Are you still hiding the Jedi? Then Fett goes to you! The protracted, bloody wars between Jedi Order supporters and Free Mandalor squads are a critical component of the Star Wars Expanded Universe. The full-length paintings of George Lucas bypassed one of the most tragic eras of the galaxy far, far away, but through the efforts of writers, artists and game developers, the fearless Mandalorian warriors took their deserved place in the annals of the cosmic Saga, strengthening its mythology in reality with qualitative chapters. The confrontation between mercenaries and Jedi was not much inferior to the eternal struggle of the Light and Dark sides of the Force. And this in itself tells us that the Mandalorians did not take random candidates into their ranks, but strictly selected applicants, subjecting them to deadly tests, because only the best of the best could resist the Jedi trained in the Great Force on equal terms. The Mandalorian Wars were described in books, games, and comics, and until the abolition of the Expanded Universe were considered an indestructible part of the official canon. And even after Disney bosses reformed the franchise, this long period of galactic history is considered one of the foundational ones, because it does not cross the path of subsequent cinematic Episodes, filling the gaps of thousands of years ago.
One of the most revered Mandalorians of the galaxy far, far away is the unforgettable mercenary Boba Fett, who appeared on the screens in 1978, when he had the honor to become perhaps the only decoration of the controversial "Star Wars Holiday Special". The verbose, extremely dangerous and effective bounty hunter immediately migrated from the optional addition of the Saga to the Fifth episode of the original trilogy, where Jarge Lucas allocated him an important part that directly affects the course of the further narrative. It was Boba Fett who managed to track down Darth Vader's ever-elusive Millennium Falcon ship, and then took it to the palace of Tatooine gangster Jabba the Hutt. And despite the fact that in total, Fett stayed on the big screens for a few minutes, his image was loved by fans of “Star Wars” no less than Darth Vader himself. Thematic figurines and other related products that expand the modest biography of Fett’s bean served as an impetus for the elaboration of the era of the Mandalorian Wars. This circumstance can be considered the most important merit of Fett, who built on his reinforced shoulders a giant layer of history, which is not as easy to understand as it may seem.
Returning to Star Wars in the Prequel Trilogy, George Lucas could not help but return to the image of Fett, telling the world the story of the appearance of the antihero in the Saga. For quite a long time it was believed that Boba Fett was a man of white skin and his young years spent in the Imperial Academy, in which he acquired deadly skills, useful in his difficult profession. according to some sources, Fett escaped from service due to a bloody conflict with a senior officer, and then by surgical intervention cut out his pain centers in order to become one of the most dangerous people in the universe. In preparation for the release of Attack of the Clones, the Second episode of the Saga, George Lucas actually threw into the dustbin of history the previous biography of Fett, rewriting it from scratch. According to the plot of the film, Boba grew up under the care of the mercenary Django Fett, whose clone he is. Spending his youth on the planet Camino under the constant supervision of local master cloners, young Fett did not cease to take the example of his father, preparing in the future to follow in his footsteps. For Star Wars fans, such plot changes in Boba Fett’s line came as a real surprise, but for the most part they received them positively. Boba and Django Fetta became key figures in the advertising campaign “Clone Attacks”, and Fett senior, in addition to a series of his own comics, got the opportunity to shine in the computer game “Bounty Hunter”, not the most famous, but one of the best based on “Star Wars”.
The approach of the premiere of the second episode prompted independent director John E. Hutchens to return to the director’s chair and shoot another charming comedy short based on the ideas of George Lucas. This time, Hutchens left outside the attention of the trader Watto, who has already received a whole solo project of the 2000th year of release, and put at the head of the story of the brave Mandalorian Boba Fett, not forgetting to mention Darth Vader, with whom the mercenary has developed a strong business relationship since the Fifth episode. Hutchence’s creative style does not involve the creation of films in the traditional sense. Instead, he shoots parody commercials using popular marketing practices of American television. It is no exception and “The Jedi Hunter”, representing Boba Fett in an unusual role of showman. The role of the mercenary went to the good friend of the director, Brian Boling and it is worth noting that he coped with it no worse than Jeremy Bullock, Fett from the Original trilogy.
“The Jedi Hunter” is a commercial that encourages customers to use Boba Fett’s services. The bounty hunter openly demonstrates his talents, focusing on finding and neutralizing the Jedi. Fett’s blood has not yet cooled the fervor of the ancient Mandalorian Wars, and he is desperately trying to pay tribute to fallen comrades who managed to give the Jedi the proper resistance. With the rise of the Empire, Fett managed to avoid legal persecution and put the Jedi at the top of his list of priorities. However, even such a professional, acting on his own code of honor, excess cash will never hurt. With the help of charming beauties, now and then getting into the frame, Fett continues to demonstrate talents, referring to the recommendations of Darth Vader, who was convinced that no one can cope better than a Mandalorian with the task of catching a criminal!
I would like to pay special attention to the technical execution of the picture. The director approached the creation of special effects and scenery with proper attention to detail. In addition to computer graphics, imitating the discharges of blaster shots and the glow of lightsabers, Hutchence’s co-partners built impressive scenery of Mos Eisley’s cantina, worked out a very impressive choreography of fights between Fett and the Jedi, and also brought to an ideal state the costumes of the leading characters, which makes it seem that they moved to Hutchens from George Lucas himself. Thus, it can be noted that the third film of the independent director stands out from the previous ones and tells us that John E. Hutchens does not miss the opportunity to grow on his own mistakes, which can not be included in his creative asset.
“The Jedi Hunter” is a great entertainment, reminding the audience that jokes are bad with Boba Fett. The short confidently complements the original advertising trilogy of John E. Hutchens, borrowing the developments of the Expanded Universe, built by Lucasfilm for years. And it does not matter how deep your knowledge of the history of “Star Wars”, because “The Jedi Hunter” will necessarily please both loyal fans of the Saga and casual viewers, scouring in search of unobtrusive entertainment for a few minutes.
8 out of 10