After multiple Star Wars series showcasing known characters from the Star Wars films, such as Ahsoka, Boba Fett and Obi-Wan Kenobi, the latest Disney+ series, “Skeleton Crew”, takes us on a different adventure within a galaxy far, far away and follows the journey of four kids who make a mysterious discovery on their seemingly safe home planet, then get lost in a strange and dangerous galaxy. Finding their way home—and meeting unlikely allies and enemies—will be a greater adventure than they ever imagined.

One of the exciting things about this series is how it takes you back to the 80s vibe of the original Star Wars films and other films from that era.   It’s primarily about a group of kids just trying to get home, dodging dangerous situations along the way.  

I’ve been lucky enough to see the first three episodes from this eight-episode series, and as we’ve seen with other Disney+ shows, often they come out of the gate very strong, and I’m really hoping with “Skeleton Crew” they manage to hit the landing and create a fantastic series.  Based on the first three episodes so far, I’ve got high hopes.

This is what I’d call a more traditional Star Wars project, similar to what we saw during the George Lucas years.  It’s aimed at kids and families, but that doesn’t mean adults aren’t going to like it; but “Skeleton Crew” isn’t an HBO type of show like “Andor” or filled with lightsaber battles.

The focus of this series is on four kids, who are all nice enough, if a little one-dimensional, but I’m sure as the show goes on, their characters will emerge a little more.  For these early episodes, it’s Jude Law’s mysterious character that will draw you in since not everything is as it seems.  There’s also a fun droid who adds some comedy value and can defend the kids when needed; plus, there are plenty of other weird and wacky creatures throughout.

Also, unlike most other Star Wars shows, “Skeleton Crew” doesn’t really play too much into cameos and nostalgia.  There are only a few references to events from the original trilogy, and we get to see some of the pirates from the latest season of “The Mandalorian”, but generally, based on these first three episodes, it isn’t your typical easter egg-filled show.  It does feel like you could just jump straight into this series without watching anything else from the Star Wars universe. 

One great thing about “Skeleton Crew” is the return to a more physical set experience; while there are plenty of visual effects, most of it looks like it was filmed on a real set, which just adds to that nostalgic feel and also I think just makes these shows feel more real.  The use of the Volume to create virtual sets, like we’ve seen in “The Mandalorian”, can be useful, but it doesn’t work for everything.   Plus, it looks like many of the alien characters are also physical, with a few digital alterations along the way, all of which make it look more traditional.

As we’ve seen with many of the other Star Wars Disney+ shows, the episode length is no doubt going to cause some issues for older fans, since these episodes only come in at around half an hour each, it once again feels like a long movie cut up into pieces, but that also might because I watched three episode back to back. 

Overall:   Based on these first three episodes of “Skeleton Crew”, I’ve enjoyed the story so far and am intrigued with where it’s going, and I love the whole 80s vibe.  It’s a fun adventure and I think younger audiences are going to love it.  I’ve got two nephews who I’ve been trying to get into Star Wars, and this might be the ticket since it has characters they can relate to, and the storyline is pretty simple, while also having a little more depth for adults. 

Rating: 4 Out Of 5

The first two episodes of “Skeleton Crew” will arrive on Disney+ on Monday, 2nd December 2024, at 6pm PT / 9pm ET, with a new episode being released each Tuesday.

Are you looking forward to watching “Skeleton Crew”?  Let me know on social media!

Roger Palmer

Roger has been a Disney fan since he was a kid and this interest has grown over the years. He has visited Disney Parks around the globe and has a vast collection of Disney movies and collectibles. He is the owner of What's On Disney Plus & DisKingdom. Email: Roger@WhatsOnDisneyPlus.com Twitter: Twitter.com/RogPalmerUK Facebook: Facebook.com/rogpalmeruk

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