Star Wars: The Book of Boba Fett (2021) (Series Review)

 The overnight success of the 2019 series “Star Wars: The Mandalorian” garnered a new era of live-action "Star Wars" programs on Disney +, most of which could stand on their own. However, the 2021 series "Star Wars: The Book of Boba Fett" was a curious crossover season with the previous "Mandalorian" series, lasting for only one season and with only seven episodes total.  

While this series is commonly sighted as its own stand-alone show, I can’t for the life of me separate it from “The Mandalorian” series. The ending of Season 2 highlighted that “The Book of Boba Fett” would be coming next, and it has the exact same music and credits. The show was also spearheaded by the same team of Jon Favreau, Dave Filoni, Kathleen Kennedy, Colin Wilson and Robert Rodriguez. 

Mando himself was still a main character with several stand-alone episodes, and there are several game changing events in the narrative that can’t be glanced over in order to continue watching Season 3 of “The Mandalorian” … as such, it’s absolutely part of the same series, just not clarified very well. Had the show been branded as “The Mandalorian Presents: The Book of Boba Fett”, maybe that would have worked. It was certainly a curious choice, but how’s the season overall? Well, it’s a mixed bag, with some of my favorite “Star Wars” material I’ve ever seen, and a very confusing method of presenting it.

 Initially, the masked Bounty Hunter Boba Fett was going to have a stand-alone movie, but it was canceled, and what remained of the script was merged with early episode scripts for the upcoming season of "The Mandalorian" ... resulting in this "Frankenstein" of a spin-off series. Following after Boba Fett's apparent death in the movie "Return of the Jedi", we see him escape the monster pit that consumed him, now he sets off with a new purpose. 

The season’s narrative goes back and forth between three stories. One of them being a “Last Samurai” inspired story of Fett being captured by the sand people of Tatooine and gradually becoming a welcomed member of their tribe. The second story revolves around Boba running his own territory, and igniting a turf-war with rival gangsters called The Pyke’s, and their lethal hired gun ... the bounty hunter Cad Bane. Meanwhile, we also follow Mando on his personal journey, after being separated from the Child Grogu. The presentation of jumping between these three different narratives made for an awkwardly paced and structurally messy season, but not without some highlights. 

The Characters ... 

Boba Fett (played by Temuera Morrison) 

Prior to this show, the masked bounty hunter Boba Fett survived the events of the original movies through various comics, novels and video games ... thus, it only made sense to bring him back in live action. I personally would have preferred he be left as a reoccurring character on "The Mandalorian" series, as his character is far sharpper as that extra bit of coolness, as opposed to a main lead. 

After nearly dying in a monster pit, the fierce hunter emerged a new man … one eager to make changes for the good of those stomped under foot by either gangsters or the Empire. I suppose it's an okay change-up for the character, and he’s still just as deadly as ever … just with a new moral code. While I’ll always take some enjoyment from this iconic hunter, it’s Temuera Morrison’s ever committed performance in the role that elevates the quality of his screen presence.  

 

Fennec Shand (played by Ming-Na Wen) 

Yet another cool hunter character elevated by a talented actress, and another fan favorite to make a life of her own outside of the previously established "Mandalorian" series. She’s quiet, calculating, dangerous and shady, but is fiercely loyal to those she respects. After being left for dead in the desert, Boba Fett saved her life, and she’s stuck with him as her trusted partner ever since. Actress Ming-Na Wen, famous for her voice acting and martial arts roles, gives the character a sly and mischievous demeaner. She too transitioned from reoccurring character to leading role in this season, and I don’t think she would have come so far had it not been for the charisma of the actress.  

Cade Bane (voiced by Cory Burton)

To get right to the point, the most exciting moment of this show was the live action debut of my other favorite bounty hunter Cade Bane … who was originally introduced back in the animated series "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" and has remained my personal favorite “Star Wars” villain to be introduced in the animated program. In this season, Bane is out for blood against his long standing rivel Boba Fett, which is great ... but unfortunately is arrival is far too late into the show, and this series doesn't do enough to highlight his character for newcomers. Worse, his defeat at the hands of Fett is unsatisfying, and comes off as waist of a great character. Had Bane been present from the start and developed a rivalry with Fett over the course of the season, then maybe it could have worked. 

Other characters and groups appear throughout the show, but their hardly worth mentioning. 

Boba Fett's young crew of bikers look cool, but there's little else to them outside of esthetics. The sand people are noticeably given more focused and admirably fleshed out as a culture as opposed to mindless beasts ... it's honestly the best piece of universe building the show achieves. With all the characters addressed, let's get to the highlights. It's almost silly to count down my Top five favorite episodes from a show with seven chapters, but what the heck ...  

I suppose the honorable mentions would be ... 

"Stanger in a Strange Land"

"The Streets of Mos Espa"

Thus, my personal Top 5 favorite episodes of "The Book of Boba Fett" are ...

#5 “The Gathering Storm” (S1 – Ep. 4) 

In this fourth episode, we see Fett in his post “Return of the Jedi” days aiming to chart a new direction after nearly dying in a monster pit. First up is recruiting his new partner Fennec Shand, and we see the origins of their loyal friendship. Next, they set off on a mission to retrieve Fett’s stolen ship, which results with an exciting heist sequence. 

The meat of this episode comes from the on-screen chemistry of leading actors Temuera Morrison and Ming-Na Wen in their respected Bounty Hunter roles. While the two remained the leads throughout the series, this is the episode that highlighted them as a dynamite pair, and a worthwhile outing in this lopsided spin-off series.  

#4 “The Tribes of Tatooine” (S1 – Ep. 2) 

Continuing with Fett’s "flashback" section, his second chapter gave him a most unusual … yet very well-made outing. After surviving his captivity with the sand people, and battle with a monster, our “Last Samuri” inspired story finally takes shape. Boba Fett gradually transitions into a welcomed member of their tribe, and is no-longer a prisoner, but a brother in arms. After gaining their respect, he leads the tribes in a revolt against an armored train terrorizing their village. 

Afterword's, we see Boba Fett go on a spirit quest to find his new identity and sense of belonging. This culminates into an awesome montage vision sequence through the years, where he's been and the new man he’s emerged as. For all the shortcomings of this series, this chapter at least marks one of Boba Fett’s shining moments. This was the only episode to be directed by Steph Green, who gave this outing a visual flare all his own. 

#3 “Return of the Mandalorian” (S1 – Ep 5) 

Following after the events of Mando’s Season 2 finale, Din Djarin finds himself alone for the first time, no longer in the company of the Child Grogu, no longer with a ship, and since he removed his helmet, Mando has been dismissed by his creed, and branded an apostate. Thus, he travels across the stars and aims to slowly rebuild himself. Aside from a white knuckled brawl in the opening, and a duel with another Mandalorian, this episode doesn’t have much action at all, and yet … it’s one of the most engaging episodes. It goes to show how great this character is when an episode with little narrative stakes can be so compelling. 

Just seeing him assemble a new ship and taking it for a test drive makes for an enthralling moment. This episode also features one of the coolest space stations I’ve ever seen … as it looks like a city built into the world’s largest ramp. Lastly, this was the third
"Star Wars" related episode directed by Bryce Dallas Howard, who previously directed two episodes of "The Mandalorian", and I feel it’s her best work by far. There’s an especially cool sequence with Mando ascending to a second level, dropping off a package to a client, and returning back to where he started … all done in one continues take, with no visible edits.  

 

#2 “In the Name of Honor” (S1 – Ep 7) 

We now segue from a quiet and reflective episode to an all-out action spectacle. At the end of Boba Fett’s series, he and Mando join forces to fight back against an onslaught of enemy forces … leading up to a confrontation with Fett’s long-time hunting rivel Cade Bane. While this episode has its faults in the script and threatens to get redundant with its non-stop laser shooting, director Robert Rodriguez injects the experience with high energy, and a number of novel highlights. 

We have our heroes flying about on jetpacks, war wagging in a close quarter city setting, giant spider-robots fighting giant monsters, a “King Kong” inspired climax, and the novelty of seeing my two favorite bounty hunters Boba Fett and Cade Bane in combat. While this season needed to do more to set up their rivalry, it’s unmistakably riveting in the moment. All around, this is perhaps my biggest guilty pleasure episode, as I know it’s flawed … but very fun to watch.

#1 “From the Desert Comes a Stranger” (S1 – Ep 6) 

As the title suggests, this episode marks the surprising arrival of a new character who emerges from the desert … and surprise, surprise … it’s my favorite Bounty Hunter of all, Cade Bane. Despite being discarded in the following episode, this debut was as perfect as they get, and highlighted Bane as the deadliest character to draw a gun. However, the real reason this episode ranks so high is simply for a subplot in which the alien Child Grogu is undergoing Jedi training under the guidance of Luke Skywalker and overseen by Ashoka Tano and R2-D2. 

This episode was directed by Dave Filoni, and he breathes exquisite life and beauty into the presentation of this chapter. The de-aged look on Mark Hammel's Luke Skywalker is outstanding, and the character is utilized masterfully, as a quiet and loving teacher. It’s another episode that’s limited on action but is immensely absorbing in presentation and character interaction.

 When all is said and done, Boba Fett's personal stand-alone series noticeably struggled to ... well ... "stand alone", as most of its biggest highlights revolve around the stories and appearances of other established characters. 

Temera Morrison certainly shines as our favorite masked Bounty Hunter, and there's a promising set-up for his own layered, yet smaller scaled story, but the narrative either repeats itself or gets sidetracked. The result is a very mixed program that failed to deliver a complete story ... yet undeniably features some top-tier highlights that stand out among any "Star Wars" series. I'd say only determined fans of "The Mandalorian" need watch it, and even to that extent, I'm mainly referring to his specific episodes. Everything else is a big bag of "take it or leave it", which is unfortunate for such an iconic character ... but that's the way it is.  

Thanks for reading my review of the 2021 series "Star Wars: The Book of Boba Fett" ... and continue to enjoy the shows you Love! 

Star Wars: Visions (2021-2025) (Series Review)

  

  Since the purchase of Lucasfilm from Disney, the door has been wide open for different forms of content to emerge from the “Star Wars” franchise … some better than others … and others fine, albeit safe to a fault. 

Yet, for all the new content that has emerged from the series in the past decade, I think many would agree that the most unique of all was the limited Anime series titled “Star Wars: Visions”, which ran from 2021 through 2025, and may still have more seasons in the years to come. It’s a Japanese anthology Anime series set in different time periods and altered timelines of the “Star Wars” universe. Several different Japanese Anime studios came together to work on this project, which meant each story had a different individual look, style, tone, and different set of original characters. While there has always been some Anime influence on previous “Star Wars” shows, like the 2003 “Star Wars: Clone Wars” micro series, this was the first real Anime we've gotten from the franchise, and for my money … it’s about time!

  For years I've wanted to see this universe brought to life through Japanese Anime ... and here, my wish finally came true. I loved the different animation styles on display, I loved how it broke away from established continuity, familiar faces were seen sparingly, most of the characters were original, and I loved that it just let itself go all out with its own rules. While I admittedly found some of the shorts just a little too outlandish for their own good, the majority of them worked, and it was just really cool to finally see the universe of “Star Wars” get creative and brought to life in Anime form. The unfortunate downside to this anthology is that it's admittedly more of a cool experiment than it is a memorable experience, and I would have liked a little more variety in the storytelling. Also, one can’t help but feel that the majority of these shorts are being used as backdoor pilots for other potential spin-offs.

  Hot Take … but I would have preferred a “Star Wars” Anime series with one set of characters, one narrative focus and one distinct style as opposed to the grab bag we got, but regardless, it’s here, and I can find plenty of enjoyment from this as is. 

Thus far, this Anime series has run for three seasons, with twenty-seven shorts in total. The majority of the shorts were done well, and there’s plenty of great content to highlight. For simplicity’s sake, I just want to discuss and rank my personal top 10 favorite shorts from this series. 

 

#10 “The Village Bride” (Ep 4 from S1) 

When a mysterious female Jedi is drawn to a remote planet, she learns that a bride from a small village, and her groom, are to be handed over to a savage group of raiders. The villains are also using re-programed Battle Droids to occupy the area. She also learns that the planet has a mystical orra emanating from its natural elements. Out of respect for her late master, she goes to the aid of the village bride, and all who she cares for. 

Among these different shorts, this one stands out with its atmosphere, tone, and some really effective music queues. There’s a sense of size and wonder to this short, but it’s all very quiet, and there’s great use of visual storytelling on display. I also liked seeing Battle Droids in this episode, but aside from them, this short honestly felt the least like “Star Wars”, and it could have come from any Anime series, but I mean that in a good way. Unlike many of the other shorts, this one worked better as a self-contained story, and it didn’t feel like a back-door piolet … although, it did get a sequel episode in Season 3 titled “The Lost Ones”, which was another decent offering.

 

#9 "The Pit" (Ep: 17 from S2) 

Set on a desert planet, a large group of slaves are forced to dig a giant pit and unearth crystals for the Empire, who use them as the base for creating a nearby city of light. For decades, the slaves are forced to live in the pit they dug for themselves, while the Empire basks in their glamorous new city. 

One worker tries to escape to the city of light, only for him to meet a tragic end. This inspires the remaining slaves to rebel against their captures and follow the light to a better life they all deserve. Equal parts dramatic and uplifting, this is an effective short that uses the “Star Wars” universe as a backdrop for a story that’s more universal to viewers outside of the fan base. 

 

#8 “The Duel” saga (Ep 1 & 19 from S1 and S3) 

Set in the “Star Wars” version of Feudal Japan, a band of raiders lay siege to a village, and their leader is a ruthless Sith Master who wilds a deadly, red-bladed lightsaber. Just as they make their move on the chief, a mysterious Ronin interferes, wilding a lightsaber of his own … another red-bladed lightsaber. Living up to its title, the lightsaber duel between the two is a thing of beauty, and brilliantly staged, especially with the two maintaining balance on a log that’s flowing down a raging river. 

Of all the shorts, this one stands out with the most unique art-design of all the shorts and visually resembles classic Samori movies in the vein of “The Hidden Fortress” and “Seven Samori”. The sequel short titled “Payback” explores the characters backstory and gives him another sinister rivel to face … this time with a blue lightsaber, making for a unique twist in what we’re used to.   

 

#7 "Screecher’s Reach" (Ep 11 from S2) 

A young girl named Daal has spent her life slaving away in a workhouse, along with her small group of friends. One day, she receives an ominous summon to the mysterious cave of Screechers Reach, which is said to be the home of a ghostly entity. If she can face her fears and defeat the entity in the cave, she’ll be liberated from her life in the workhouse. In the aftermath, the ghostly figure of the cave was revealed to be a living creature, and in defeating it, Daal is recruited by a Sith Master. 

In the end, it becomes a matter of trading one horrible life for one that’s potentially worse, and all at the cost of betraying her friends that she left behind. The final chilling image of Daal’s face as she looks back on everything she leaves behind shows just how bad her choice is. Tonally, visually, and thematically, this is perhaps the darkest episode, with a haunting atmosphere, and a warning of what may happen when one chooses the easy and more seductive path.      

 

#6 “Tatooine Rhapsody” (Ep: 2 from S1) 

Set on the planet of Tatooine, and during the Timeline of the original “Star Wars” trilogy, we see a youthful Rock Band calling themselves Star Waver, who are about to go on a galaxy wide tour. Unfortunately, after being chased by the masked Bounty Hunter Boba Fett, the band’s leader, a Hutt named Gee, is taken prisoner, and turned over to known gangster Jabba the Hutt. One of the band members, a former Jedi named Geezer, purposes to put on a live performance for the slimy crime lord, and if successful, they’ll have their friend back. 

As far as lighthearted animated “Star Wars” anthology offerings are concerned, I found this one to be a real joy. Joseph Gordon-Levitt delivers a committed performance as the lead Jedi band player, and it features a fun ensemble of distinct characters. It’s also the only short to be set in a familiar location, and populated with classic characters like Jabba the Hutt, Boba Fett, and even those attractive female alien dancers from the special edition of “Return of the Jedi”, which is great. I also found it welcoming that Temuera Morrison reprised his role as Boba Fett from the live action shows in this short. 

In general, I’m glad this series didn’t rely on too many familiar characters, but it’s nice to have at least one with recognizable favorites. Aside from that, I simply found this to be the most cheerful episode, with up-beat song numbers, likable characters, and a refreshing break-away from the familiar Jedi formula. I can certainly see some fans being turned off by a band concert episode … but for me, I really enjoyed it, and it’s the only short that just leaves me smiling from ear to ear.

 

#5 "Journey to the Dark Head" (Ep: 14 from S2) 

A former young monk, now mechanic named Ara believes that statues on her home planet, representing both the light and dark sides of the universe, have a degree of control of how much good or evil can roam the galaxy. Thus, along with a young Jedi named Toul, they set out to destroy the dark statue and potentially rid the galaxy of evil force wielders. Along the way, they’re pursued by a ruthless Sith Lord called Bichan, who engages our heroes in a fierce battle. 

In the end, everyone realizes that both light and dark evenly flow between both statues, making it impossible to destroy. As such, while both our heroes defeat their enemy, they must cope with the fact that there will always be good and evil in the galaxy. The message is decent enough, but along with the imagery, characters and lightsaber action on display, I simply find this one of the most comforting shorts, as it just feels like classic “Star Wars”. The animation is wonderful, along with some gorgeous lighting, and the duel is one of the best of the shorts.

 

#4 “The Bounty Hunters” (Ep: 22 from S3) 

An orphan girl named Sevn grows up as a contracted hunter and assassin, and is constantly on the run from enemies, while also looking for a Jedi, who she blames for all her losses. Her only companion is a droid called IV-4A, who has a muti personality problem, switching between a loyal service machine, to an unhinged assassin … which is a great set-up. The two are hired by a seemingly nice businessman, who task the pair with apprehending a group of local Rebels. 

In a twist, the rebels are the parents of children who’ve been captured and utilized as slaves. Thus, our two assassins for higher contemplate between their need to get paid, and their loyalty to family ties. Of all the shorts, I find this the most straightforward and “fun” of the segments, with a colorful group of leading characters, thrilling action, and while the narrative beats are expected … it still makes for a highly engaging outing with some really cool new characters.    

          

#3 “Lop and Ocho” (Ep: 8 from S1) 

During the reign of the Empire, a female alien slave named Lop … who resembles an anthropomorphic rabbit … has escaped her bondage and is taken in by a loving young girl named Ocho, along with her father, the Chief leader of the planet Tau. Seven years later, the Empire occupies their homeland, and the Chief, along with his foster daughter Lop want them off the planet. 

Unfortunately, the once loving sister Ocho has gone bad, and has joined the Empire … oh, and she bites her thumb and uses her blood as new eyeliner … that’s how bad she’s gone. In light of this betrayal, the Chief passes down the family’s lightsaber to his adopted doubter, who leaves on her own personal mission to not only liberate her planet, but to also bring her broken family back together. I never knew I wanted an anthropomorphic girl bunny with a lightsaber in the “Star Wars” universe … but I’m glad I have that now. 

This short boast’s my favorite design of the whole show, as it’s not overly stylized, but it’s rich with detail. The backgrounds look like they came right out of a Makoto Shinkai picture, with character designs that feel like they came right out of a Studio GhibliI film. I also feel this short has the most compelling characters, all of whom I’d love to see explored in other “Star Wars” media.

 

#2 “The Ninth Jedi” saga (Ep: 5 & 21 from S1 & S3) 

Set during a time when the Jedi order is mostly extinct, a mysterious call is made for any surviving Jedi to meet at a secret temple embedded in an asteroid. Seven force wielders arrive, with a young boy among them who’s eager to expand his knowledge of the force. Meanwhile, on the planet below, a lightsaber forger, and his young daughter, have finished crafting seven blades for the arriving Jedi. 

Tragedy strikes when a group of hunters attack their house, taking the forger captive, and forcing his daughter Kara to flee with the lightsabers. These two-story threads collide in a deeply thrilling finale, in which secret heroes and enemies are revealed, and an all-out lightsaber brawl ensues between valiant Jedi and evil Sith Lords. This short was directed by Kenji Kamiyama, and the studio helming this short was Production I.G, the same Anime company that brought us the “Ghost in the Shell” franchise, as well as that animated segment from 2003’s “Kill Bill Volume 1”. 

Had this short been a piolet episode for a multipart mini-series, as opposed to a segment in an anthology, this could have potentially been one of my favorite products in all of “Star Wars”. The set-up was intriguing, the world building was fascinating, and it felt like it was properly expanding on the mythology of the universe, without going too far into outlandish territory. 

Naturally, being a Production I.G segment … it looks amazing, with gorgeous backdrops, and kinetic movement. There’s a beautifully animated chase through the woods, which ends in a fight on a frozen lake, and it makes for a terrific set-piece. This short got a terrific sequel episode in season 3 titled "Child of Hope", which further highlighted that "The Ninth Jedi" saga could very well have its own spin-off.

 

Before I reveal my number one favorite short, here are some quick honorable mentions … 

"Sith" (Season 2)

“The Song of Four Wings” (Season 3)

"The Spy Dancer" (Season 2)

“The Elder” (Season 1)

“The Smuggler” (Season 3)

 

#1 “The Bird of Paradise” (Ep: 26 from S3) 

While many of these shorts are quite enjoyable, this was the only one that made me say afterwords … "Wow, that was something special!”. We open with a young female Jedi and her master in a deadly battle with a ruthless Sith adversary. Taken by rage, the young Jedi overestimates her enemy and makes a mistake resulting in the loss of her eyesight. In the aftermath, she awakens alone in the woods, and spends several days wandering in darkness, slowly succumbing to hunger, fear and anger. 

Each day, she finds herself receiving a mysterious force vision to guide her way and also help her face her faults, regrets, and hopefully … she’ll find a light in her new state of dark surroundings. While this short has things to pick at, like awkward facial features, and inconsistent voice acting, the sheer beauty on display, both from its artistry and themes, are really something to admire. 

A story about someone coping with a new handicap would have been compelling, but it went that extra mile in exploring one’s inner faults and trials, which along with the astonishing animation and music land this short as an exceptional piece of work, and not just a back door pilot for a potential spin-off. It’s easily my favorite short of the series, and if you haven’t watched any of “Star Wars Visions” … this is the short that gets my highest recommendation.  

 Overall, I can’t bring myself to place “Star Wars: Visions” among my absolute favorite “Star Wars” content, but I love that it exists, and I hope this anthology opened the door for future Anime productions to come from this universe. Its reception has been a rousing success, with fans enjoying it, and critics giving it wide acclaim. I certainly liked this anthology series overall, and maybe I’ll even get some follow-ups on the episodes I liked most. For whatever content comes out next in the “Star Wars” franchise … I’m deeply thrilled to say that Japanese Anime has finally become part of the saga.

Thanks for reading my review of the 2021 Anime series “Star Wars: Visions” … and continue to enjoy the shows you love!