Skeleton Crew
Episodes 1 & 2 of Skeleton Crew are streaming on Disney+ at the time of writing. This review only covers those first two episodes. Rated TV-PG. Common Sense says 9+.
Wim (Ravi Cabot-Conyers) and his friends make a startling discovery on their home planet that will send them hurtling through the galaxy on the adventure of their lives.
STORY: A-
The nostalgia has become the nostalgia.
The show’s premise has played out in Star Wars fans’ imaginations for decades, manifested through action figures in family rooms and friends’ movie-making in backyards.
This show (and its plot) puts the main characters in the audience’s shoes. Seeing these kids live out our literal fantasies is great fun to watch.
PEOPLE: B+
These four young actors are up to the task.
Are these youngsters (Ravi Cabot-Conyers, Ryan Kiera Armstrong, Kyriana Kratter, and Robert Timothy Smith) crafting convincing, nuanced performances that convey awe, wonder, and a gleaming mischief that dances behind their eyes? They very likely are. Or they may actually not be acting, but literally feeling these emotions while on set.
No matter. Either way, these performances work.
FILM NERD STUFF: A
Star Wars comes to the suburbs.
It takes a precise artistic vision to design a world that will feel like both a familiar American suburb and a planet that would believably exist in a galaxy far, far, away.
If the balance isn’t right, the entire story comes off as a cheap gimmick. But thankfully, they’ve designed a Goldilocks planet: not too suburban, not too Star Wars-y, but just right.
ONE BIG LESSON: A
The size of your dreams will equal the size of your adventures.
If Wim doesn’t dream big, he and his friends miss out on the adventure of their lives.
They say that “luck is where preparation meets opportunity.” I think your adventures happen where your dreams meet opportunity.
Make sure your dreams are big enough to meet whatever moment meets you.
FINAL COMMENTS:
The first two episodes suggest this show will be a winner. It may have been low on my list of anticipated titles, but it’s the Star Wars show I’m actually enjoying the most since Andor.
Star Wars has long relied on its fans’ attachment to its past characters, past planets, and past plot lines to lure viewers in. As Disney keeps pumping out a seemingly unending stream of content, that power is clearly diminishing.
Skeleton Crew cleverly pivots away from past strategy, shifting the source of its nostalgia from its own content to the memories fans have made through their experience of that content.
This exercise in meta-nostalgia results in a smart, fascinating watch. It also forces us to ponder the limits of nostalgia’s allure.