The Mosley Review: Star Wars: The Book of Boba Fett
If there's one character that has one of the biggest fanbases of all time its Boba Fett. The man only had so much screen time in the original Star Wars film trilogy and barely any dialogue and yet, his legend grew into a sprawling adventure across comics, novels and video games. He got the best treatment in the Clone Wars animated series and he finally made his jaw dropping live action return in season 2 of The Mandalorian. Now comes his own spinoff series and for the most part it was fun and fascinating. It answers so many questions right from the opening scenes and gives the character a new outlook on his life as he learned how to become civil again. I was a fan of Boba, but not a massive fan. The Clone Wars made him interesting and his return on Mandalorian made me all the more excited. The tone was set from the wise choice of a slow burn and as the series progressed, you get to experience his rebirth. The problem this show had was that it lost its goal of being about Boba and ended in a crescendo that felt flat. Don't get me wrong, I had fun watching this series with all the exciting reveals and a debut of another favorite character but I felt that once episode 5 hit, I felt the series was stolen from him. Now I'm gonna spoil a few character returns going forward, but it won't be plot reveals though. I can't talk about this show without talking about the characters. So if you haven't watch the show yet and you don't want to get spoiled, stop here.
Temuera Morrison returns as Boba Fett and he was excellent. He brought humanity to the character that wasn't ever there before. The amount of emotional depth behind his stoic expressions and dialogue delivery was impressive. Ming-Na Wen reprises her role as Fennac Shand and she is even more dangerous and awesome in the show. She remains the badass we know and her bond with Boba was the highlight of the show. We get to see her strategic mind at work and how it benefits those closest to her. Jennifer Beals was good as the Twi'lek that runs the local cantina, Garsa Fwip. She represented the more regal side of Tatooine and she was very welcoming. David Pasquesi was hilarious and fun as Mok Shaiz, the Twi'lek majordomo to the Mayor of Tatooine. He easily could've been the most annoying and weakest parts of the series, but there was just enough of him spread about that he doesn't over stay his welcome. Pedro Pascal returns as Din Djarin / The Mandalorian and he was awesome. I loved seeing his story progress from where we left him in his own show. The friendship that was forged with him and Boba comes back in full force and they were awesome together. Amy Sedaris returns as Peli Motto and it was great to see her, but I think she was too much at times. I didn't mind the bite size moments we had with her in the beginning, but man did she kind of kill the mood at times. Timothy Olyphant returns as our favorite sheriff Cobb Vanth and he was just as silky smooth. I loved seeing his moral compass keep straight and not go down an easy path of darkness. Now there are alot of returning characters, surprise cameos and of course one debut that had me screaming with joy. My favorite bounty hunter of all time makes his live action debut and brings out the terror and gravitas of the show. Cad Bane makes his on screen debut and Corey Burton voices him once again. He terrified me to no end and his quick draw fight was the best I've seen in a long time. His scenes are the western aspect of Star Wars incarnate and a love letter to the Spaghetti Westerns of old.
The theme for the show was expertly done by Ludwig Göransson and it was perfect. The series score was composed by Joseph Shirley and I loved it all. The tribal tones that were used in the Tusken Raider scenes and the overall scope of it was that much more impactful and warm. My favorite piece is called "The Ultimate Boon". It plays once Boba makes his gaffi stick and it is one of the most intimate and beautiful moments of the show and one of the best episodes. There are many problems the show has and they all become clear when Din Djarin shows up. Don't get me wrong, I loved seeing him and Boba reunite, but it took away from Boba's story in so many ways. I loved seeing Din's story continue and eventually sync up with Boba, but it was so distracting and I personally felt that episode 5 and 6 could've been apart of Mando Season 3 instead of stealing the spotlight from Boba. The finale was awesome with all out action, but by the end it felt empty and rushed. Overall I enjoyed this show, but it felt like halfway through the show it had an identity crisis of what it wanted to end up being. It could've been The Sopranos of Star Wars, but missed its chance. Maybe a second season will help bring it to its full potential. Let me know what you thought of the show or my review in the comments below. Thanks for reading!
