Review: ‘Star Wars: Skeleton Crew’ unveils a treasure trove of references in a swashbuckling space adventure
“Star Wars: Skeleton Crew,” a new Disney+ series, is a fresh take on spacefaring buccaneers with many references for fans to spot.
“Skeleton Crew” follows the story of four kids — Wim, Fern, KB, and Neel — as they stumble upon an old, decrepit vessel and accidentally hyperspace away from their secluded suburban homes into a gritty underworld of space pirates. With clear inspiration from classic films such as “The Goonies” and “E.T.,” the nostalgia will run rampant with children of the ‘80s, but of course anyone who has pretended to play with lightsabers will be able to identify with these kids and their story.
Not only does the show pay homage to classic films, it also directly references some “Star Wars” extended-universe plot lines and characters, bringing them back into the franchise’s canon. Fans will be able to make connections to the theme parks, old comics, novels, video games, and even the infamous Holiday Special.
To name one reference in particular, as many have already noticed in a previously released trailer, Fuzzball from the extinct “Captain EO” attraction at Epcot, Disneyland Park, and Tokyo Disneyland (notably featuring George Lucas as an executive producer) makes an appearance in a cage as the children explore a pirate port in episode 2.
It’s surprising how well swashbucklers mix with space travel in the series. Space pirates are certainly not a new concept to “Star Wars.” However, “Skeleton Crew” is, in my opinion, the first example of them in the franchise to capture the same feeling you’d get watching something like “Pirates of the Caribbean” or “Treasure Island” (maybe “Treasure Planet” in this case?). A big part of that is the “Skeleton Crew” soundtrack composed by Mick Giacchino (son of famous film and television composer Michael Giacchino). He masterfully blends sea shanty vibes with sci-fi beats. I’m very much looking forward to adding the album to my library.
Not to mention the main droid in the series is “SM-33”… Mr. Smee, anyone?
How to watch ‘Star Wars: Skeleton Crew’
The first two episodes of “Skeleton Crew” are now streaming on Disney+. Going forward, one episode will be released weekly (Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET) until the season finale during the second week in January.
“Skeleton Crew” is shaping up to be a fun adventure with a fresh take on spacefaring buccaneers in the “Star Wars” galaxy. It’s clear the show is aimed at families, and while the pirates can be brutal at times, I’d say it’s no worse than the violence seen in some of the main “Star Wars” films. I can’t wait to see what happens next.
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