The Book Of Boba Fett (December 2021)

[Otomofan]

The more I think on it, the more I think they really dropped the ball on the sarlaac escape scene. It's a mystery hardcore Fett nerds have been discussing since '83. Could he have survived, how could he have survived, etc etc. It should have been a 10-15 minute high budget dramatic action sequence involving a Krayt Dragon or some other fortuitous event. Instead we got Fett stealing some oxygen, gathering himself enough to(almost unbelievably)punch through and cauterize the side wall of the sarlaac's body, and inexplicably burrow to the surface like a gopher.

It was lackluster, sure, but better than nothing.

Way back in the "Dark Empire" comic in 1991 the only explanation we got was "The Sarlacc found me...indigestible."

There was a Marvel comic in the initial run where he got out too, and was also scavenged by Jawas but they thought he was a droid. He had amnesia. In the end, he got tossed right back in, so it may as well have not even happened.

 

[chrisstbh]

Yeah but that can only happen if Luke "loses" him, which will make Luke seem like a complete ignoramus.

Oh wait....it's Disney. Yeah. You're probably right.

Well it’s either Mando gets him back or he dies, so…

 

[ZE_501]

The more I think on it, the more I think they really dropped the ball on the sarlaac escape scene. It's a mystery hardcore Fett nerds have been discussing since '83. Could he have survived, how could he have survived, etc etc. It should have been a 10-15 minute high budget dramatic action sequence involving a Krayt Dragon or some other fortuitous event. Instead we got Fett stealing some oxygen, gathering himself enough to(almost unbelievably)punch through and cauterize the side wall of the sarlaac's body, and inexplicably burrow to the surface like a gopher.

Yeah...I don't think Sarlacc viscera should be so delicate. And digging through sand like that ... impossible unless we're to believe he came up through some part of the organism close to the surface.

Missed opportunity for body horror! That Sandtrooper should have been alive and partially fused to the Sarlacc. Too much for Disney I guess. Too Giger.

 

[ZE_501]

Way back in the "Dark Empire" comic in 1991 the only explanation we got was "The Sarlacc found me...indigestible."

That's not a bad way to handle it.

 

[Asta]

The more I think on it, the more I think they really dropped the ball on the sarlaac escape scene. It's a mystery hardcore Fett nerds have been discussing since '83. Could he have survived, how could he have survived, etc etc. It should have been a 10-15 minute high budget dramatic action sequence involving a Krayt Dragon or some other fortuitous event. Instead we got Fett stealing some oxygen, gathering himself enough to(almost unbelievably)punch through and cauterize the side wall of the sarlaac's body, and inexplicably burrow to the surface like a gopher.

It was a funny way to get out, unless he was clambering up through the Sarlacc's body to the surface. Almost as though the creators consciously decided not to have him exit through the crater, as usually imagined, just to subvert the fan theories.

There's still a mystery as to how long he'd been down there, and how the acid burned his head through the helmet, without actually melting the helmet.

 

[greygoose]

First episode was just OK.

Should have been an hour long episode to kick things off. The sarlac escape should have been longer. Or kick off with two 45 minute episodes.

The ending was poor too. So he's accepted and gets to drink water...

Should have ended up Fett kicking some *** or doing something brutal. He's very much a Disney product now.

 

[Asta]

Remember when Fett was a cool character?

The Book of Boba Fett:

 

[greygoose]

Remember when Fett was a cool character?

The Book of Boba Fett:

Given Rodriguez directed both episodes, I can only assume that he got Disneyified when making Book of Boba.

 

[Mondragon]

Sarlacc escape was to tame and easy. Should have been an absolute nightmare in there, full of half digested still living beings, and that should have been the awe inspiring monster escape and kill, that wins the respect of the Tusken. (Although the later Harryhausen monster was a fun nod)
I needed Fett to straight kill that squealing Rodian (not help him) . and kill that Tusken kid (not save him).
He should have earned the Tusken's respect by kicking all their ***'
Although it made sense here, him now being the guy who gives the "no disintegration" need him alive orders, just seems off.
Fennec now has most of the qualities I once saw from Fett.
All being said, this is a new Fett, new staging for the character, still fun.

 

[Bravomite]

I like the distinctly western feel that flashback scenes have to them. Is Fett effectively going to settle down with the Tuskens (proxy indians) for five years and live as one of them but only be brought back into action once something happens to his adoptive family (Josey Wales styles). Probably the criminal classes running around unchecked in the absence of a strong leader forcing him to step up, take the armour back and be 'Boba Fett' so that he can bring stability back to Tatooine.

I feel that this would explain why Boba is showing restraint in the current day scenes, he needs to take a different approach (no disintegrations) to ensure the outcome that he wants. We've seen in Mando that he is deadly but at the moment it feels like he has his kid gloves on purposefully which is alien to him and making him appear weaker.

 

[chrisstbh]

Given Rodriguez directed both episodes, I can only assume that he got Disneyified when making Book of Boba.

I mean Mando was Disney too, maybe he's just not a very good director

 

[greygoose]

I mean Mando was Disney too, maybe he's just not a very good director

Possibly.

 

[darth dennis]

Well now we see why she wears that giant, cumbersome helmet that covers all of her features. A lot easier for a stunt person to do all her parkour and let the 58 year old lady get some rest!

I think she's 59, but either way, good point. She looks incredible for her age and I really do think her presence on screen warrants a peer relationship with Fett...but so far it seemed he was the sidekick. I expect that to shift, but think she will remain on par with him. I glad there was no big reveal at the end of episode 1...it would've been too much like they're stuck with the Mandalorian playbook. Could've used less Tusken and more time spent on the Sarlacc escape. I'm still relatively happy with the start and look forward to seeing where it goes. Super glad I have HT Fennec on PO!

 

[Bart]

Mandalorian felt like a show that was bigger than everything else. You knew what you were watching was special (well most episodes anyways). It brought back that classic Star Wars feel and that Star Wars mystery that was missing since the OT ended. It didn’t feel like just another show it was THE show. This wasn’t Cookie Cutter Marvel Entertainment Number 77, this was The Mandalorian. New, exciting, different yet familiar.

The more I think about this episode and series as a whole, the more I realize that Book of Boba Fett is beginning to feel like Cookie Cutter Star Wars Entertainment Number 1. It feels like this is the beginning of the Star Wars formula that we are all so accustomed to with Marvel now.

Don’t get me wrong, I like most of the MCU, but after watching it all, very few films stick out above rest, and even fewer stick out above the genre itself. For Star Wars, the OT did that. The Mandalorian did that. And I would even argue the final season, more so the final arc of the Clone Wars, did that too. They stuck out above the rest and that is what every Star Wars product we get should do. And each of those shows did that by not following a formula.

I don’t want a formula for Star Wars. I want it all to feel like Star Wars, to feel like I’m in a galaxy far far away, but be different enough that it still feels new and exciting. I walk into a Marvel movie or show and know what I’m going to get. I don’t want that for Star Wars. The OT set the bar. The PT, for all its faults and complaints from fans, was different enough but still felt like Star Wars (for me anyways, again, not cookie cutter PT, distinctly different, but still Star Wars). Even The Clone Wars achieved this.

But Book of Boba Fett? It feels like a cookie cutter of a very watered down Mando-esque show. It isn’t breaking the mold, doesn’t feel fresh or exciting, but molded neatly to shape so the blueprint for Cookie Cutter Star Wars Entertainment Number 2 can follow.

Maybe this is far too early to judge, but man I can’t help but notice it. It felt like a Marvel show. Good, good enough, I like it, mindless entertainment and consumption with fan service, but it wasn’t the OT, it wasn’t Mando Season One, it wasn’t the Clone Wars Final Arc. It was just another product. Maybe after the ST I should be happy Star Wars has reached this place of “good enough follow the formula make good passable mediocre shows.” I don’t know, I expect more. Makes me a little worried about the future shows.

 

[Asta]

I just saw a listing where the title had been curtailed so it read, The Book of Bob.

I think it's a better title based on the first episode.

 

[ZE_501]

Maybe this is far too early to judge, but man I can’t help but notice it. It felt like a Marvel show. Good, good enough, I like it, mindless entertainment and consumption with fan service, but it wasn’t [...]

At the end of the day every one of our criticisms is valid, given our familiarity with the property and the elements that make it special (albeit not highbrow LOL) entertainment.

However.

I remind myself that I'm a grown man watching entertainment pointed at kids. I think of my younger self, the things I forgave, overlooked, accepted, and was impressed by.

Time marches on.

 

[jedibear]

I liked it. Wish D+ had released 2 episodes today, but it's easy to understand how they want to drag out fresh content. There were a lot of scenes from the trailers that weren't in this opening episode that are probably in the next one.

I liked the flashbacks and the idea they happen to him during the bacta treatments. The episode laid a lot of foundation for what's to come. After reading some of the adverse reactions in here, I was tensed for the worst but was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked it.

After the recent unwatchable Marvel D+ entries and the Omega show, I was expecting another bomb, but this opening episode has left me cautiously optimistic for more.

Favorite sequence... the Harryhausen tribute monster was the best!

 

[ebor]

Book of ****

Disney XXX only on **** Hub

 

[pixletwin]

First episode was… kinda boring.

 

[Victοr]

Well, this was the very definition of filler. Just a cheap product where everyone sleepwalks their lines through it and PIS reigns supreme, existing merely to hold over until Mando S3 is ready. The practical effecs, while subpar in some instances, were nice and I'm glad they weren't CGI, but that's the best I can say about this. It's just so banal. Nothing really happens that warrants us to see all this go down. The flashbacks are nothing special. He slowly gains their respect and gets his new black robes and blablabla. The Sarlaac escape was underwhelming, to the point where I wish it was skipped. Everything else, from pacing to acting, was as if nobody really cared and just wanted to get over with it. Seriously, most of the lines have less pathos in their delivery than a high school play.

The worst however, was the very amateurish camerawork and general cinematography. The Sarlaac escape scene was literally like something out of a fan film. Same with the wide shot where they're walking through Mos Espa. You can go on YouTube, find a fanmade short SW film with 1M+ views, and chances are they'll have the same feel. The Batman fanfilms made by BatInTheSun look more professional. It just takes you right out of this supposedly big budget production, that's set in the same universe as all the other tentpoles of the property. On the bright side, each episode has a different director, so maybe this will improve.

If the leaks I've read are true, this won't get much more exciting, but there is some actual meat to the story; it's just stretched to fill the episode count. Really, this is very much a filler "show" and nothing more. Just a tidbit here and there to give Boba something to do until the main story picks up in Mando S3. If you've ever read comics, it's the equivalent of the C-List writer who gets brought in to write a 4-5 issue "run" after the main writer concluded his story and the next one is finishing up work on another title before coming on board.

Honestly, this left such a bad taste in my mouth I probably won't even get a Boba from this. I'll wait until he appears in Mando S3 and get a figure from that line. Maybe he'll get an even cooler outfit, dunno. I really only need one Boba as a representation of the character, he's not my favourite or anything, so he's on the backburner of sorts. I did genuinely like his revamped look though, so I was planning on getting one, but now... Eh, we'll see. Point is, while I was always a Jedi/Sith guy in regards to SW, Mandalorian grabbed me from the first episode. This just didn't.