The Book of Boba Fett Pilot Review: Escaping the Sarlacc Pit

A new Star Wars TV series staring fan favorite bounty hunter, Boba Fett, is off to a great start. This The Book of Boba Fett pilot review offers a glimpse into some epic scenes. The series begins with a scene that fans have been awaiting for a long time, Boba Fett escaping the Sarlacc Pit.

The Book of Boba Fett Pilot Review Escaping the Sarlacc Pit

Another new Star Wars series has just started up, and it will be dissected in this The Book of Boba Fett pilot review. Star Wars is in the process of becoming a cinematic universe, so a lot of new shows are in development. The Book of Boba Fett is a retcon centered around fan favorite bounty hunter, Boba Fett.

The pilot focuses on what happened immediately after Fett was eaten by a Sarlacc in Episode VI: Return of the Jedi. His escape from the belly of the beast is the scene fans have been dying to see and it is fairly well done. Temuera Morrison, who played Jango Fett and his clones, makes an exciting return to the series to star as Boba Fett. Lastly, the cinematography greatly enhances the viewing experience.

The Book of Boba Fett is available on Disney Plus.

This The Book of Boba Fett pilot review may contain spoilers.

Story: Exactly what Fans want to See

The show begins perfectly. Boba Fett is shown sleeping in a Bacta Tank, then there are flashes of his dreams. First a storm on Kamino, followed by young Boba picking up his father’s head on Geonosis. It’s great to see the modern Star Wars community gradually accepting the prequels. All too often people judge artistic works as either all good or all bad. It’s far more productive to break them into pieces.

The prequel trilogy of Star Wars has some unfortunate components, but also very good elements. Hence, for better or worse those movies are part of Star Wars. Moreover, Episode II: Attack of the Clones is part of Boba Fett’s story. This pilot provides a glimpse into his memories from that time, by using footage from Episode II.

Boba Fett dueling a Tusken Raider.

Boba Fett dueling a Tusken Raider.

Fans have been waiting to see Boba Fett survive the Sarlacc Pit for a long time. The character’s return in The Mandalorian led to the question, how did he survive being eaten by a Sarlacc in Episode VI: Return of the Jedi? This pilot shows fans the answer at long last.

Furthermore, the scene is pretty well done. In one of Boba’s dreams, he wakes up in the stomach of the Sarlacc. Distraught and in pain, he uses his resourcefulness to burn a hole in the beast. The scene then cuts to a landscape shot of the ruins of Jabba’s barge next to the Sarlacc Pit. Then Boba Fett claws his way up through the sand and passes out. It’s an epic and triumphant scene.

Boba Fett strangling a six limbed creature.

Boba Fett strangling a six limbed creature.

Krayt Dragon Escape may have been Better

Prior to the pilot, some fans had a different theory as to how Fett escaped. The Mandalorian introduced a Krayt Dragon that had made a home by eating a Sarlacc and living in the hollowed-out cavern left behind. Fans assumed this to be the same Sarlacc that ate Boba Fett because he was revealed to have survived later in that episode.

The popular theory that emerged from that was that the Krayt Dragon had heard Jabba’s barge explode in Episode VI and went to investigate. Then chose to eat the Sarlacc while it was reveling in its own recent meal. As the Krayt Dragon feasted, Boba would have escaped the Sarlacc’s stomach through a leak sprung by the Krayt Dragon’s attack.

Night Wind Assassins closing in on Boba and Fennec.

Night Wind Assassins closing in on Boba and Fennec.

Some fans would have preferred that escape scene for two reasons. Firstly, it ties into The Mandalorian better. One major fault of modern Star Wars is that producers are very picky and choosy about what ties into what. That greatly hinders Star Wars’s ability to function as a cinematic universe. Second, Fett’s initial descent into the Sarlacc Pit was due to a Han Solo accidentally breaking his jetpack. Since Fett’s capture by the Sarlacc was coincidental it would be fitting for his escape to be as well, which the Krayt Dragon could have provided. That would have been a great implementation of George Lucas’s film making philosophy.

George Lucas: Again, it’s like poetry, so that they rhyme. Every stanza kind of rhymes with the last one.

Boba Fett observing his armor.

Boba Fett observing his armor.

Characters and Performances: Title Says it all

Temuera Morrison stars as Boba Fett. He is known for portraying Jango Fett and his clones in Episode II: Attack of the Clones. The biggest challenge with this character is that Morrison is a much huskier man than Jeremy Bulloch, the actor who portrayed Fett in Episode VI. The difference is noticeable, but Morrison is still the right actor for the role because Boba is a clone of Jango. He portrays Fett fairly well in this pilot. There’s a big contrast in how he plays the role in flashbacks and how he plays it in the present. In the flashbacks he is exhausted and defeated. In the present he is the new crime lord on Tatooine, so he walks around like a boss.

Boba Fett sitting on the throne.

Boba Fett sitting on the throne.

Ming-Na Wen plays Fennec Shand, Boba Fett’s second in command. The character first appeared in The Mandalorian and has since appeared in The Bad Batch and The Book of Boba Fett. Ming-Na Wen portrays her well in this pilot with limited screen time. She acts like an advisor to Fett, who doesn’t accept her guidance often. Shand understands who’s in charge but will speak up if she thinks Fett is making a mistake. Thus far Boba Fett has been the sole focus of this show, but Fennec Shand will likely be explored as well at some point.

Pacing and Editing: Right to the Point

This is a major highlight in this The Book of Boba Fett pilot review. The main attraction of this new series is finding out what happened to Boba after he was eaten by the Sarlacc in Episode VI. This pilot wastes no time showing how Fett made his grand escape. It’s very respectable that the show gets right to the point.

Massiff approaching Boba Fett.

Massiff approaching Boba Fett.

Furthermore, the scene is epic. Close-ups are effective in showing his vulnerability, even though his face is covered. Also, the editing helps show the passing of time throughout the scene. The escape goes by quickly, then he lies on the sand barely able to move for a long time.

Cinematography and Sound: Epic Escape

The cinematography and sound greatly enhance the escape scene as well. The inside of the Sarlacc’s stomach is very narrow, which captures the feeling of being trapped. He wakes up gasping for air and clearly in pain. The sharp sound of the fire igniting from his gauntlet symbolizes a spark of hope. Then triumphant music starts up just as Fett’s hand comes up from beneath the sand. Once Fett claws his way through the sand, he enters a large landscape shot, to echo Boba’s newly found freedom.

However, the Krayt Dragon theory would have made more sense from a cinematographic standpoint. Fett breaches the sand on higher ground than the Sarlacc’s mouth. So, he would have had to climb through a lot of sand to get there. That doesn’t seem physically feasible. It seems like the director, Robert Rodriguez, wanted it this way because it results in the Sarlacc’s mouth and the barge wreckage being in the background. Unfortunately, it ends up feeling forced.

Furthermore, the director still could have gotten that aesthetic shot with the Krayt Dragon escape. Once Fett managed to get by the Krayt Dragon, his defective jet pack could have activated again, launching him to the area near the Sarlacc’s mouth.

That concludes this The Book of Boba Fett pilot review. The series is off to a great start.

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Summary
The Book of Boba Fett is off to a great start. This pilot dives right into the scene that fans have been waiting for, Fett escaping the Sarlacc Pit. Furthermore, the scene is delivered fairly well, with one minor cinematographic miss.
Good
  • Shows fans the exact scene they want right away
  • That scene is delivered well
  • Temuera Morrison is back
Bad
  • Krayt Dragon escape may have been better
8.5
Great

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