The Book of Boba Fett | December 29, 2021 | Temuera Morrison and Ming-Na Wen star

[Menor the Destroyer]

59 minutes ago, Knights of Ren said:

Robert Rodriguez is trending on Twitter 🙃

I think Favreau takes some blame here as well considering how disjointed and out of whack the story of this series has been. 

[Porthos]

1 hour ago, Menor Reborn said:

I think Favreau takes some blame here as well considering how disjointed and out of whack the story of this series has been. 

 

Want to give an example of this (something that was entertaining but wasn't set up enough in-story).

 

Spoiler

I know that some people are... upset on how Cad Bane went out (if indeed he died there — the beeping armor is a bit of an eyebrow raiser)

 

Ironically enough, I'm fine with it.  Dude was really old by this point and therefore losing a step or three is perfectly understandable.  Hell getting sloppy (which is what killed him, IMO) is also understandable.

 

Where this series dropped the ball is telling/showing us WHY Cad Bane was so motivated to go after Boba Fett.  Needing to know that Cad Bane is a badass from the time of the Clone Wars isn't necessary, as his badassery was pretty well established in-series.  The episode did obliquely refer to "one last lesson", which implied that they either had run-ins before or there was an actual mentor/student dynamic at play.

 

What it didn't show/comment on is that Cad Bane lost a duel to Boba Fett in the past (more on this below), which has presumably been eating at Cad Bane for around 25 to 30 years.

 

If you look at Cad Bane's actions through the prism of someone who 1) BADLY wants a rematch and 2) wants to get under Boba Fett's skin to throw him off balance, then nearly every single action Cad took in this episode makes sense.  Right down to egging him on one last time when he could have finished Fett off.  In this case, Cad Bane's gnawing need for revenge finally got the better of him and instead of delivering a soliloquy to a smoking corpse, he had to get one last dig in.

 

The problem here then is, not only does one need to be aware of Cad Bane content from The Clone Wars, one needs to know about an as yet not made story arc of TCW where Cad Bane and a much younger Boba Fett have a very nasty falling out that leads to a duel between the two and one where Cad Bane gets a metal plate attached to his head for his troubles.  Even folks who watched TCW back in the day/caught up with it later on might not know about this.

 

As it is, the duel we got mostly works, if lacking on motivations for Cad Bane's side.  But it's something that could have been addressed inside this episode to make it clearer.  Not from, say, Fennec Shand who would already know, but from either someone on Boba's side or from the opposite direction one of the Pykes.

 

Fett Friend: He really seems to have it in for you.

Boba: He and I once had a... difference of opinion over business matters —

Fennec: And one that left him a metal plate in his head for his trouble.

 

or

 

Random Pyke:  Why do you care so much about this Fett, bounty hunter?

Cad Bane takes off hat, showing metal plate attached to his skull: We have unfinished business that needs to be settled.

 

That's it.  Just a small little line or two.  And there were in fact places where this could have been dropped inside the episode where it would have fit very naturally.  This is something S2 of Mando excelled at (the talk about the Children of the Watch) when it came to drawing from other SW sources, but TBOBF didn't succeed quite as well at.

 

This is one example.  The other one (not really establishing why Fett stuck with the Tusken Raiders in the first place before getting enamored with their culture) is the other biggie, but I've already talked about that at length, so consider the comments as read.

 

This isn't to say that <SPOILER DELETED> had no greater purpose, as IMO it did:

 

Spoiler

Cad Bane's line about how Boba Fett is a killer clearly struck a nerve.  And I think one that Fett is still chewing over at the end of the episode where he seems pretty unsatisfied with being BMOC. Fett musing "this is no life for the likes of us" would ring a lot more hollow if he didn't have that confrontation with Cad Bane where Fett (presumably) killed Bane in the way he did.

 

This doesn't make the series so much of a Shaggy Dog Story as is "you might get what you think you want — doesn't mean you'll actually be satisfied with it."  This is paralleled by Mando thinking he wanted something (sending Grogu to Luke/the Jedi) and Grogu thinking he wanted something (to train with Luke), but realizing they made a mistake and changing course.  

 

This parallel could have almost certainly been flesh out further, thus tying the two plotlines more closely, but the subtextual reading is valid, I think.

 

If there is more Boba Fett/Cobb Vance material, I suspect "being unsatisfied with choices made" is what is gonna be part of what drives the storyline (thus setting up Cobb Vance to perhaps take over as the protector of Tatooine). 

 

Edited February 9, 2022 by Porthos

[Ozymandias]

Blue Clint Eastwood was really cool, but pretty much everything else sucked.   Baby Yoda's story was resolved in S2 of Mandalorian, there was no reason to bring him back at all... especially in the Boba Fett show.   The action in this show is just embarrassing, Robert Rodriguez should be nowhere near this IP in the future...there is a very noticeable difference in direction in all the episodes he directed.   Another big problem with this show is Boba Fett is consistently an unlikable idiot with flimsy motivation surrounded by smarter people saying and doing smarter things.  I could go on, but its mess...just a mess.

[Knights of Ren]

I think my biggest problem with the show overall is how it completely under minded the finale of S2 of the Mandalorian.  A powerful moment/scene now has little weight.  And if you didn’t watch BoBF, you are gonna be mad confused come the start of Mando S3. 

[CoolioD1]

bad show.

[George Parr]

I think it was fine. Better than some other parts, but nothing that screams "I can't wait for the next season".. Overall, my rating for the season is similar. Pretty messy, but some cool moments as well. I didn't have much of an interest in the show to begin with, so I wasn't particularly disappointed with the outcome.

 

They really need to stop with this one-shot-kill action though. They should take a peek at the older movies, lots of shots fired, many of them didn't hit the target. Here it was more like Oprah, "you get hit, and you get hit, and you get hit, everyone gets hit!". When two guys fire 20 shots and drop 20 guys, it just doesn't do much. Add this to their general mistreatment of stormtroopers, and they really need to pick up their game in that regard, not just in this show. Action needs at least some stakes. When you can just drop all the henchmen in seconds, unless the plot suddenly requires you not to, there is just not the necessary amount of tension. It basically forces you to come up with additional strong bad guys to pick up the void. Again, pointing towards stormtroopers. In the old movies they might not have done much, but everyone was still running away from them. Now they get dropped in bunches, to the point that elite troopers have to be added to pose some sort of threat.

 

Spoiler

Not sure I like the ultra mobile Rancor either. The one in ROTJ moved at snails pace. Even if you add that it might have been older and less agile due to its lack of space in captivity, compared to this being a very young one, it just seemed way over the top. Obvious references to certain monster movies do give some bonus points, but I really don't need to see a whole lot more of that.

 

And what's with the wookie getting the most gruesome injuries that should have killed him, only to be back in top shape a moment later, then needing to be helped by two others, before happily running around again?

 

I also agree with Grogu's early return kind of undermining the finale of season 2 of the Mandalorian. It should confuse a lot of people who watch that show but not this one as well, once season 3 comes around.

 

Anyway, I wasn't bored, and it was kind of nice to get a new episode of Star Wars every Wednesday. Especially since everything we got over the last year was animation, and that just doesn't do much for me at all. Especially since the action in those type of shows tends to works even less for me than the bits of this episode.

 

Now onto Kenobi and Andor. Out of all the shows they announced, those two were right at the top in terms of my anticipation.

[FilmFincher]

The show feels like a bit of a misfire from Favreau/Rodriguez and co. 

What should have been a 3 episode arc on Mando S3 gets stretched out to 7 episodes that fail to capitalise on it's premise. 

It's also plagued with a couple of the strange production choices that occur in some of the Marvel shows; namely awkward editing and pace. 

 

There's moments I enjoyed but the whole thing is just confused. 

Edited February 9, 2022 by FilmFincher

[AJG]

Damn. This sucked. The shit was exhausting.

[EarlyDeadlinePredictions]

Finale was alright but forgettable show overall outside of the Mando stuff. 

[cax16]

It was fine, mando stuff basically saved the show for my wife and I but it’s all good, not everything is gonna be great. 

[Darth Lehnsherr]

While the finale was alright can't help but think the show overall is a missed opportunity for the character of Boba Fett. 

[filmlover]

This was disappointing and a mess. Oof. Just bring on Obi-Wan Kenobi.

[Daxtreme]

Just binged this.

 

What are they even doing with these new Star Wars properties? Like what's the point? They just keep and keep and keep on banking on nostalgia and rehashing the same material, and as someone who wore down his own VHS tapes of the OT so much so they wouldn't play anymore, I am getting tired of it. And I am the target audience!

 

Spoiler

Grogu is so cute I love him.

 

But nothing matters in Luke's story because we already know how it ends. We've seen the sequel trilogy. The Empire comes back, Rey is the Last Jedi as Luke failed to do anything meaningful with the new Jedi Order... so why show us those things? There's no tension or sense of progression.

 

All this content between the OT and the ST we know amounts to a bunch of nothing. I'm at the point where I just wish they would nuke down the ST from canon and start over. It's that bad. Multiverse the shit out of this story?

 

But above all, this show failed to be a good Boba Fett show as he was sidelined for a third of the episodes. It's enormously disjointed. And utterly boring, except for a few genuinely inspired sequences. Fennec Shand was actually a much better Boba Fett than he himself ever was in any of the episodes. Lmao!

 

Question for those who follow the timeline more:

 

Spoiler

I don't understand how Ahsoka can be there? What was she doing during the events of the OT? Did she really just let the Empire take control over the galaxy and not do anything? Why wouldn't she help the Rebels? I haven't watched Clone Wars or Rebels or anything but I'm wondering why a Jedi would let those things happen and do nothing, and why she's suddenly doing things.

 

I'm a big action movie fan (I watch 100+ every year) and this show also features some of the worst action directing I've watched in the last few years. Absolutely horrendous and uninspired. All directed by Robert Rodriguez so he has to go. His eye for action rhythm/editing/flow is pitiful. Never direct action again my man, you're terrible!

 

I like seeing exciting cameos as much as the next guy, but not if the cost of those cameos is the whole narrative.

 

5/10

 

For the record I'd give The Mandalorian  about a 7.5/10

Edited February 16, 2022 by Daxtreme

[George Parr]

3 hours ago, Daxtreme said:

Just binged this.

 

What are they even doing with these new Star Wars properties? Like what's the point? They just keep and keep and keep on banking on nostalgia and rehashing the same material, and as someone who wore down his own VHS tapes of the OT so much so they wouldn't play anymore, I am getting tired of it. And I am the target audience!

 

  Reveal hidden contents

Grogu is so cute I love him.

 

But nothing matters in Luke's story because we already know how it ends. We've seen the sequel trilogy. The Empire comes back, Rey is the Last Jedi as Luke failed to do anything meaningful with the new Jedi Order... so why show us those things? There's no tension or sense of progression.

 

All this content between the OT and the ST we know amounts to a bunch of nothing. I'm at the point where I just wish they would nuke down the ST from canon and start over. It's that bad. Multiverse the shit out of this story?

 

But above all, this show failed to be a good Boba Fett show as he was sidelined for a third of the episodes. It's enormously disjointed. And utterly boring, except for a few genuinely inspired sequences. Fennec Shand was actually a much better Boba Fett than he himself ever was in any of the episodes. Lmao!

 

Question for those who follow the timeline more:

 

  Reveal hidden contents

I don't understand how Ahsoka can be there? What was she doing during the events of the OT? Did she really just let the Empire take control over the galaxy and not do anything? Why wouldn't she help the Rebels? I haven't watched Clone Wars or Rebels or anything but I'm wondering why a Jedi would let those things happen and do nothing, and why she's suddenly doing things.

 

I'm a big action movie fan (I watch 100+ every year) and this show also features some of the worst action directing I've watched in the last few years. Absolutely horrendous and uninspired. All directed by Robert Rodriguez so he has to go. His eye for action rhythm/editing/flow is pitiful. Never direct action again my man, you're terrible!

 

I like seeing exciting cameos as much as the next guy, but not if the cost of those cameos is the whole narrative.

 

5/10

 

For the record I'd give The Mandalorian  about a 7.5/10

 

Yeah, they have relied a bit too heavily on nostalgia lately, especially with the characters they have brought in. Outside of the looks into the past, they didn't do much with Boba, or anyone for that matter. There certainly wasn't remotely as much development as there was in The Mandalorian.

 

Spoiler

I disagree completely with the idea that knowing the future somehow takes anything away from a story. We have known all that in many many stories, and they still worked well. We also know that the heroes win almost every time, especially when it is the finale of something. If knowing was so bad for tension, than you could throw all action-movies out, because we always know who wins.

 

And dear lord, never ever go with a multiverse. That would be the absolute worst thing they could do. These shows exist to fill the timeline between the main storylines, and that is perfectly fine. The ST is here to stay, and that is a good thing. Regardless of any hiccup that may exist. It's not like they don't exist in the other parts either.

 

As for the character you are talking about:

Spoiler

Ahsoka is from The Clone Wars, and does work with the Rebel Alliance in Rebels, which I think ends a bit before the OT. She left the Jedi Order prior to Revenge of the Sith, while she was still a padawan. There isn't much of anything about what she did during the OT. But seeing how Yoda and Obi-Wan didn't do much either, there isn't much of a reason why a failed padawan could have. Porthos could tell you more, as I haven't really watched much of either The Clone Wars or Rebels.

 

Dave Filoni does seem to have a bit of an issue of letting go of characters he created.

 

[poweranimals]

6 hours ago, Daxtreme said:

Fennec Shand was actually a much better Boba Fett than he himself ever was in any of the episodes.

When was she ever Boba Fett?

[Menor the Destroyer]

7 hours ago, Daxtreme said:

 

 

 

  Reveal hidden contents

I don't understand how Ahsoka can be there? What was she doing during the events of the OT? Did she really just let the Empire take control over the galaxy and not do anything? Why wouldn't she help the Rebels? I haven't watched Clone Wars or Rebels or anything but I'm wondering why a Jedi would let those things happen and do nothing, and why she's suddenly doing things.

 

Ahsoka's activities during the OT have been left pretty mysterious by Rebels. She was in the Rebel Alliance at one point but we don't really know what happened between her duel with Vader (couple years before the OT) and the current timeline.  I'm assuming the Ahsoka show will cover it. 

Edited February 16, 2022 by Menor Reborn

[Daxtreme]

49 minutes ago, poweranimals said:

When was she ever Boba Fett?

 

Everything she does in the show, Boba Fett should have done.

 

She's always the one leading, asking questions, devising plans, negotiating, intimidating, killing even. She's literally doing all the work while Boba pouts alone. 

 

Her character is what Boba Fett should have been.

[Porthos]

This meme has been making its way through SW fandom ever since the finale, but...

 

 

 

I think we have a winner here. 😂  😂  😂 

 

[Elessar]

This is a show where when you don't watch it you are not missing anything.

[Knights of Ren]

2 hours ago, Elessar said:

This is a show where when you don't watch it you are not missing anything.

Disagree.  If you don’t watch this and then watch S3 of Mandalorian, it won’t make any sense