The Star Wars original trilogy introduced fans to world-class worldbuilding, from hordes of extraterrestrial species, numerous droids, many wildly different worlds, political factions, and one of the coolest weapons in film history in the famous lightsaber. We’ve since had decades of novels, games, films, and series expanding the galaxy and its lore and inhabitants, so much so that new entries aren’t always met with the same triumphant buzz that any new project used to have. How does one encourage audiences to find a new way in, to see the galaxy with new eyes? Star Wars: Skeleton Crew finds an answer the old Amblin way, through seeing the galaxy through the eyes of a child. A set of children, actually, who find themselves on an adventure through the galaxy.

A Pack Of Feisty Young Protagonists Searching For Galactic Mysteries

Skeleton Crew follows four kids, Wim (Ravi Cabot-Conyers), Fern (Ryan Kiera Armstrong), KB (Kyriana Kratter), and Neel (Robert Timothy Smith), living humdrum lives on what seems to be a boring planet geared towards a bureaucratic future. Wim dreams of being a Jedi one day, but it’s the era of the New Republic, after the fall of the Empire, and that’s not seen as a viable future for any of the children on his planet. When Wim discovers an old, buried ship in the woods, it unites him and his friend Neel with the assertive Fern and kindly KB. The four break-in, reactivating the ship a little too much.

It sends them to an unknown location in the galaxy far from their home, where they encounter a shifty, imprisoned Force user named Jod Na Nawood (Jude Law), who’s suspiciously interested in helping them return home (to their planet that, legend has it, houses ancient treasure). The four need to survive space pirates and find their way safely home with a shifty Force user with a mysterious background in tow.

It’s an extremely charming set-up that invites audiences to explore the Star Wars galaxy through a new lens, as a set of smart children from a planet a bit removed explore and have new experiences. Like Amblin charmers The Goonies, Gremlins, or E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, Skeleton Crew puts young protagonists through otherworldly experiences as we see the world through their eyes. It’s a charming way to explore Star Wars in a new light, and given the mythology of uncharted planets and long-forgotten treasure, there are undoubtedly going to be lore-building surprises for seasoned audiences too.

In Space, No One Can Hear You Charm

Ravi Cabot-Conyers is a charmer as the willful daydreamer Wim, kind but idealistic, whose flights of fancy spark the kinds’ adventure into the galaxy. Fern is nearly Wim’s opposite, netting easy A’s but yearning to rebel with a chip on her shoulder, and Ryan Kiera Armstron plays the character with a self-assured posturing that works (almost a spiritual sister to Nita-Josee Hanna’s Mimi in Psycho Goreman). Jude Law is an exceptional choice for a likable, shady-but-probably-heroic-when-it-counts rogue. Smart, charismatic, probably aiming to betray you but you let him on the adventure anyway, it’s a fun roguish character that reads as dangerous but not too dangerous (an Amblin staple, because no one wants to see four kids be the protagonists of Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer).  

In the first three episodes that were available for review, the series clearly reveals itself as a little slow to start in terms of what’s accomplished per episode. With quickly-paced episodes (the second is merely 29 minutes), it’s still a breezy watch overall. We meet a host of pirates who, in true Star Wars fashion, are of a variety of different species and characteristics, for a creative exploration of the more Roguish sector of the galaxy in the episodes that were available. It is a little bit difficult to confidently pin down exactly what journey or discovery the young kids will be undertaking.

The kids make for a charming four-pack however, the light and whimsical tone creates a curious set of expectations. It’s not necessarily a children’s show, though it is thus far family-friendly, and there are strong teases that important revelations may be in store. From the perspective of a seasoned, adult Star Wars fan, one has to hope the discoveries still have a degree of weight to them, even if the protagonists are young and it has a fun-for-all-ages tone.

Skeleton Crew

May The Four Be With You

Altogether, Star Wars: Skeleton Crew is full of charm and potential, in no small part thanks to its proximity to a lot of beloved film and TV entries that the creators no doubt hope it calls to mind. In the episodes currently available for review. It is hard to say how much ultimate merit and longevity it will have on its own. The four young protagonists are charming and well-portrayed but have just started getting truly enveloped in the adventure to come by the third episode. It’s difficult to see how much they will grow, how important the mystery of their planet is, and how tough their journey home might be.

Altogether Star Wars: Skeleton Crew is a fun, light adventure that promises to deepen at least some understanding of the Star Wars galaxy. Creators Jon Watts and Christopher Ford are certainly successful storytellers, and the episodes have been entertaining and easy to latch on to, so optimism certainly seems warranted. It’s easily worth an audience’s experimentation to check the series out. It certainly seems like it will be a worthy series for more seasoned Star Wars fans as well, though for the subset of the audience that isn’t inherently on board from the sheer premise of an ‘Amblin in space’ series, here’s to hoping the payoff is worth the promised journey.

Star Wars: Skeleton Crew is available on Disney+.

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