As a long-time Star Wars enthusiast who grew up watching the original trilogy and later fell in love with the prequels, I must say that “Star Wars: Skeleton Crew” has managed to capture the essence of what made me fall in love with this universe in the first place. The show takes me back to my childhood days when I watched Luke Skywalker and his friends embark on their adventures, filled with hijinks, shenanigans, and Ewoks.
heads up: plot twists from the initial two episodes of Star Wars: The Bone Crew may be revealed, currently available for streaming on Disney+’s platform.
Star Wars is returning on television with the live-action project “Skeleton Crew”, marking its appearance since the summer’s cancellation of “The Acolyte”. Given my disappointment over the latter, I wasn’t exactly thrilled about the next installment in 2024. Consequently, I didn’t bother watching the trailer for “Skeleton Crew” upon release, and my understanding of the show was limited to knowing that Jude Law had been cast and it would focus on children.
Still, I’m a fan of the galaxy far, far away going back to VHS tapes in the ’90s, so I wasn’t going to just not give it a chance when it could turn out to be one of the best Disney+ Star Wars shows. The Disney streamer released the first two episodes on premiere day, and I understand why after watching them. So, let’s get into what it was like to watch a Star Wars project completely unspoiled by a trailer and what I was most impressed by after two episodes.
Skeleton Crew Is Just Fun
Here’s one way to rephrase it:
Oh my goodness gracious me, “Skeleton Crew” was such a delightful read once characters like Wim, Neel, Fern, and KB appeared that it felt like experiencing the joy of “Star Wars: A New Hope” for the first time all over again. This series manages to portray the essence of “Star Wars” more effectively than even its lighter animated counterparts, and I eagerly hope that this sense of fun remains consistent in future episodes.
The At Attin Mystery
The biggest mystery of the show so far concerns the planet that the kids come from, which they insist is At Attin, not knowing that that’s a place of myth and treasure to the rest of the galaxy. That gradual reveal was fantastic, as far as I’m concerned, not least because something seemed off about the planet from the start. While the Star Wars galaxy is a huge place and not every planet is going to be Tatooine, I was getting vibes from At Attin that ranged from The Giver to Brave New World, without the latter’s problematic issues.
It’s intriguing to discover a Star Wars enigma that doesn’t necessarily revolve around hidden Sith or complex Jedi teachings, or space whales. Could At Attin merely be a myth known only by the four children? Might it be an interstellar El Dorado? What about Wim’s pristine Old Republic credit? I can’t say for certain, but I’m eager to unravel the mystery.
Completely New Locations
Although it’s delightful to relive classic Tatooine scenes for nostalgia and was thrilling to see Lothal come alive in live-action on “Ahsoka,” after being a significant part of animation in “Star Wars Rebels,” it’s exciting to discover a new planet like the one in “Skeleton Crew.” It’s refreshing that this planet hasn’t been visited frequently, and the space port doesn’t need to be Mos Eisley to be teeming with scoundrels and ne’er-do-wells. Despite my lack of spoilers (and perhaps continuing so), I can’t definitively say these characters won’t venture into familiar landscapes loved by franchise enthusiasts, but the originality shown thus far is commendable.
The Nostalgic Vibes
I’m sure that Skeleton Crew will be a great entry into Star Wars for youngsters, and I loved the sense of nostalgia that I took away from the new show’s first two episodes. The similarities to Goonies are no coincidence after the classic ’80s film’s director gave some advice to Skeleton Crew‘s co-creator, but I also found myself thinking back to A New Hope and Return of the Jedi in particular.
In these classic films, there were indeed intense scenes and disagreements, but they also had their fair share of mischief and humor, even Ewoks. Skeleton Crew seemed to me like a return to an earlier style, in a good way. Upon completing the second episode of this series, I couldn’t help but hope that it wouldn’t become the second show this year to divide passionate fans opinion.
The Child Actors
Credit where credit’s due – while Jude Law may be the big name attached to Skeleton Crew, he didn’t turn up until the last few moments of the second episodes to enigmatically use the Force. Unspoiled as I am, do I know who his character is, how long he was in the brig, or why he waited for a foursome of preteens before using the Force to fetch the key? I sure don’t, but due to the performances from the kids, I was sold on the show well before the John Williams-loving Jude Law showed up.
The primary child actors are Ravi Cabot-Conyers portraying Wim, Ryan Kiera Armstrong as Fern, Kyriana Kratter as KB, and Robert Timothy Smith as Neel. Watching their interactions made me think of the initial season of “Stranger Things”. I hadn’t encountered any of these young actors in previous projects before their journey in Hawkins and the Upside Down began, and I had no preconceived ideas about the “Skeleton Crew” kids either. However, they have formed a strong ensemble after only two episodes.
Jude Law The Jedi (Maybe?)
The extended Star Wars universe isn’t always my favorite, as I believe not everything needs to revolve around the Force to be engaging. Shows like Rogue One and Andor prove this. So, while I’m not particularly interested in Jude Law’s character being a Jedi (or not), it’s possible that his character is someone we’re already familiar with from Star Wars lore, but I haven’t picked up on the clues yet. I’ve avoided spoilers since watching the first two Skeleton Crew episodes, and Law’s character was well-introduced, suggesting he might be a mentor figure for the show.
It’s quite possible that the character played by Jude Law isn’t truly a Jedi, given that there are numerous Force-users in the galaxy beyond just the Jedi Order like Obi-Wan Kenobi and Luke Skywalker. However, his enigmatic Force-user persona, dressed in a long robe with ethereal music accompanying the soundtrack, gives off a distinctly Jedi vibe. Regardless, it appears this storyline won’t follow the path of _The Mandalorian_, where the main characters gradually merge their tales into the broader saga’s mythology.
Overall, I’ve grown fond of Skeleton Crew, having watched it without knowing much about it, and I intend to keep it that way for the remainder of this season and beyond. Regardless of your stance on this, you can expect fresh episodes of Star Wars: Skeleton Crew every Wednesday, streaming on Disney+.
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2024-12-03 15:37