Ivan Radford | On 08, Dec 2024

Star Wars has been going through a bit of an identity crisis in recent years. Never quite knowing whether to revisit old characters or not, its TV output has jumped from new ideas – The Mandalorian! – to fan favourites – Boba Fett! – from prequels – Obi-Wan Kenobi! – to sequels – Ahsoka! – and everything in between. Some of these have been fantastic, then rapidly run out of steam, while others have been abruptly cancelled before getting the chance to fully flesh out their ideas. Skeleton Crew joins Andor and The Acolyte in being one of the most distinctive and original live-action shows, but carves out its own groove by shirking adults characters for something more family-oriented.

Created by Jon “Spider-Man: Homecoming” Watts and Christopher Ford, the series unfolds in the aftermath of Return of the Jedi, but steers refreshingly clear of wider franchise tie-ins. Instead, it follows a bunch of kids on a far-flung planet who end up accidentally on a spaceship flung halfway across the galaxy. The result sits somewhere between The Goonies and Stranger Things, balancing a genuine sense of peril with a charming ensemble of young talent.

Ravi Cabot-Conyers stars as Wim, a young boy who dreams of following the legends he reads about and becoming a Jedi – much to the mockery of the other children around him, who are all preparing for their exam to determine their future careers. Well, almost all of them: Wim soon finds himself falling in with the rebellious Fern (Ryan Kiera Armstrong) and her cybernetic friend, KB (Kyriana Kratter), who are more interested in breaking the rules than joining the system. Accompanied by his innocent elephant-like alien friend, Neel (Robert Timothy Smith), Wim ends up leaving any thoughts of career development – not to mention his entire home world – behind.

All this is woven into a wider tapestry about space pirates, as we’re introduced to SM-33 (Nick Frost), an enjoyably raspy and rambunctious droid whose captain was ousted in a mutiny many years ago. SM-33 is both help and hindrance, as the children find themselves entirely out of their depth, and the fun lies in seeing them increasingly band together with a sincere sense of concern – Ryan Kiera Armstrong brings a winning note of loyalty to her wayward outlaw, while Ravi Cabot-Conyers has just enough self-awareness to make his daydreaming protagonist endearingly misguided.

Throw in Jude Law as the enigmatic Jod Na Nawood, a Force user who crosses path with the gang, and you have a winning mix of mystery and mayhem. Directed by Jon Watts and David Lowery with heart, energy and immediately convincing world-building, the result is an enjoyable romp that doesn’t take itself too seriously. You might well be tempted to compare it Amblin-esque sci-fi such as Super 8, but the truth is that Skeleton Crew actually just takes us back to the roots of the very first Star Wars film – an adventure about a young boy wanting something more in life that takes its excitement and fun from that wide-eyed voyage of discovery.

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