Star Wars: Skeleton Crew review - A love letter to growing up
Star Wars’ greatest strength has always been its power to ignite the child in all of us. After all, no one is an exception to taking part in playing make believe. Whether you hoisted the sails as a swashbuckling pirate or defeated the realm’s most perilous threat as a dashing knight, childhood provides for that unbounded escapism. As you get older, such escapism is harder to come by but I’d say a fair few of us found it within George Lucas’ extraordinary Star Wars universe. A place where, no matter our age, we can embark on outlandish adventures, transporting ourselves to worlds so different from our own.
Having formed this universe based on his own childhood dreams, Lucas knew exactly what he was tapping into - and it was a stroke of genius. It’s with all of this in mind that it delights me to no end that it’s this particular strand of Star Wars’ magic that Skeleton Crew creators Jon Watts and Christopher Ford have isolated, weaving a heartwarming tale that forms a wonderful ode to growing up. Yes, this isn’t the first coming-of-age tale to exist but it is the first coming-of-age tale to exist in the Star Wars franchise - a franchise I grew up alongside.
I can’t imagine there’s a better backdrop to explore the trials and tribulations of youth, as Star Wars is a franchise that thrives on nostalgia. The end result is a love letter to our inner child, encapsulating the magic, wonderment, and sense of adventure that Star Wars has always promoted. Introducing us to an exceptionally talented young cast and led by Jude Law’s enigmatically mysterious Jod Na Nawood, Skeleton Crew’s opening three episodes set the scene for what teases to be a delicious ride.
We sat down with Skeleton Crew’s Jude Law, Ravi Cabot-Conyers, Ryan Kiera Armstrong, Kyriana Kratter, Robert Timothy Smith, Jon Watts, and Christopher Ford.
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The story begins on the planet of Att Attin where for Wim (Cabot-Conyers), Fern (Armstrong), KB (Kratter) and Neel (Smith), an ordinary school day is interrupted by the discovery of an old ship. Curiosity gets the better of the foursome as they explore inside, accidentally enabling the ship’s autopilot, sending them through hyperspace and away from Att Attin to a fearsome pirate colony. It’s here that the group garners some unwanted attention, landing themselves in the colony’s brig. What appears to be a turn for the worse though introduces our young crew to Jod (Law), a mysterious force user who promises to break the group out of prison if they agree to take him with them. Short of options, Wim, Fern, KB, and Neel oblige, sending the newly formed skeleton crew off on a perilous adventure as they search for a way home with the pirate world hot on their heels.
While there’s a lot about Star Wars: Skeleton Crew that’s filled my heart with joy, one major contributing factor is the show’s dedication to practical sets and effects, providing the series with a tangibility that’s missing in some fellow modern Star Wars stories. Please don’t get me wrong, I adore The Mandalorian and the so-called ‘volume’ works in certain scenarios, but when a set has been extensively and lovingly created, there’s a magic to it that oozes through the screen. You can feel the astonishment and sense of marvel of the series’ younger characters radiating out, and I’m not sure that feeling would’ve been so prevalent if these actors hadn’t had been gifted the experience of playing within such immense sets.
And this wonderful dedication to the art of practicality continues over into the way in which creatures are brought to life. Within minutes of the opening episode starting, we’re introduced to Brutus, a werewolf-like, well, brute of a character created by practical means. Of course, there’s also Neel, a key part of our main foursome - a blue elephant-esque creature created using a mix of motion capture but also, and more crucially, physical effects and on-set performance. Yes, CGI can sometimes offer a more realistic finish but for me, part of Star Wars’ charm has always been its encouragement of the viewer’s suspension of disbelief. Bringing these other-worldy characters to life in a way that pays homage to Star Wars’ heritage more so than opting for an adherence to modern day technologies infuses Skeleton Crew with that classic Star Wars DNA.
There’s also the benefit of improving interactivity. I can’t imagine an iteration of this show where Neel was brought to life purely via motion capture and voice recording. Robert Timothy Smith has excellent camaraderie and chemistry with his fellow adventurers as the character, and that clearly comes from the fostering of those relationships on set. And I have to say, the young cast is the jewel in the crown of what is shaping up to be a charming show. Each of the four main actors bring a relatability and depth to their character that transcends age.
Fern is fearsome, but perhaps a little standoffish. KB is logical and knowledgeable, but lacking strength in her sense of voice. Wim is joy personified, but requires a sense of grounding, while Neel is the amusing people-pleaser who perhaps needs to find some bravery hidden within. You don’t have to be young to identify with any of those above struggles and so I feel quite confident that Star Wars fans of all ages are really going to find something to emotionally latch onto here.
Of course, I can’t omit mentioning Jude Law’s Jod Na Nawood, or Crimson Jack as we’re at one point informed. There’s a great sense of freedom with this character, one in which it’s clear to see that Law relished the opportunity to take on. Jod is a true chameleon and in those opening three episodes, it’s hard to pin down what actually makes up the core of this man. Beyond partaking in piracy, it all becomes a question of what’s real and what’s a facade? He provides the illusion of being a Jedi to our young crew, but there’s a glisten in Jod’s eye that almost reads as ‘That’s what I know you want me to be’.
Jod is a true puzzle and that’s a really compelling thread that I look forward to seeing unravel as the series progresses past those opening three episodes. In fact, that intrigue applies to Skeleton Crew as a whole. Beyond knowing that it’s the desire of Wim, Fern, KB, and Neel to return home, there’s no real indicators of how they might get there, and with Jod also being a complete mystery to the viewer, Skelton Crew is a true journey into the unknown - and that’s exactly what we all want to see.
Naturally, it awaits to be seen if Star Wars: Skeleton Crew sustains the palpable sense of adventure and awe it fosters in those opening three episodes, in large part thanks to its talented young cast, in the remaining five instalments of its run, but I have a feeling it will. For a franchise that for many of us formed the backdrop of our childhoods, and has allowed us to escape to other worlds in the years since, it feels only right that it’s now taking us on a coming-of-age adventure. It may be a genre that reflects the experience of going from a child to an adult, but there’s no expiry date on feelings on finding oneself, something that Skeleton Crew understands and taps into. This is a brand new take on Star Wars, but one that’s so fitting that it feels long overdue.
Star Wars: Skeleton Crew launches on 2 December at 6pm PT with the first two episodes, exclusively on Disney Plus. UK viewers can tune in from 2am GMT on 3 December.
Topics: Star Wars, TV And Film, Disney, Reviews