Phil Roberts 
Skeleton Crew is an adventurous love letter to the kid-centric Amblin movies of yesteryear. It expands the Star Wars sandbox without treading on the toes of established lore.
Expanding the sandbox of the Star Wars universe seems like an impossible task these days. Dave Filoni delivered his magnum opus with Ahsoka, and Jon Favreau did the unthinkable and expertly brought Star Wars to the small screen. Despite these successes, series like The Acolyte and The Book of Boba Fett have failed to resonate with the fanbase. The latest series to test the water is Skeleton Crew, now streaming on Disney Plus.
The series is being shaped by Jon Watts, the director of Tom Holland’s Spider-Man movies, who aims to bring the franchise back to its origins with a space adventure that caters to kids. But can this light-hearted, innocent series truly capture lightning in a bottle and deliver the series fans can rally behind? Or is Skeleton Crew destined to be scuttled before it has the chance to unearth its treasures?
REVIEW
Fear not, Star Wars fans, because Skeleton Crew is a good old-fashioned space adventure that delivers a fun time in George Lucas’ sandbox that doesn’t tread on the toes of the established lore. The series effortlessly captures the spirit of The Goonies to deliver a fun, kid-centric adventure. It’s an energetic, engaging, and fun story that brings out the best in its young cast and thrusts them into a juicy mystery littered with space pirates, a great soundtrack, and a punchy screenplay. Sadly, the show has flaws; no show is perfect. But Jon Watts’ series is a fun introduction to the franchise for youngsters, with more than enough action and iconography to appease the wider fanbase.
Sadly, there will undoubtedly be a pocket of fans that attack the series for its efforts, especially for the childhood innocence the opening episode explores. However, on the strength of the opening episodes, the show has all the hallmarks of a great coming-of-age classic similar to the retro classics of the 80s. If given time, the show can become a new classic, but time isn’t always a plentiful commodity in SW fandom.
SPACE PIRATES
Anyone expecting the show to pull its punches and dull the action because the series centers on kids should check their expectations at the door. Believe me, this series doesn’t hold back. In the most faithful spirit of the saga, the opening sequence explodes to life with a pirate ship preying upon New Republic vessels. Harnessing and refreshing a few attack tactics from The Clone Wars, this rugged band of space pirates board a seized freighter and launch a brutal attack on its crew.
The pulse-pounding gunfight shows the lethality of this band of cutthroats led by the villainous commander Brutus, a Wolf-like Shistavanen alien. In the heat of battle, this notorious villain showcases his skills with remarkable ease, taking out his targets with a sinister delight. He also sheds light on the ruthless methods employed by the antagonists in the series, and it’s far from gentle. Having villains this vile is a bold statement from Watts, but he manages to balance the violence with the lighter tone of the series, which is refreshing.
KIDS STUFF
After setting the tone of the series with a thrilling opening attack, Watts dives right into introducing the kids who will lead this new chapter. At the forefront is Wim, portrayed by the fresh-faced and lively Ravi Cabot-Conyers. Wim is a dreamer who escapes his comfortable middle-class life by immersing himself in the lore of the Jedi.
Alongside him in his adventures is his best friend Neel, played with charm by Robert Timothy. This little Max Rebo-like alien adds a delightful twist to the series. Serving as part sidekick, part comic relief, and part moral compass, Neel quickly becomes the heart and soul of the story, helping to keep everything grounded as their adventures unfold. Wim’s fascination with the Jedi is met with skepticism by his father, Wendle, portrayed by Tunde Adebimpe. He encourages Wim to concentrate on his studies and strive to become a valued member of their planet’s community. But like all kids, Wim’s infatuation isn’t so easily shaken.
SCHOOLS OUT
The opening episode shifts focus to Wim’s school life, where we are introduced to the rebellious Fern, portrayed expertly by Ryan Kiera Armstrong, and her tech-savvy friend KB, played by Kyriana Kratter. This dynamic duo establishes themselves as a force to be reckoned with. Fern is the daughter of a prominent figure within the planet’s elite, but unbeknownst to her mother, portrayed by the dependable Kerry Condon, Fern is living on the wild side by engaging in street racing. With KB’s technical know-how transforming her bike into a race-ready machine, Fern embraces her thrill-seeking lifestyle, challenging her peers in heart-pounding races.
Regrettably, this is where the most notable criticism from the fanbase is likely to emerge. If you were among those who criticized the speeder bike gang in The Book of Boba Fett, brace yourself for a resurgence of those concerns. While we may not be deeply entrenched in the street racing scene, many of the elements that frustrated fans in BOBF resurface here. Though these instances are relatively few, they are bound to raise eyebrows among viewers. However, rest assured that these moments do not detract from the series’ overall quality.
THE ADVENTURE BEGINS…
As the story unfolds, we also get a glimpse into each child’s home life and the complex nature of their family relationships, hinting at a larger mystery that the series is destined to reveal. These moments bring Wim, Neel, Fern, and KB together. However, once they come together, they quickly find themselves swept up in the biggest adventure of their lives. Touted as “Space Goonies,” Jon Watts fully embraces this concept, delivering a visual feast that hits the mark. The spirit of The Goonies is always at the forefront, highlighted by elements like buried treasure, eerie pirate skeletons, strong team dynamics, and ships that unexpectedly spring to life and set sail into the unknown. These classic features helped make The Goonies an icon of pop culture, and they resonate just as powerfully in the galaxy far, far away.
Fortunately, these moments allow Watts to delve deeper into his characters, capturing a genuine sense of innocence that speaks to every child. These traits resound with audiences of all ages, transporting older viewers back to their childhood dreams of wielding lightsabers and playing with action figures. These pivotal scenes strike a chord with us all, inviting us to reminisce about our younger selves and reignite our dreams of becoming Jedi Knights. The underlying themes of the series reach beyond mere age, reminding us why we fell in love with this saga in the first place – and that is a joy to behold. But with the positives addressed, let’s look at the negatives.
ISSUES
While this review of the series has largely been positive, I do have some concerns about what we’ve seen so far. With the premiere episodes now available on Disney Plus, you may have noticed that Jude Law’s character, Jod Na Nawood, barely appears. Given his limited role up to this point, it seems likely that Law will take on a supporting position throughout the show, allowing the younger actors to take center stage and drive the story. This isn’t necessarily a weakness, but seeing him highlighted so prominently in the promotional material makes it a bit misleading.
Despite all the promotional focus on her role, I had similar concerns about The Acolyte after Carrie-Anne Moss’s character was unexpectedly killed off in the opening moments. I can only hope that Law has a more significant presence throughout the series because, based on his performance so far, he is a character I’m eager to delve into more deeply. The same goes for Nick Frost’s decayed droid, SM 33. After his appearance in the first episodes, I look forward to uncovering his backstory as the mystery unfolds.
SETTLING THE SCORE
Another surprising concern I have is with the soundtrack. Don’t get me wrong—Mick Giacchino has crafted an incredible score for this series, and given his outstanding work on The Penguin, his selection was never up for question. However, this series lacks a distinct theme that will leave a lasting impression. Every installment of the saga boasts its own memorable theme, from Clone Wars to Rebels, Ahsoka to The Mandalorian; those themes are unmistakably recognizable. Unfortunately, Skeleton Crew falls short in this department, missing out on a defining theme. If the series wants to stick in people’s minds, it needs to tackle this oversight!
The motifs used throughout his sympathy are well-placed and connect to the bigger stories we’ve seen in the saga so far. The score fits right into the Star Wars universe and even nods to the iconic Force theme we all know and love. Not that it needs to, but these little hints tie back to past adventures and give everything a familiar vibe that only helps us enjoy the show even more.
VERDICT
Overall, I had a blast with Skeleton Crew. Jon Watts has crafted a fun, adventurous love letter to the kid-centric Amblin movies of yesteryear and expanded the sandbox of the galaxy far, far away without treading on the toes of the established lore. But unlike other entries in the saga, this show isn’t reliant on anything we’ve seen or heard before. It truly stands on its own feet and proudly forges a new pathway into the lore of the franchise to deliver something new and fresh.
Although the show has its teething problems, there is more than enough quality on display to keep us engaged for several weeks. The pacing may become a factor as the weeks progress, especially after the second episode’s thrifty running time. But these are minor niggles that do not detract from the overall enjoyment of the show. Once again, the collaboration between Jon Watts and Christopher Ford has delivered a winning formula that has served up an engaging series.
While the show may not be an instant classic, there is more than enough to keep us entertained for the next few weeks. Skeleton Crew has made a strong start with two exciting episodes that feature a fantastic score, impressive performances, and the stunning visuals characteristic of the Star Wars franchise. It’s good, clean, and wholesome fun, so enjoy the ride.
Despite the lack of the Fratelli’s, these space Goonies are good enough!
The premiere episodes of Star Wars: Skeleton Crew are streaming on Disney Plus now.
Meet Phil Roberts! He’s the dedicated owner, daily content manager, and editor-in-chief of The Future of the Force. Phil is a budding novelist who turned his passion toward writing about the franchises he loves back in 2016. He’s a huge fan of all things Star Wars, Batman, DC, Marvel, Star Trek, Indiana Jones, Ghostbusters, King Kong, and the Ray Harryhausen movies. Phil is a BFI-accredited journalist and a distinguished member of the Film Critics Association UK.
If he’s not catching a movie at the cinema, you can bet he’s streaming something just as awesome!
It’s fantastic.