How do you bring childlike wonder back to Star Wars, a franchise whose TV offerings are currently plagued with mindless fan service and unfortunate creative decisions? According to Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, the answer is quite simple: Put the focus on actual children.
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The latest Star Wars series, created by Spider-Man: Homecoming director Jon Watts and writer Chris Ford, meshes the wonders of the Galaxy Far, Far Away with the daring kids and treasure-hunting shenanigans of The Goonies. The formula, while simple, works wonders. Skeleton Crew proves charming as can be, with its classic adventure story feel setting it squarely apart from other Star Wars TV offerings.
What’s Skeleton Crew about?
Robert Timothy Smith and Ravi Cabot-Conyers in “Skeleton Crew.”
Credit: Matt Kennedy / Lucasfilm
This story takes place in the years after Return of the Jedi. The Empire is long gone, and there is a lot of theft all over the galaxy. Skeleton Crew doesn’t wait long to embrace the coolness of being a space pirate, which is great. In the first episode of the show, there is a Star Wars-style pirate attack complete with laser gun fire and huge harpoons that can be used as ramps to get on an enemy ship.
After this exciting beginning, we cut to the exact opposite of space pirates: well-kept space neighborhoods with well-kept grass, sidewalks, and street lamps. So far, this is the planet Attin, which looks like what you’d get if you spread an American town out over a whole world. We know this is Star Wars because of the sci-fi turns that poke through the familiar surface. The favorite ride for kids is a hoverbike, holograms are fun, and for some reason, every adult in the world is obsessed with finishing “the Great Work.”
Adults should be emphasized because Attin’s kids are busy with other things. Wim (Ravi Cabot-Conyers), a daydreamer, is so interested in the Jedi that it gets in the way of his schoolwork, even an important test that will determine his future job. Even though Neel (Robert Timothy Smith, Dear Santa) is a lot smarter, he still plays Jedi with Wim and helps him find what they think is a secret Jedi temple. Wim and Neel aren’t the only kids who want to break into the temple, though. Fern, played by Ryan Kiera Armstrong (Firestarter), and her best friend KB, who looks a lot like a robot, are also on the hunt.
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When the two groups of kids meet, there is a rough fight between the boys and the girls that feels like it came straight from the field. It’s another detail about Attin’s neighborhoods that is surprisingly relevant, and Skeleton Crew’s cute young cast does it with gusto. But when the kids find out that the temple is really a spaceship taking them somewhere they don’t know, they’ll have to work together to get back home.
Skeleton Crew presents a charming Star Wars adventure.
Kyriana Kratter, Robert Timothy Smith, Ryan Kiera Armstrong, and Ravi Cabot-Conyers in “Skeleton Crew.”
Credit: Lucasfilm Ltd.
Wim, Neel, Fern, and KB leave At Attin, and it’s clear why Skeleton Crew began them in the suburbs. Their old lives, which were full of routines and everyday life in the suburbs, are nothing compared to the scum and villainy they’ll find when their spaceship docks in a pirate haven. In the same way, Star Wars puts the audience in a strangely familiar setting, so we can feel the kids’ culture shock along with them.
In the end, one of the best things about Skeleton Crew is seeing Star Wars through the eyes of kids. As they fly through space for the first time, they are amazed by what they see. Their faces look a lot like mine (and millions of other people’s) did when I watched A New Hope for the first time as a child. They are both scared and amazed by the many space pirates they meet, most of whom are brought to life by amazing animatronics that they can touch. In all honesty, their emotions are a lot like mine were when I saw Neel for the first time. His blue, elephant-like head sent me into orbit right away. I mean, I love a good Star Wars monster, and Skeleton Crew has a lot of them.
Jod Na Nawood, the mystery actor who plays Jude Law in “The Order,” is also in the mix. He helps the kids make a daring escape. There is only one adult in the group, unless you count the droid SM-33, whose voice is provided by Nick Frost (Black Cab). But Jod is not here to be a smart parent. He’s actually a sneaky wild card that works really well with the kids, especially idealistic Wim (who wants to look up to Jod as a Jedi) and direct Fern (who won’t back down if he gets in her way).
The kids’ connection with Jod is always changing, which makes Skeleton Crew’s already fun trip through space even better. That being said, Skeleton Crew is able to go its own way because it doesn’t need to connect its story to other Star Wars shows (at least not in the first three episodes fans saw). Because they don’t have to worry about these things, Skeleton Crew can focus on what it does best: action. You wouldn’t believe how much fun it is.
Skeleton Crew is now streaming on Disney+.
