full range of the human experience is on display in amazing technicolor. I had so many expectations for this show. I was so excited to see one of my most beloved Star Wars characters brought to life by a competent and passionate team, and as a consequence, I suffered some disappointment.
The franchise needs some serious blowback on one of these things or else nothing will get better. Honestly, the best thing that could happen to Star Wars is if Disney made something so bad that people unsubscribed from Disney Plus. It would show the higher-ups in the company that some profound changes need to be made and lead to someone like Jon Favreau, who has a legitimate admiration for Star Wars, being put in charge. That would be the dream.
