Boba Fett has been one of the most popular characters in the Star Wars fandom despite not having much of a character to speak of. His appearances in Episodes V and VI gave him a mystique that led to him being an iconic character and mythologized in other forms of Star Wars media.

The Book of Boba Fett is a seven-part series on Disney+ that delves into Fett’s life after his supposed death in Return of the Jedi, and even though there are some good moments and characters, the overall product feels inconsistent  and unnecessary.

Temuera Morrison plays Boba Fett, and while his voice is instantly recognizable to fans, he isn’t the best choice to play Fett. While Morrison is a good actor and his voice fits the character well, he’s around 20 years older than Fett would have been in the show. Seeing Morrison move slowly and struggle with action scenes pokes holes in the aura Fett had. The show does use that as part of Fett’s character; he’s in the second half of life now and has cheated death, so he’s ready to grow spiritually and try to live  for a greater good.

The story is told with a lot of flashbacks that show how he salvaged his life after escaping death from inside the Sarlacc pit. At some point, Fett managed to regain power and authority and tries to maintain some level of peace among the crime organizations on the desert planet of Tatooine. There’s a point where the flashbacks stop being interesting, and it feels like scenes are showing events that seem like extra bloat. To make matters worse, “Mando” from The Mandalorian joins the story and starts to steal the  show. 

A show centered around Boba Fett is a proposition that already misunderstands the appeal of the character. He was mysterious and cold and only showed interest in getting paid. I don’t think the idea of Fett having an arc that turns into a warmer, more insightful  person is a bad idea, but even from the start, his words and actions seem out of character. It’s ironic because Fett’s character is based on a lack thereof. This version of Boba is more likely to cuddle with an animal than collect a bounty. That’s not to say there aren’t some memorable moments, but it’s mixed in with awkward and confusing ones. 

While hardcore fans are likely to eagerly savor this show no questions asked, it’s not something I would consider essential viewing for others. It’s ultimately forgettable, and Fett himself gets upstaged by a newer, more interesting character.

Author Bio:

Ulises Duenas is a contributing writer at Highbrow Magazine.

For Highbrow Magazine