Well...I rewatched the first episode again. But first, I watched the first episode of The Mandalorian. What a stark difference between the two.
The Mandalorian establishes a unique and interesting visual style and vibe right off the bat. With minimal effort (and dialogue) Pascal creates a distinctive persona for the character that immediately generates and maintains interest. There is a feeling of passion from behind the scenes that comes though...fans are creating this for fans. The new worlds, the side characters, the sights and sounds all blend perfectly to instill the desire to see more of the story and really "feel" like SW. When the episode ends, the audience is hooked and eager to get to the next episode.
For the most part, this vibe is well maintained throughout both seasons of The Mandalorian. There are a few minor stumbles in the second season towards the end where the lead character is almost overwhelmed by other characters making appearances that serve as a springboard to spin-offs as much as adding to Mando's story, but the season wraps strongly with the completion of the character's main arc and motivation...getting the child back to its proper place.
The Mandalorian has a quality that many great shows have had...the episodes can be rewatched again and again to catch details and experience the nuances of the overall story the show is presenting. Those rewatches actually make the show even stronger and more compelling, just like the original SW movies that inspired the folks that made it.
Now...the Book of Boba Fett. Watching the first episode again, I was struck with one thing. This is like a Marvel show or an Abrams project. And that is NOT a compliment. The Marvel shows have all been disappointing one way or another, either by shortchanging the lead characters, having gimmick-based premises or existing just to show off the next round of characters getting shows. Nothing sticks, nothing is memorable. No good lines, subpar action featuring inexplicable stunts that pull the viewer out of the thin story and no desire to watch again. Just content to fill the streaming service that utilizes name recognition and trades on the reputation of earlier movies that featured stronger stories and characters that the audience could feel invested in.
And that's what struck me the hardest watching BOBF again, It felt lazy, inconsequential and seemed driven by the same formula agenda that is afflicted most of SW and Marvel of late.
The settings and the lead character were inconsistent with what was presented before. From modern-day earthbound robots, potted plants looking like they came from Lowes, ninja-style henchmen that looked like they wandered in from another genre show's set to an admittedly fun Harryhausen-inspired creature that looked completely out of place. There was a laziness that overwhelmed the production and it was very distracting. There didn't seem to be a strong directorial hand on the proceedings, allowing all of these weak distractions, hammy performances and sloppy presentation.
The character of Boba seemed completely transformed from how he was presented with his reemergence on The Mandalorian. Dazed and too talkative, constantly featuring crazed expressions during action scenes and completely emasculated in the story. His Tusken captors feature him being beaten by a woman and led around on a chain by a child...just a complete deconstruction of the cool, mysterious merciless hunter the audience has been familiar with.
And that could be part of the problem. The Mandalorian did not have to contend with over 40 years of history and fan expectations. BOBF does and perhaps the team putting on this show feels they have to knock him down before he can be built back up. Fair enough...we've only seen a little over a half an hour of this story. But the point remains, based on this episode, that story and it's presentation is not off to a good, compelling start.
I don't want to see this SW show or any of the other forthcoming ones succumb to the "Marvel" factory formula that has made those shows virtually unwatchable. I hope this is just a stumble out of the gate and the rest of the show builds a story about a character that has entertained fans like myself for years. Like many of us who frequent these forums, we give a damn about these characters and stories.
We'll see....