The Book of Boba Fett

The character of Boba Fett ranks among the favourite characters for many Star Wars fans even though his presence in the original trilogy was kept to a brief couple of minutes in the latter two films. A masked bounty hunter, shrouded in mystery with iconic armour and reigned-in by Darth Vader himself to not employ his brutal tactics in the hunt for the Millennium Falcon has all given the character a cult-like status. Resurrected in the second season of The Mandalorian, Disney set their sights to find more success in the live action format and explore the aging hunter's life following the collapse of the Empire which caught the interests of many but it wasn't a smooth return. 

Taking place predominately on Tatooine while split between flashbacks of his survival and life having met Din Djarin, The Book of Boba Fett sees the bounty hunter seeking a more peaceful life as he takes control of Jabba the Hut's palace in the hope to create a more fairer society on the planet with two suns. Safe to say this is not what many fans had in mind and the story here has left many feeling divided. 

With The Mandalorian having given viewers a hard-edged bounty hunter, Disney were caught in a situation where they risked repeating themselves here and the end result is a slowly paced seven episode miniseries that lacks the visual scope one might expect from the IP. Temuera Morrison is still very good in the leading role but it's hard not see this as a forgettable adventure used as a springboard for future series with other characters making the whole thing feel very safe, and a little too Disney.

However the show has some moments in the latter half, when it finally breaks away from Tatooine, where the story goes up a gear and expands on the lore of the universe. It's just unfortunate that, without spoilers, these moments aren't always with the anti-hero we've come to see who has seemingly been relegated but it would be unfair to critique the show entirely for what it isn't. It's just a shame that what we have is rather forgettable and not a patch on the superior The Mandalorian series. 

The Book of Boba Fett jams in lots of overbearing action in its final episode in the hope to leave a lasting impression but I already feel it blowing away from memory like the sands on the planet the budget has the show seemingly restricted to. The Mandalorian showed ambition and justified its TV series format but this has me concerned for the next Star Wars series, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and whether that would be better served as a film. The Book of Boba Fett isn't terrible by any means but it fails to offer a captivating experience worthy of the once great bounty hunter who's mystique is now lost.