Exit on the sly, Skeleton Crew is the latest TV series in the Star Wars universe. A beautiful and charming surprise which takes us back to the Lucasfilm/Amblin era of the 80s, without ever being in the raunchy quote or the easy homage!
Just like in the cinema, the universe Star Wars now seems to be looking for itself on the small screen. The Mandoverse waits to return via the dark room, Ahsoka will soon begin its season 2 to try to convince us, The Acolyte was blowing hot and cold only to see itself canceled, and all hopes are focused on the excellent Andor (the conclusion of which arrives in 3 months).
Yet, Skeleton Crew has just ended after its 8th episode, but this new Star Wars show arrives without much fanfare. It’s difficult not to understand the ambient skepticism, while the show is directed by Jon Watts (Spider-Man No Way Home), and seems to be completely eyeing the very cuddly 80’s revival (including Stranger Things is now the standard bearer).
Judge instead: Skeleton Crew takes place 5 years after episode VI (so like all other Star Wars series except Andor et The Acolyte) and introduces us to the planet At Attin. A seemingly completely normal world working for the New Republic, and ultimately close to our own. A suburb worthy of American suburbs, children going to school, civil servant parents working for the good of the Republic…
It is in this context that we discover Wim (a dreamy boy aspiring to become a Jedi) and Neel (an elephantine alien in a stunningly realistic costume), two friends who will discover an ancient spaceship buried in the forest. With Fern (daughter of the head teacher) and KB (friend of the latter and decked out in cybernetic implants), the children will be embarked on a galactic adventure with the aim of finding the way back to their world.
Old-fashioned adventure
A synopsis which therefore smells good Goonies therefore, especially since Skeleton Crew focuses on introducing us to the world of piracy within the Star Wars universe. A refreshing dimension, especially since the 8 episodes of the series take us to worlds/characters never encountered before! An absence of fan service which is pleasing, while this thwarted journey and return is structured in its structure like a real treasure hunt, personified by the character of Jod Na Nawood!
Indeed, this friend-enemy played by an excellent Jude Law alone distills as much mystery as the famous At Attin. The first appears to be a Jedi who became a pirate when his crew rebelled against him. The second, a world appearing on no map, and potentially holding a huge treasure. Therefore, Skeleton Crew offers a common thread that keeps us in suspense, while each episode allows not only to solidify the links of a quartet of particularly endearing heroes, but to bring a slight soap opera aspect to each chapter.
A space pirate port avoiding the rehash of the Cantina, a mountain planet hosting the most luxurious spa in the galaxy, a moon housing the library-observatory of an animatronic alien in the form of an owl…Skeleton Crew boasts expert manufacturing and craftsmanship that shines through in every episode (we are far from the soulless decorum of the filthy Kenobi).
Skeleton Crew: Star Wars crafts the way we like it
A small feat that we owe not only to John Knoll (visual effects supervisor of Andor, Rogue One et Pirates of the Caribbean), but also to all the department of Lucasfilm consisting of manufacturing the costumes/creatures/sets and accessories as much as possible. A symbiosis perfectly represented in episode 6 via this gigantic crab designed by Phil Tippett (Food Good), l’Onyx Cinder (we hadn’t seen such a sumptuous vessel for a very long time in Star Wars) or the truculent droid-lieutenant SM-33 (like a giant puppet).
However, we will regret an episode 4 a little below in terms of program (although directed by the Daniels), placing the characters on a barren world in the grip of a faction war. But apart from an astonishing Kamoulox appearance by Kassovitz, it is difficult to see this interlude as nothing more than unexploited filler.
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Nevertheless (and this thanks to competent directors like Jake Schreier, Bryce Dallas Howard, Lee Isaac Chung or even David Lowery), Skeleton Crew achieves a relatively impressive balancing act: creating a decidedly family-friendly Star Wars adventurecapable of touching young and old, but without ever falling into infantilization.
A charming treasure hunt therefore, seeming to come from the pages of Scrooge and also offering a unique look at the post-Original Trilogy political context. A contained story with a slightly abrupt epilogue, but if the adventure ends there, the journey was still worth it!
Skeleton Crew is available on Disney+
avis
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no need for jedi
Skeleton Crew succeeds where we least expected it: summoning Lucasfilm’s own craftsmanship to concoct a charming adventure for young and old. Somewhere between Scrooge and the Goonies, this unique foray into the Star Wars universe features even the most endearing young heroes from this galaxy far, far away. A well-functioning and enjoyable treasure hunt, we want more!
