The latest live-action Star Wars series rekindles the wide-eyed adventure of childhood.
“I can’t believe you said you wanted to be a Jedi when you grow up.”
Neel’s admonishment in the debut episode of Star Wars: Skeleton Crew may have been intended to embarrass our newly introduced young protagonist, Wim, but as a viewer, it felt pointed. I did (and maybe still do) want to grow up to be a Jedi. And just like Wim, I ask myself the question: “Why not?”
Watching Wim play with his action figures, scroll through the stories of Jedi on his storypad, and enact mock lightsaber battles, I couldn’t help but feel transported back to my own childhood — sans blue-trunked bestie and high-tech storybook, of course.
Wim is me. Wim is likely you. Or your own kids. He represents the longing we’ve all felt (or still feel) — to find adventure in the mundane, to rise above our ordinary surroundings to be a part of something bigger, to be something extraordinary.
As we’re introduced to Skeleton Crew’s cast of young characters, one can’t help but make comparisons to our favorite family-friendly adventure stories of (and inspired by) the 1980s – The Goonies, It, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, yes, even Stranger Things — complete with the ubiquitous handlebar tassels of the era on the hoverbike handles. But while the ominous opening of the series, complete with sea-faring nods to one of cinema’s most enduring genres, also elicits feelings of nostalgia, it’s the quiet streets of At Attin and the characters we meet there that truly capture the heart of this unique Star Wars story.
The opening brutality of the plundering pirates is a stark counterpoint to the idyllic galactic community. This is your neighborhood. My neighborhood. I went to school, studied for tests, had friends, faced bullies, felt parental pressures. And while other Star Wars stories certainly have relatable elements, the tapestry of At Attin and our young heroes is made up of threads that feel far closer to home.
Unlike so many Star Wars protagonists, Wim and his friends are not predestined for greatness. They’re not Skywalkers or Palpatines; they’re not royalty or Jedi. They’re each a small part of a vast galaxy, and Wim in particular is hungry for adventure.
And that’s what Skeleton Crew delivers. From the first two episodes, the story leans into the heart-pounding question of “What if?” What if I found an abandoned pirate starship in my backyard? What if I befriended a one-eyed droid pirate? What if I found myself whisked away to the farthest reaches of the galaxy on an exhilarating (yet terrifying) adventure with my friends?
These are the questions countless children have asked themselves on playgrounds across the world, for as long as recess — heck, for as long as imagination — has existed.
And why not?
To be a Star Wars fan, to me, is to ask these questions. It’s looking at the world with the wide-eyed optimism and sense of adventure of youth. And it’s why Skeleton Crew is striking such a chord with me. It’s making me feel like a kid again.
I fully plan to join Wim, Fern, KB, Neel, and their growing cast of friends each week with wide eyes, an open heart — and the warm memories of childhood action figure battles and dreams of becoming a Jedi.
Because why not?
Watch all new episodes of Star Wars: Skeleton Crew every Tuesday only on Disney+.
