The Book of Boba Fett is the latest live-action Star Wars tv show. After Boba Fett's reintroduction in the second season of The Mandalorian, Temuera Morrison's character has laid claim to Jabba the Hutt's territory and aims to leave his old life of bounty hunting behind. After Boba Fett was first seen in the 1978 Holiday Special, fans have been wanting to see more of the character. Since then, Boba Fett has appeared in The Empire Strikes Back, many books and comics, as well as Attack of the Clones and The Clone Wars as a child. But it hasn't been enough for fans meaning that there was a lot of pressure on The Book of Boba Fett.

I'm going to start this review with everything from the show that I loved, which was pretty much everything. Everything that was seen on screen, I thought was done really well. The sets were great, the visual effects were incredible and the show had some amazing sequences. This resulted in me always being excited for the new episode to come out each Wednesday night. I can only remember one scene from the show which I didn't enjoy. The show felt like it was on a lower budget than the Disney-era movies or The Mandalorian, however, this made the show feel a lot more like the original Star Wars movies before they got carried away with green screens. It felt more genuine and less perfect because of this.

It was so pleasing to see Temuera Morrison in the suit once again. Morrison captures all aspects of the character perfectly and is commendable for being able to communicate emotion whilst wearing a mask. It was also satisfying to see characters from other Star Wars media appear in the show. The Book of Boba Fett introduced these characters so if you didn't know who the character was, then you didn't feel left out. But it was so rewarding for hardcore Star Wars fans to see our favourite characters appear in live-action. Unfortunately, not as much time was spent with newer characters and we didn't get to see their growth throughout the show since so much time was spent showing the existing characters.

As I said, everything that was seen in the show, I loved. However, there was a lot that I wished was in the show. The Book of Boba Fett made the risky decision to combine Star Wars and politics. Fortunately, the show did not fall flat on its face as the prequels did. Unfortunately, the politics in the show were prioritised over the cool Boba Fett action that the fans have been dying for. Fans will always remember Boba Fett as the merciless bounty hunter with the cool gadgets, not the sympathetic crime lord with family problems. This resulted in a lot of disappointment for me and I'm sure for other Star Wars fans. Like I said, I loved everything that ended up making the cut; there was just so much that I wish was there that wasn't. (This is could potentially be me just being greedy and wanting to see more live-action Star Wars.)

I also have to discuss the inclusion of Pedro Pascal's Din Djarin; the protagonist from The Mandalorian. Since The Book of Boba Fett was announced, I had hoped for and expected to see Pascal's character in the show. However, I had not expected the character to have such a major role. It is better not to see The Book of Boba Fett as a tv show about Boba Fett, but instead as The Mandalorian season 2.5. There are two whole episodes centred around continuing Din Djarin's story. This resulted in less screen time for Boba Fett and rushing through Din Djarin's story. I think that Din Djarin could have played a much smaller role in the show (perhaps half an episode to reintroduce him) and saved the rest of his story for The Mandalorian season 3, which we know is coming.

There are supposed to be more similar The Mandalorian spin-off series coming soon. I guess I know what to expect from these now. They are shows that continue the story of Din Djarin but also explore a certain character or aspect from The Mandalorian. They tie in really well with other pieces of Star Wars media but aren't up to the same quality of The Mandalorian or the Disney-era movies.

The Book of Boba Fett is likely to not reach the expectations of many Boba Fett fans. It is a fantastic show with some incredible aspects, however, there will be many things that fans will be expecting to see that will be left out. Whilst it has a questionable storyline and structure, it is a great addition to the Star Wars galaxy and is a show that I thoroughly enjoyed watching each week.

Creators: Jon Favreau

Starring: Temuera Morrison, Ming-Na Wen

Years: 2021

Number of seasons: 1 (so far)

My Rating: 7.75/10

Review by Tristan Carr

Last edited: 08/05/22