Available since Tuesday on Disney+, the “Skeleton Crew” series has managed to seduce the American press with a family adventure compared to that of “Goonies”, but which would take place in the Star Wars universe.
A rather successful first impression. With three episodes accessible to critics – out of the eight in the series in total – the American press appears curious, even won over, by “Skeleton Crew”, the new Star Wars fiction launched on Disney+ this December 3. All point to the clear desire of the big-eared brand to offer entertainment aimed at children taking place in the Star Wars universe, with a simple and effective adventure around main characters compared to those of the famous film “The Goonies”.
Helmed by Jon Watts, the man behind the Spider-Man trilogy with Tom Holland, the series follows a group of children leading a peaceful life on a quiet planet in the galaxy. Their lives will take a radical turn when they discover the existence of an abandoned Jedi temple lost in the forest, where secrets lie that will attract evil-intentioned individuals. Fortunately for them, they will be able to count on the help of a banished Jedi, without knowing if they can really count on him.
Funny and tender
According to the Forbes site, “Skeleton Crew” is funny and direct in its message. It is very clearly aimed at a young audience, and does not seek to be anything else, while remaining part of the Star Wars universe that everyone knows. The USA Today site describes the series as “funny and tender”, but which nevertheless seems to have been assembled on an assembly line like Hollywood productions, with characters whose profiles are agreed.
For Collider, “Skeleton Crew” is the perfect meeting between the Amblin studio (Steven Spielberg) and the Star Wars universe. The site compares the character played by Jude Law to Captain Hook who would have been forced to team up with the Lost Children. The first episodes prove to be funny and exciting, particularly because of the talent of its young performers.
The Variety site underlines Disney’s successful bet to place the Star Wars universe in the world of children, leaving aside political intrigues and major commercial maneuvers for a child-sized adventure capable of taking viewers back to childhood. For The Hollywood Reporter, this series aimed at a young audience refreshes the Star Wars saga with a simple but terribly effective story, like an invitation to explore the world… and the galaxy.
Finally, the Rolling Stone site appreciates the “Skeleton Crew” attempt to take a new look at the Star Wars universe, which we discover for once through the eyes of four children who are not aware of all the issues of the actions carried out by each other – the story is set in the same period as “The Mandalorian”, a period called the New Republic – and who discover the world with unfeigned enthusiasm, as well as in wonder than in fear.
