The Book of Boba Fett Season 1 Ep 1 Review: Temuera Morrison as a tough crime lord offers mediocre beginning

The Book of Boba Fett

The Book of Boba Fett Cast: Temuera Morrison, Ming-Na Wen

The Book of Boba Fett Creator: Jon Favreau

The Book of Boba Fett Streaming Platform: Disney+ Hotstar

The Book of Boba Fett Stars: 2.5/5

***SPOILERS ALERT***

For Star Wars nerds, The Book of Boba Fett must feel like a cherished Christmas present, as the mysterious bounty hunter, who has only returned for limited screentime in various other franchise projects has eventually graced our screens as the invincible crime lord. Boba Fett's (Temuera Morrison) conventional return has set the mood for the most-awaited answers that has been bugging the audience ever since season two of The Mandalorian was televised, where Fett falls down into a Sarlacc Pitt.

The fresh series discusses the Sarlacc Pitt incident and much more, however, it doesn't offer much beyond the traditional storyline. Jabba the Hutt's gruesome efforts of maintaining a territory has often been alluded to, with Fennec Shand (Ming-Na Wen) repeating those for Boba to follow the great Jabba's footsteps, but Fett manages to establish his own reign with confrontations and defiance from the beginning of the first episode. The first episode of Season 1 makes a strong case for Boba's perseverance as one of the bigger questions happen to see the light of the day; Boba returning scathed yet alive from the deadly Sarlacc Pitt. The first minute of two offers a brief explanation of Boba's escape from the Pitt which lands him at the mercy of Tusken raiders who strip him off his armour and take him a prisoner.

The episode revolves around the past and the present, as Boba revisits his past through frequent nightmares whereas, in the present, the crime lord has been ushered as the undefeated 'Daimyo' aka the underworld don of the territory that was once ruled by Jabba The Hutt and his successor Bib Fortuna. Leaders, heads of several clans and other dignitaries pay the newest crime lord respect through material gains, barring a mayor who sends his messenger to urge Boba Fett to pay him instead! Raged, Boba sends the messenger back with Shand threatening the man about taking his life away. However, with Boba's orders of refraining from ruling with fear, Shand lets the man leave unscathed. Making kindness the key, Boba ignores Shand when she warns him about employing two tortured henchmen of Gamorrean origin who previously served Jabba and Bib Fortuna.

Chapter 1: Stranger in a Strange Land focuses on Boba's escape from the Tuskens after initiating a trustworthy relationship with his unmatched battling skills. The first episode also shares an action-packed sequence where Fennec Shand aka Ming-Na Wen emerges as the unassailable hero as she contests two assassins and brings one 'alive' for Boba to question him about a daylight deception. What has also been a delight to watch is the excellent cinematography which focused on Boba's torturous fate in a lonesome desert, the home of the Tuskens. From the visual front, The Book of Boba Fett enticed me with some excellent scenes, especially surrounding the Tuskens' gory hijinks on Boba. While choosing to take risks to finally being able to befriend the Tusken lord, Boba Fett manages to make his way into his enemies clan with his powerful spirit of never backing down!

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I'd be honest, the first episode didn't make me root for the hero, as the set-up was anything but attention-seeking. It definitely showed Boba's honest battles after surpassing the Sarlac Pitt, however, what the episode couldn't make use of is a tactful balance of the honest and the marvellous. I couldn't be too invested in the scenes, for many of them also had subtle hints of predictability. But the first episode clearly made way for a much bigger and hopefully, interesting plot. The characters haven't yet come out of their shell (no offence to the Tuskens, but with characters, I should only mean, Boba and Shand!) and one can hope that to happen in the next few episodes of the series. Overall, Episode 1 served a plain opening on a platter that could be worthy of more than just a famous hero. At one point, it seemed as if nostalgia was running the show for Boba, who as the main character, should be provided with much more freedom in his own series.

For Star Wars enthusiasts, the practical effects in the series must take them back to their Jabba The Hutt days, but for others, the story might fail to properly capture their attention as the plot fails to bring in the intensity that one might unintentionally expect from a Star Wars spin-off series. If my opinion is to be considered, The Book of Boba Fett Season 1 Episode 1 could be watched as an ordinary series as it lacks in telling a gripping tale that has been the forte of its Star Wars predecessors.