[Disney+] The Book of Boba Fett

[El Guapo]

Also, shouldn't the whole power ranger gang get fired after they let a giant wookie get all the way to Boba Fett's bacta tank without being detected?

[Daveman]

I thought that episode was a step forward in terms of setting up this new Boba Fett. In The Mandalorian it was implied (sort of) that he was a changed man (somewhat?) but then in the post credits we just see he goes and takes over Jabba's organization for... reasons?

First we saw him come to know the Tuskens and help them out. Now he could have dealt with the gang and gotten more tribute from that vendor but no, he's trying to give them jobs and demanded the vendor lower prices. Also he wants to bond with his new Rancor rather than just feed it undesirables. So he's trying to make life better in his corner of Tatoooine rather than just exploit it.

Then the episode took a couple steps back with that scooter gang. They're out of work but paid for cybernetics and have seemingly mint condition blinged out scooters?

On the technical side I thought the "action scene" of the scooter chase looked really bad. Maybe it was just seeing these machines moving relatively slowly rather than the usual speed like last weeks train chase. I get that this was in a crowded city vs. open terrain but it still looked off to me.

[Jaymann]

I was disappointed there was no PARKOUR in the chase scene.

[rittchard]

Also, shouldn't the whole power ranger gang get fired after they let a giant wookie get all the way to Boba Fett's bacta tank without being detected?

That's what I wanna know! And Ming Na too!!! No one noticed a giant wookie going into the inner sanctum???

[Sudy]

The speeder gang felt like something out of a kids' movie. Completely out of place.

I was also expecting the rancor to be a trap. I really felt like some of the dialogue with the other special guest star was leaning in that direction.

The Mandalorian has had a fairly consistent vision over its two seasons. It seems weird this episode of Boba has so much tonal disparity. Which makes me think this is what the rest of the series is going to be like. But the flashback stuff with Fett on the back of a bantha was still awesome.

One thing I can't stop noticing is how small and empty Jabba's Palace feels. I know the "empty" bit is part of the plot and we gradually seem to be filling it up. But it's still such a departure from the exotic, menacing setting from RotJ, and it makes me sad.

I know I could figure it out if I scoured Wookieepedia, but the timeline also feels... confusing. How much time passed since RotJ? Are we pretending Fett's younger than his actor? (He and/or his double looked pretty good in the wookiee/bacta tank scene by the way.) How come these other hutts are laying claim only now? Surely Bib Fortuna didn't get so fat overnight.

It was weird seeing Stephen Root here after I just watched his episode in season 3 of Succession, but I'm always happy to see him.

[Daveman]

From what I gather, The Mandalorian is set 5 years after RoTJ. Boba presumably dug out of the Sarlacc not too long after going in, has spent 5ish years doing whatever (we've seen a few months with the Tuskens in the flashbacks?) then he shows up in Mando season 2, gets his armor, had obviously gotten Slave I back, etc. This show is shortly after that.

[gilraen]

Then the episode took a couple steps back with that scooter gang. They're out of work but paid for cybernetics and have seemingly mint condition blinged out scooters?

I just assumed that the funds to pay for all that bling were not acquired through legal means.

It felt like the episode went a bit overboard trying to show that Fett is all about earning loyalty and respect of those that he surrounds himself with. But the exposition just meandered too much, and then credits roll and it's like "wait, what was the point?"

[hepcat]

It’s my sincere hope that the Apple Dumpling Gang is killed off between episodes. My suggestion would be to describe their deaths in gory detail in a later episode.

[$iljanus]

When I saw the scooter gang I thought they were Mods out of some theatrical remake of Quadrophenia.

[El Guapo]

It’s my sincere hope that the Apple Dumpling Gang is killed off between episodes. My suggestion would be to describe their deaths in gory detail in a later episode.

I hear that they're going to die on their way back to their home planet.

[hepcat]

I read an article that mentions they aren’t going over well with a large number of Star Wars fans. Even the lead actor was hard pressed to find a way to say something positive about them in an interview.

If they return to planet Newsies with Poochie, I’m okay with that too.

[Sudy]

I wouldn't mind them as much if they were tortured orphans and ragamuffins emerging from the grit and grime. I mean Boba Fett co-opting a street gang is perfect. Instead they're said to be out of work, yet pilot around immaculately maintained speeders and can afford to have themselves implanted with droid parts. Being implanted with droid parts sounds like a horror story, not whatever this merchandising fantasy is. They're just thematically broken, as if someone hired George Lucas back to co-write an episode.

[hepcat]

…or J.K. Rowling

[wonderpug]

I agree their bikes seem a bit out of place, but I disagree about their being unbelievable. I can think of plenty of examples of real life people who put far too much money into the appearance of wealth compared to things they actually need.

[hepcat]

I don’t think their existence is the issue. But rather how friggin’ stupid they look. Neon scooters and clothes out of a Duran Duran video don’t make me immediately think “My god, that’s a dangerous criminal gang!” I’d probably think “Oh, is there a hair dresser’s convention this week?”

Star Wars has always been a bit goofy when it comes to aliens, but the aesthetic of their worlds has never been THAT goofy.

[Sudy]

That's it! They look like Luc Besson sent them.

[Blackhawk]

I just caught up. I'm not hating it - it's Star Wars, and looking too deeply into the logic of Star Wars never works out well. It's science fantasy - you're not supposed to ask how the blue sausage is made, just accept that it's there.

But the droidpunk gang was a bit much (and I'm copyrighting that term.) They felt way out of place, and their 57-Chevy speeders just didn't work. The concept is sound, but the execution of the whole thing is just off.

Boba's age threw me off. Some quick checking suggests that about 32 years passed since Episode 2 and now, so he would have been in his early 40s. The actor is 61, but didn't age gracefully enough to pull that off (it took me until the second episode to realize it was the same actor as Jango and the troopers in the prequel trilogy.)

[El Guapo]

[Carpet_pissr]

As with soooo many things, that would also work with the Benny Hill theme song.

[El Guapo]

My go to thought whenever something is so badly out of place like this is to wonder whether some studio executive saw a cyberpunk movie and became totally enamored with it.

[Blackhawk]

"The cyberpunk is cool. The kids like the cyberpunk! How can we add that?"

And cyberpunk consists entirely of spare parts and vehicles.

[Sudy]

During this week's episode, when Fett and Fennec are talking he mentions "all those years ago" (or something like that) with reference to his time with the Tuskens. This is confusing me; how long was he in the desert? The way the episodes are cut I'd guess it was several weeks to several months, but there aren't clear cues (or at least, I failed to notice them--I was definitely looking). But if he was out there for years (eventually voluntarily), it begins to justify the partial shift in the character's nature.

As Daveman says, this comes about five years after RotJ? So that timeline would fit, but it's not what I was expecting. I think the story would be much better supported if it were clearer.

[JCC]

I think the show is fantastic. It has exceeded my expectations as someone who since childhood never got why all my friends went apeshit over Boba Fett. When they announced this show at the end of the Mandalorian, I just sort of shrugged. I expected it to be good, because in Favreau and Filoni I trust. But, it's been much better than I expected.

I do think the biker chase in the previous episode was the weakest aspect of the Disney Star Wars shows. I didn't really blink at how the bikers and how their bikes looked. It was just that the speed of the chase seemed ... slow in parts. In fact the speed just looked inconsistent overall. But, that's such a minor aspect of the show so I am not that worked up over it.

Loved this week's episode with the explanation of how Fennec and Boba teamed up.

[hepcat]

"The cyberpunk is cool. The kids like the cyberpunk! How can we add that?"

And cyberpunk consists entirely of spare parts and vehicles.

This latest episode made me think they’re just going to double down on the idiotic Cyber Newsies shit. If I didn’t know they’d filmed this all a while ago, I’d think they were just doing it to spite all the people who commented how ridiculous that whole thing is.

I’m enjoying it, but it’s got a lot of stupid in it.

[El Guapo]

I think I'm going to bail on the rest of the show. I just really don't care about what happens to any of the characters.

[hepcat]

Not even the Cyber Newsies?!?!?

But yeah...I can understand why you would stop. It really is kind of a mess. I'm enjoying it because I always like Temuera Morrison in almost anything. But that's about it.

[Roman]

The speeder gang felt like something out of a kids' movie. Completely out of place.

Yup. The way they were positioned on the bikes AND the way they were framed in some shots - all hunched down like they are doing mach 5 - only to see them actually going what 5mph? Ridiculous.

But overall I like the series and not ready to give up.

[El Guapo]

Not even the Cyber Newsies?!?!?

But yeah...I can understand why you would stop. It really is kind of a mess. I'm enjoying it because I always like Temuera Morrison in almost anything. But that's about it.

I mean, I assume that with their pluck and grit that they'll show the mean ol' man what it means to be one of the youth.

[hepcat]

...through the power of song and dance!

[El Guapo]

The other funny thing about the show is that at the end of the day...*is* it really about Boba Fett? Like at the end of the OT, all that we really knew about the mysterious Boba Fett is that he was some seemingly ruthless bad ass bounty hunter. And then they went and made a show about a guy who is admittedly named Boba Fett but who is neither ruthless nor a bounty hunter. The show could be about any guy from Tatooine and the plot could be essentially unchanged.

[Zarathud]

Another person wouldn’t be able to try ruling with respect….

[ydejin]

The other funny thing about the show is that at the end of the day...*is* it really about Boba Fett? Like at the end of the OT, all that we really knew about the mysterious Boba Fett is that he was some seemingly ruthless bad ass bounty hunter. And then they went and made a show about a guy who is admittedly named Boba Fett but who is neither ruthless nor a bounty hunter. The show could be about any guy from Tatooine and the plot could be essentially unchanged.

Well one problem with making him just a Bounty Hunter is, we already kind of got that show. The Mandalorian is at various parts basically a show about a Mandalorian Bounty Hunter, so they needed to do something different.

I’m generally enjoying the show, but it isn’t anywhere near as good as either The Mandalorian or the Marvel shows. I really liked Episode 2 (with the Train). Episodes 1 and 4 were pretty decent. I’m not a fan of the biker gang. The whole “we’re too poor to pay for water, but we have these fancy bikes and expensive mods” didn’t play very well IMO. Hell they were probably stealing the water to keep their bikes clean. If you want them to be a bunch of rich punks then just do that, don’t try to play them like they’re Oliver Twist.

[Carpet_pissr]

never got why all my friends went apeshit over Boba Fett

*Sigh*

Rocket.
Jetpack.
Silent badass.


Alts, if you need even more:
Looked cool as hell
Action figure was super rare, and boosted his popularity even more

[Blackhawk]

Honestly - and no offense to the actor - but he shows his age. He moves like he's elderly. He's slow, awkward, and hesitant. It just isn't convincing as the badass early-40s Boba Fett who just spent five years undergoing even more intense combat training.

[Daehawk]

Honestly - and no offense to the actor - but he shows his age. He moves like he's elderly. He's slow, awkward, and hesitant. It just isn't convincing as the badass early-40s Boba Fett who just spent five years undergoing even more intense combat training.

Well he is 61. When he was in Star Wars that would make him 41. So you are right on target. Age may be affecting him more than others.

[JCC]

*Sigh*

Rocket.
Jetpack.
Silent badass.


Alts, if you need even more:
Looked cool as hell
Action figure was super rare, and boosted his popularity even more

All of my friends went nuts for him based on his appearance in Empire. He barely has any lines. He does NOTHING in it but appear in a scene wearing admittedly cool looking armor. I barely noticed him in that movie.

In Return of the Jedi, he does get in on the action but the main memory is he's eaten by a monster. (shrugs) I still don't get his adoration based on those 2 appearances. I was a kid when I saw both of those movies in the theater and never once thought he was badass. Han, Luke, Vader, etc. were badass. Boba was this tertiary (at best) character who wore cool armor. I found Boba's dad far more interesting in the prequels which were obviously less interesting movies.

I much more interested in him now based on his appearances in Mandalorian and his own show. I am almost 49 and I finally now love Boba Fett! LOL.

[Carpet_pissr]

I am almost 49 and I finally now love Boba Fett! LOL.

That's the spirit! Doesn't matter how you get there, as long as you eventually get the right answer.

[JCC]

That's the spirit! Doesn't matter how you get there, as long as you eventually get the right answer.

[Holman]

*Sigh*

Rocket.
Jetpack.
Silent badass.


Alts, if you need even more:
Looked cool as hell
Action figure was super rare, and boosted his popularity even more

All of my friends went nuts for him based on his appearance in Empire. He barely has any lines. He does NOTHING in it but appear in a scene wearing admittedly cool looking armor. I barely noticed him in that movie.

In Return of the Jedi, he does get in on the action but the main memory is he's eaten by a monster. (shrugs) I still don't get his adoration based on those 2 appearances. I was a kid when I saw both of those movies in the theater and never once thought he was badass. Han, Luke, Vader, etc. were badass. Boba was this tertiary (at best) character who wore cool armor. I found Boba's dad far more interesting in the prequels which were obviously less interesting movies.

I much more interested in him now based on his appearances in Mandalorian and his own show. I am almost 49 and I finally now love Boba Fett! LOL.

He appeared as a Kenner toy model even before TESB was released, so hardcore fans (meaning my entire middle-school generation) *knew* he was awesome before the movie came out.

He also had an extended animated appearance (actually kind of cool) in the otherwise ridiculous Star Wars Holiday Special, so he did have more screen time than we usually remember. I think there also may have been some comic-book stories as well, either just before or just after TESB.

When we saw him go into the Sarlacc in ROTJ, it felt like the end of an arc we already knew. No one wondered who this guy was or why he mattered.

[Daveman]

Unless they're going to insert more flashback scenes between what's been shown so far it kind of looks like...

Spoiler:

he's spent the entire ~5 years with the Tuskens and looking at Jabba's Palace guards for an opening?