Two episodes in and Star Wars: Skeleton Crew is a heck of a lot of fun – for what it is. And what it is happens to be a series that owes a heck of a lot to several late 1980s/early 1990s films about kids working together to go on an adventure. Think Goonies, Stand by Me, Now and Then, heck, even Hook. There’s a clear blueprint here to follow and thus far, creators Jon Watts and Christopher Ford are following it to a T. And lest you think I’m complaining that this isn’t exactly a novel formula for a story, let me assure you I’m not. I’ve said it before and I’ll gladly stress it again here: A show doesn’t need to reinvent the wheel if it knows what it wants to be and works within that framework to deliver on that story. And thus far, Skeleton Crew is very much doing that.
Our central premise here is four kids – two pairs of friends, a set of girls and a set of boys – end up lost in the galaxy after hotwiring a starship that was lodged in a forest on their planet, captured by pirates and needing to team-up with a rogue Force-user in hopes of making it back home. Only problem is (you know, outside of all the problems just listed), everyone in the galaxy seems to think that their home planet, At Attin, is a mythical land of treasure (which might explain the “Barrier” that surrounds the planet, along with the regimented system of government, making it impossible to see even the stars that surround them. It’s a pretty slight premise (kids, lost in space, trying to find their way home whilst attempting to escape from dangers they never knew existed out in the galaxy because they were so sheltered). But the series isn’t trying to do anything fancy so far – just tell a pretty straightforward story.
It helps that the series has found an excellent group of young actors to carry the tale (at least until Jude Law makes his appearance as their adult helper – the Force-sensitive Jod Na Nawood – at the close of episode two). Ravi Cabot-Convers is the perfect blend of wide-eyed dreamer and chronic screw-up as Wim. Ryan Kiera Armstrong is great as the budding leader (who isn’t quite as sure of herself as she wants everyone to think she is) as Fern. Kyrianna Kratter is the calming presence as KB (who is definitely the Marcy to Fern’s Peppermint Patty). And Robert Timothy Smith is great as Neel, our sensitive addition to the pack. Throw in Kerry Condon as Fern’s mom (who I suspect we’ll be seeing more of as the parents of the missing kids try to figure out a way to find them) and you have a great cast.
And really, when you’re working within the confines of a story like this one, your cast is the key to elevating the material into sometime more than a knock-off of stories Gen-Xers and Millennials loved as kids. Think back to the films Skeleton Crew is borrowing from. What was the thing that set them apart? It was the strength of their cast – especially the kids in the story. These classic films were classics largely because those kids elevated the material and made the fantastical elements of the story sing. So far, after these initial two episodes, it looks like we might have a similar situation happening. This group of young actors are holding their own against seasoned pros and aren’t falling into the trap of trying to be cute or surly to avoid having to put in the work. Kratter and Smith, in particular, are making some interesting choices that serve to set their characters clearly apart from their more vocal and prominent other halves.
When it comes to Star Wars, I always worry a bit when the Force gets brought into the story. Sure, it’s one thing if we’re telling a tale of the Jedi, but here, I’m a bit hesitant to see what the story has in store for Nawood as a character. After all, why didn’t he just snatch the key before now? Why wait until this stage of the game to break out? And he’s clearly not a Jedi Knight (seeing as he was, in fact, a pirate), so what is his game? The Force can become a bit of a get out of jail free card in Star Wars storytelling, allowing writers to get out from under plot points by simply using it to get the heroes out of danger. Now, if Nawood isn’t trained, I am a bit less worried about the Force of it all. But I do worry that having the Force in play might overshadow the kids and their story – which really should be the focal point of this tale.
After all, if they really do come from a fully isolated planet that hasn’t felt the full impact of the recent war, well, that’s a hell of a story to tell. And if their returning home could expose their planet to the outside galaxy and its influence, again, that’s a really interesting story point that would create some complex political turmoil for the adults in the story to try and work their way through. I know the series has been marketed more as a story for kids, but there’s got to be a hook to really keep the adult audience engaged (beyond Jude Law), and that might just be it.
So, through two episodes, I’m on board to see just what Skeleton Crew has to offer. And so far, it’s been delivering just the right mix of precocious kids with a thirst for adventure, pirates, and Star Wars intrigue to keep me wondering just where this story might take us.
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