Drama Review: Skeleton Crew
- Very Average Joe
- Apr 16
- 4 min read
Title: Skeleton Crew
Director(s): Christopher Ford, Jon Watts & others
Screenwriter(s): Jon Watts, David Lowery & others
Studio: Lucasfilm
Released: 2024
Runtime: 8 episodes, 32m–49m each.
Starring: Jude Law, Ravi Cabot-Conyers, Ryan Kiera Armstrong, Kyriana Kratter, Robert Timothy Smith, Nick Frost
Set a few years after the fall of the Empire, Wim (Ravi Cabot-Conyers) is bored with the peaceful life on the planet of At Attin. He is the stereotypical adventure-seeker and one day discovers what he thinks is a Jedi temple which he mentions in passing to an older girl named Fern (Ryan Kiera Armstrong).
When Wim and his friend Neel (Robert Timothy Smith) return to the site, Fern and her cyberpunk-visored friend KB (Kyriana Kratter) are already there. The four find that it is not a Jedi temple but a derelict ship. Wim pushes a button, because he’s that sort of person, and the ship takes off, then through the planet’s “barrier” and far, far away.
Of course, returning home is not a simple case of getting the ship’s nav computer to reverse course. It is presumably because the ship is old. Star Wars’s mandatory droid SM-33 cannot help and At Attin is not on any starmap either. The plot follows the four school-aged children and droid finding their way home.
The premise is another “find the map” which is straightforward even if it is hardly original and often poorly used. First stop of the journey is a port suggested by SM-33, partly because the ship requires repairs. At the port, the group is taken prisoner and they meet another prisoner Jod Na Nawood (Jude Law) who can use the Force. Wim assumes he is a Jedi and they agree to help each other escape. Somehow, the ship never gets the repairs it supposedly needs but can go into hyperspace with less trouble than the Millennium Falcon.
To the children’s surprise, most think At Attin is a mythical planet. This is strongly hinted by the fact that the planet has a barrier, that travel and communication beyond are forbidden, and society is very ordered. It is not overtly dystopian or eerie and could be taken further.
Although this is not a bad idea in itself, this aspect of the premise doesn’t entirely work, at least not initially. The world is isolated and yet it is somehow part of the Republic. They could plausibly get news of the outside but since they are meant to be hidden, why be part of the Republic? There is a reason but keeping it secret for centuries is implausible.
Like the recent Star Wars productions, it mostly looks sleek. The lightsaber glow still has that annoying over-saturation but otherwise, it is shot and edited well enough given that it takes a conventional approach.
As may be expected of a children’s story, two of the main characters are annoying in the way they are written. Wim wouldn’t be so annoying if he isn’t so irresponsible. He is negligent of school assessments, refuses to prioritize and lacks commonsense, like not pressing a button when one doesn’t know what it does. Cabot-Conyers does a solid job of being consistently and convincingly annoying. It’s a waste of his talent because the character doesn’t have to be like that.
Fern, on the other hand, is a little more sensible but comes across as trying way too hard to be tough and edgy. I am not sure if she is written and directed that way or if it is the actress’s choice. I suspect it is mostly the former.
Neel the elephant boy is done well in both writing and visually. Although he is written as “cowardly”, this aspect of his character is not overdone. He isn’t actually a coward, he is just prudent and understandably scared. Although he complains, he doesn’t whine too much. The little dude just wants to go home which is relatable. He never asked to go on an adventure. On balance, even if he comes across as a mere foil character initially, the pathos is packaged and presented nicely so he grows on you.
KB the “augmented chick” is the other character that has commonsense and coolly gets things done. Kratter gives a straightforward but fitting performance. It is a shame her character is not utilized better; that is, instead of relying on her augs to conveniently solve a problem, actually have her do some detective work with Neel. It is amusing that she happens to be half-Asian but I doubt that is intended to be the stereotype. Of course, being a Disney production, she has two mothers. Thankfully, this point is not dwelled on so the cringe level is minimal.
Law his usual typecasted slimy self. It is nothing spectacular by his standards but it is a fitting performance.
The themes are apparent such as “be careful what you wish for” (especially adventures), a simple and “boring” home life is way better than the outside world, and the usual “parents don’t listen to their children”. Thankfully, the “clueless parent” trope is not pushed too hard; parents are not outright disparaged but that aspect could nonetheless be toned down.
What is interesting is that the series does try to strike some balance between the galaxy having “good” and “bad” people. It is common for sci-fi to adopt one or the other extreme: either the romanticized optimism of “everyone has a good heart” even if they are misunderstood or the pessimistic view of the universe is always dangerous and “everyone is out for themselves”. Although clumsily executed, the series tries to have both.
Overall, despite two annoying lead characters, it is what one expects from a children’s story in every respect. The premise is simple enough and the themes are apparent if somewhat superficially treated. The pacing is mostly fine and the series is short so it is over quickly either way. The “problem” is resolved in the end although there are questions regarding some of the characters, clearly leaving it open for a possible second season.
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