I have not been the kindest of critics towards Star Wars as of late, as I have found that the shows and movies produced by Lucasfilm and Disney have lacked the level of thrill and epic sci-fi magnitude that the franchise was once known for. The last year mostly proved that with a middling final season of The Bad Batch, a simply fine Tales of the Empire, and a frankly disappointing The Acolyte. Then December rolled around and we were introduced to Skeleton Crew, a new show that started with a collection of episodes that didn't convince me we were in store for much more than yet another middle-or-the-park, borderline underwhelming adventure in a galaxy far, far away. However, as this show has progressed, I've found myself increasingly entertained and engaged by what creators Christopher Ford and Jon Watts had to offer, so much so that Skeleton Crew stands out as one of the better recent Star Wars projects.
For those unaware, Skeleton Crew follows a collection of youngsters as they embark on a journey through the stars in the hope of returning to their home planet, the mythical At Attin. This journey is far from easy however, as this distant world is all but legend to the wider galaxy, meaning the kids are forced to place their trust in a stranger who they soon realise is a twisted and cruel pirate. It's an interesting story for two main reasons; firstly it's almost designed as a pure family adventure, with the young cast being far from adolescents, and secondly because unlike other Star Wars projects, the galaxy isn't at risk here and there are no Jedi and Sith battling for good and evil. It's just a small-scale easy adventure with limited impact on the wider Star Wars world.
While I appreciate this concept, the young cast don't quite encapsulate and entertain me in ways that other Star Wars protagonists have in the past. Yes, they are very young and lack the training and experience to compete with more established stars, but at the same time these four heroes are a distance away from being iconic Kevin Macallister-types for example. Also, adding to this is the rest of the cast, which have minor and inconsistent roles at best. A huge emphasis and weight is placed firmly on the shoulders of Jude Law, who offers an unbalanced performance too, likely in part down to how his character changes sides and dynamics on an episodic basis. While I won't deny that Law's character Jod Na Nawood starts off leaving some to be desired, by the end of the season he grows to become quite a competent and worthy villain, one where even into the last episode, a degree of mystery remains in regard to his true motives and past.
Plot and performances aside, if there is one area that Skeleton Crew, like most Star Wars movies and shows before it, absolutely nails without question it would be the special effects, set design, costumes, and audio. Star Wars, regardless of how you look at each project, always blows you away with detailed and rich sets, colourful and memorable costumes and practical effects, vibrant and stunning special effects, and audio that makes your house rattle as your speaker system kicks out the signature sound of a spaceship blasting off into hyperspace or a lightsaber activating. Skeleton Crew never misses a beat here and from a production standpoint feels incredibly premium.
Now that the season has wrapped up, I'd also like to point a finger at the pacing and how each of the episodes performed. For starters, as I alluded to earlier, Skeleton Crew grows and improves as the season progresses, to the point where the last half are better than the first half. Between a great penultimate episode and a fantastic fifth episode that took the crew to a galactic spa of all places, Skeleton Crew manages to make you want to return on a weekly basis and that's not something I've found myself wanting to do for a lot of Star Wars as of late. However, I will add that the finale comes to a close with a bit of an abrupt and less fulfilling stop, but it's also not an ending that caved and presented some meaningless fan-service, so I will implore and celebrate the series for that reason.
The one area that I would issue a degree of caution is that while Skeleton Crew has been an entertaining watch, it has felt that way because of the unique premise. Essentially, I hope that we don't see a cavalcade of Skeleton Crew-like shows that are geared for younger folk first and foremost and that lack that grander Star Wars focus, because for Star Wars to succeed it needs to have a balance between the major and minor, and Skeleton Crew is a firm example that the latter has been lacking for years.
But overall, while it won't be the reason you fall back in love with Star Wars and begin building up hope that this franchise can reach its immense potential again, Skeleton Crew has been an entertaining watch that's great for all audiences and of which doesn't require you to be clued into the wider and increasingly complex library of Star Wars lore. It's an easy, delightful, and fun watch and frankly that's exactly what I want out of a more infantile and family-friendly Star Wars series.