Review: STAR WARS: SKELETON CREW Takes Fans on an Amblin-Style Space Odyssey
As a lifelong Star Wars fan and someone who grew up in the golden era of ‘80s adventure films, Star Wars: Skeleton Crew on Disney+ feels like a vibrant love letter to the stories I thought were awesome as a kid.
It’s a delightful mix of sci-fi fantasy and nostalgic storytelling, capturing the spirit of classics like The Goonies, E.T., and Explorers. The influence of The Goonies in particular is unmistakable, and I couldn’t help but smile at how the series awesomely captures that same sense of mischief and adventure.
The show has a blast playing in the radcore sandbox, which are those modern shows and movies that thrive on recapturing the magic of our childhoods.
One of the things I appreciated about Skeleton Crew is its boldness in feeling so different from anything we’ve seen in the Star Wars universe before. While it still has that signature Star Wars aesthetic, the story leans into fresh territory.
This isn’t another tale of Rebels and Empires duking it out or lightsaber duels in dimly lit corridors. Instead, we follow a group of kids thrust into a chaotic galactic adventure after making a mysterious discovery on their otherwise ordinary planet.
Their journey takes them into uncharted and dangerous corners of the galaxy as they try to find their way home, encountering a mix of allies, pirates, and enemies along the way, including Jude Law’s mysterious character Jod Na Nawood.
Law described the story as “joyful” and said that seeing kids navigate the Star Wars universe is thrilling, and I completely agree. The series successfully brings the wonder of Star Wars to a younger generation while rekindling that same sense of discovery and adventure for adults. It’s the kind of show I would have been obsessed with as a kid, and it certainly brought out in kid in me.
I appreciate how Skeleton Crew manages to be so different from anything we’ve seen in Star Wars before. Sure, there are nods to the larger universe, Easter eggs and references to old films, and shows, but it never feels beholden to them. Instead, it charts its own course, giving us a Star Wars story that stands out with originality and charm.
That said, the series isn’t perfect. Some moments might feel a bit too predictable for older viewers, and there are places where the pacing could be tighter. But, this is a show made for kids to enjoy and for adults to remember what it felt like to be a kid.
With Jon Watts (Spider-Man) at the helm, the series feels crafted with care and intention. The world-building is rich, the action sequences are exciting, and the story brims with imagination. Skeleton Crew isn’t just about the journey of these kids—it’s about rekindling a sense of wonder and reminding us why we fell in love with stories in the first place.
Star Wars: Skeleton Crew delivers an experience that bridges generations. It’s for the kids discovering Star Wars for the first time and for the adults who grew up on the adventures of the 80s.
It captures the magic of youthful adventure while carving out its own unique place in the galaxy. And that, to me, is what makes it truly special.
Star Wars: Skeleton Crew dares to be different, and it carving out its own space in the Star Wars universe, and I’m all for it. With its Amblin-style whimsy and endearing cast of characters, it captures the joy of what it feels like to get lost in an adventure.
The series also stars Ravi Cabot-Conyers, Kyriana Kratter, Robert Timothy Smith, and Ryan Kiera Armstrong. Nick Frost also stars in the series as a droid.
I’m looking forward to seeing where the story goes from here! If you watched the first two episodes, what did you think!?