There has not been a new Star Wars film in cinemas for five years and, with a few exceptions, the live-action series that have appeared on Disney+ have voluntarily locked themselves in prison. The Volume, a studio environment made up of huge LED screens, was intended to take Star Wars to unexpected places. So far, however, we have mainly seen gray deserts of lack of imagination in flat images.
Where has the limitless imagination that once fueled the franchise gone?
To answer this question, Skeleton Crew takes the perspective with which the majority of fans may have discovered the star saga: through children’s eyes. Even if the latest live-action series from the Star Wars universe cannot escape the volume barriers, there lies a touching coming-of-age story full of discovery, curiosity and a big secret.
Big space adventure: In Skeleton Crew, four children are lost in the Star Wars universe
Wim (Ravi Cabot-Conyers) is obsessed with the Jedi. Instead of studying for his upcoming school exams, he spends hours immersed in myths and legends. He reenacts lightsaber fights at the bus stop with his best friend, Neel (Robert Timothy Smith). And maybe, just maybe, he accidentally located a hidden Jedi temple on school grounds.
You can watch the trailer for Skeleton Crew here:
Star Wars: Skeleton Crew – S01 Trailer 2 (German) HD
A Star Wars fan in the Star Wars universe: Wim looks at the stars with childlike innocence and dreams of adventures in the infinite expanses of space. Like Luke Skywalker, who gazes longingly into the horizon, Wim is tied to his home, At Attin. Worse still, a barrier shields the peaceful planet from the rest of the galaxy. Nothing exciting will ever happen here.
But his spirit of discovery cannot be calmed down: Wim wants to excavate the Jedi Temple and recruits Neel for a cloak-and-dagger operation, in which Fern (Ryan Kiera Armstrong) and KB (Kyriana Kratter) are also involved a short time later. The find in the backyard is not what it seems: before the four kids know it, they find themselves on board a spaceship that takes on a life of its own and disappears into the darkness.
Playful Star Wars series: Skeleton Crew tells a really great coming-of-age story
The Goonies in Space: The elevator pitch from Jon Watts and Christopher Ford, the creative minds behind the project, must have sounded something like this. Smuggling coming-of-age stories into established franchises is their specialty, as the duo proved with Spider-Man: Homecoming. Now they’re repeating the trick with Star Wars – and without any signs of fatigue.
Peter Parker stumbling around New York between high school and superheroism is one thing. Four children, each other helplessly lost in spacetakes the uncertainty of growing up to the extreme. Especially when it turns out that no one has heard of their homeworld. Even the gruff but no less lovable droid SM-33 (Nick Frost) can’t find At Attin in his database.
Alderaan, Aldhani and Ahch-To maybe. But Attin? Suddenly the otherwise dreamy view of the starry sky is accompanied by something incredibly frightening. How are you supposed to orient yourself in this sea of points of light when the one thing you thought was irrefutable all your life doesn’t exist for anyone else? Wim and Co. can’t even call home. You are completely lost.
Lost in Space: At the edge of the galaxy, you can’t trust anyone, not even Jude Law
In addition to The Goonies, ET is the second big Amblin classic that was inspired by Skeleton Crew, from the sheltered suburban idyll to making contact, which in the case of At Attin is not that easy. Not only is there no trace of the planet on current star maps. Behind the supposed idyll there are a few abysses that are torn open by the spaceship taking off.
Even Poltergeist, another Amblin representative, fits into the picture well: Skeleton Crew questions the kids’ homeland and builds a big mystery around the planet. A clever decision on the part of Watts and Ford, as it also represents the nostalgic basic idea of the series put to the test. Are any of the stories about At Attin that Wim remembers true? Who can he trust?
This question becomes particularly exciting when the shady Jod Na Nawood (Jude Law) comes onto the scene. With his Force abilities he causes incredulous looks. But is he really a Jedi who can bring the four children home safely? Last but not least, he goes by different names, has opaque motivations, and knows full well that there is only one thing of real value in this galaxy: cold, hard credits.
Skeleton Crew is not only a coming-of-age series, but also an exciting pirate adventure
Sometimes the dark undertones of Stand by Me spill over, where a corpse crosses the adventure of four children. Speaking of adventure: One subgenre that should definitely not go unmentioned is the pirate film. Skeleton Crew has a similar charm to Pirates of the Caribbean, Treasure Planet and Peter Pan. Despite all the dangers, the story is told playfully and with humor.
The most magical image of this pirate adventure emerges in the third episode when Jod Na Nawood appears with the four children against the backdrop of a brightly shining moon wanders over dark planetary rock and we only see the silhouettes of the figures. For a brief moment you can even forget about the volume restrictions because Star Wars is simply dreaming away. Almost innocent somehow.
This is also possible because Skeleton Crew does not require much prior knowledge of the mythology of the saga. Although the series belongs to the Mandoverse around The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett and Ahsoka, there are hardly any connections to the other projects. Watts and Ford stay focused on the astonished eyes of their young protagonists – and it’s very easy to get infected by that.
Conclusion: Skeleton Crew definitely deserves a chance, just for Neel, the cutest new Star Wars hero
We are a long way from a masterpiece à la Andor. The Skeleton Crew will most likely not have to suffer a defeat like Boba Fett in the next few weeks. The characters work wonderfully, especially with the coming-of-age elements, and the mystery surrounding At Attin is captivating. Too bad the planet looks like any other suburban fantasy with a futuristic twist.
But don’t let that put you off, because Skeleton Crew is a convincing little, sweet space adventure that also features an absolute scene-stealer: Neel, the blue mini elephant the real gold shaft of the series. Even the grumpiest pirate couldn’t throw him overboard. Watts and Ford have really created a beautiful Star Wars series with thoughtful themes and motifs.
Skeleton Crew starts today, on December 3, 2024on Disney+. The first three of a total of eight episodes served as the basis for this series check.