Wim lives a simple life. He wakes up every morning and goes to school. At night, he crams for the placement exams that will determine his future. On the weekends, he dreams of being a knight and having adventures. His best friend is a blue elephant.
Oh, did I forget to mention? Wim lives in the Star Wars universe.
One day, Wim and Neel (his friendly Loxodonta) are exploring in the woods when they find a mysterious, overgrown mechanical hatch. Maybe it leads to a secret underground temple? Nope, just a buried intergalactic star freighter. Two girls, Fern and KB, also stumble across the wreck and claim it for themselves. They are looking for replacement parts for their speeder bike.
No sooner do they climb aboard than the ship takes off and leaves them stranded lightyears away from home. To make matters worse, it turns out that the kids live on At Attin–a “lost” world rumored to possess riches beyond men’s wildest dreams. This makes it a little hard to ask for directions.
Their ship, they learn later, was once owned by the notorious pirate Tak Rennod. The only crew left aboard is the malfunctioning droid SM-33, who is voiced by a pitch perfect by Nick Frost. The name SM-33, you’ll notice, looks like Smee, the right-hand man to Captain Hook. Fern pluckily declares herself the new Captain and orders SM-33 to land them someplace safe. SM-33 takes them to the safest place he knows: A haven for pirates and smugglers.
Thus begins the adventures of the Skeleton Crew.
I’ll admit, I was skeptical when I saw the trailer. Suburban kids setting off on a pirate adventure in the Star Wars universe? Sounds like the usual Disney committee-think disaster.
But the result is charming and fun. It’s The Goonies in space.
Along the way, the crew meets up with Jod Na Nawood. He sports an unfortunate name even by Star Wars standards. He may also be a secret Jedi. But why do the kids find him in jail? Also, everyone he meets knows him by a different name–Captain Silvo, Crimson Jack, Dash Zentin, Professor Umiam Gorelox. Take your pick. Each person tells the kids: “Don’t trust him.” But Wim is skeptical. How can a Jedi knight be bad?
Jude Law is clearly having a blast playing Jod, who feels like Han Solo if life kept dealing him bad hands. Or maybe Indiana Jones is a better fit. He’s clearly making this up as he goes and staying just one step ahead of near disaster. When all the plates come falling down, it’s hard to know whether he will come down on the side of the saints or the sinners. It’s possible he doesn’t know either.
If I were to lodge one complaint: I still think putting suburbs in Star Wars is a stupid idea. I know. I get it. It’s a narrative shorthand to build a connection with the young audience.
But it’s not like kids needed that to relate to Luke Skywalker. You can still do the kids-bored-with-everyday-life schtick without reducing it to lawn mowers and white picket fences.
And, ya know, blue elephant besties.
I don’t think Star Wars has been this entertaining since the first season of the Mandalorian. This is the kind of show that would’ve blown my mind as a kid. As a recently-turned 40-year-old, it’s still easy to recommend. It’s got that classic Spielberg, Amblin Entertainment charm that’s so rare these days.
I’ll admit to being biased. I grew up enamored with Indiana Jones, Jurassic Park, and Back to the Future. Part of me yearns for pulpy, preposterous adventure stories. Throw some lost cities, forbidden treasures, and a few daring escapes at me and I’m pretty much in for the cost of admission. Not everything has to be high art. Sometimes fun is enough.
Joe Johnson Writer 