When you hear “Stranger Things meets Star Wars,” your mind starts racing with possibilities. But Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, the latest installment in the Disney+ galaxy, doesn’t so much channel the supernatural dread of Hawkins as it does the heart-pounding, adventurous spirit of ‘80s Amblin Entertainment. Think The Goonies, E.T., and Indiana Jones with a heaping dose of hyperspace thrown in. It’s a pairing that, in hindsight, feels like it should have been obvious all along.

​

The series was helmed by Spider-Man: Homecoming director Jon Watts and writer Christopher Ford, with Jon Favreau, Dave Filoni, Kathleen Kennedy, and Colin Wilson on board as executive producers. The result? A show that balances nostalgia, whimsy, and Star Wars-style epicness to create something irresistibly fun.

​

At the heart of Skeleton Crew are four kids – Wim, Neel, Fern, and KB – residents of a pristine, droid-filled planet called At Attin. Life there is ordinary: they go to school, agonize over upcoming tests, and take part in the occasional speeder bike race. It’s idyllic – perhaps too idyllic – which makes their accidental journey into the wider, wilder galaxy all the more exciting.

​

Ravi Cabot-Conyers plays Wim, the show’s earnest POV character. He’s got big Luke Skywalker energy, daydreaming of Jedi glory while grappling with his own ordinariness.

​

Ryan Kiera Armstrong is Fern, the group’s rebellious mechanic and self-proclaimed leader. Kyriana Kratter plays the nerdy, techy KB, and Robert Timothy Smith rounds out the team with charm and humor as Neel, a kind of elephantine blue alien apparently not related to Max Rebo.

​

The show also features Nick Frost’s SM-33, a pirate droid with a penchant for “arrrr”-style antics.

​

Then there’s Jude Law as Jod, a mysterious figure who may – or may not – be a Jedi. Law brings a nuanced performance, straddling the line between mentor and wildcard with effortless charisma. Is he a hero, a con man, or something in between? That’s one of the show’s many tantalizing mysteries.

​

The plot kicks off in classic Spielbergian fashion: Wim stumbles upon a crashed starship, and before long, the kids are whisked away on an unintentional adventure. Their ship, a derelict pirate vessel, is packed with skeletons, dusty old hats, and other swashbuckling ephemera. From there, the show takes us to pirate-infested planets, whisks us through a series of daring escapes, and drops hints of a bigger secret about At Attin, a world rumored to hold untold riches and ties to the Old Republic era.

​

The pacing is brisk, the tone lighthearted, and the stakes just high enough to keep you invested without veering into grimdark territory.

​

For a saga that oscillated wildly in tone – from the nostalgia-fueled escapism of The Mandalorian to the cerebral intrigue of Andor – Skeleton Crew feels like a breath of fresh air. It’s not reinventing the wheel or breaking new ground. Instead, it’s a warm, comforting throwback to the kind of adventure films that made Star Wars so iconic in the first place.

​

Jon Watts and his team smartly double down on the Amblin vibes. The show’s glossy sets and practical effects feel like they could’ve been lifted straight out of an ‘80s blockbuster. Sure, there’s a hint of artificiality to the visual design – it’s very much a TV production – but it never detracts from the overall charm.

​

The series also avoids the pitfall of over-explaining itself. There are multiple “mystery box” elements at play – What is Jod hiding? What makes At Attin so special? Are these kids somehow out of time? – but it’s handled with a light touch that leaves you wanting more, rather than rolling your eyes.

​

One of Skeleton Crew’s biggest strengths is its cast. The kids have undeniable chemistry, bouncing off one another with the kind of sugary, overcaffeinated energy that’s hard to fake. Armstrong, in particular, stands out as Fern, exuding a kind of cool confidence that makes her instantly compelling.

​

Frost’s SM-33 is another highlight, and yet another wacky, fun Star Wars droid that constantly steals scenes from his human (and alien) castmates.

​

Law, too, is right at home here. Good in everything, he clearly understands the assignment and brings just a touch of gravitas without being too big, too dark, too complex.

​

Behind the camera, the show benefits from an exciting roster of directors, including Watts (all three MCU Spider-Man films), David Lowery (The Green Knight), the Daniels (Everything Everywhere All at Once), Jake Schreier (upcoming Thunderbolts*), Bryce Dallas Howard (The Mandalorian), and Lee Isaac Chung (Minari, Twisters).

​

If Skeleton Crew has a flaw, it’s that it doesn’t aim for the stars in terms of innovation. This is comfort food, plain and simple. But sometimes, that’s exactly what you need. It’s the kind of show you can imagine rewatching on sick days, a warm bowl of soup in hand, as the adventures of Wim and his friends play out like a warm hug.

​

The real question is whether the famously divisive Star Wars fandom will embrace it. Let’s be honest: Star Wars fans can be toxic, especially when a project doesn’t conform to their personal vision of the franchise. But if there’s any justice in the world – or the galaxy – Skeleton Crew will find its audience.

​

This is Star Wars at its most fun, its most heartfelt, and, dare we say, its most magical in years. It doesn’t try to rewrite the rules or outdo its predecessors. Instead, it revels in the joy of telling a good story with likable characters, a sense of adventure, and just the right amount of mystery.

​

Star Wars: Skeleton Crew is a love letter to the family adventure films of the ‘80s and a reminder that sometimes, it’s the kids who bring the magic back. Whether or not the rest of the fandom gets on board, this is a show that deserves to be celebrated.