Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *
Cast: Jude Law, Robert Timothy Smith, Ryan Kiera Armstrong, Kyriana Kratter, Ravi Cabot-Conyers, Nick Frost, Jaleel White, Dominic Burgess, Fred Tatasciore, Tunde Adebimpe, Geneva Carr, Marti Matulis, Kerry Condon, Mickey Cassidy, Dale Soules, Sisa Grey, M. J. Kang, Stephen Oyoung, Mike Estes, Cass Buggé, Kacie Borrowman, Robert Ramsdell, Kelly Macdonald, Alla Shawkat, Julie Ann Emery, Jacob Roanhaus, Stephen Fry, Andy Powers, Shane Almagor.
Skeleton Crew, the latest addition to the Star Wars cannon sees the studio return back to a time where fun was a large part of the appeal of the in depth universe being created; indeed as the eight part series progresses, as the divergent character traits of the children at the heart of the exciting tale tackle the force of complicated adult manipulation and the understanding that all that was seen to be stifling and controlling their life was simply caring designed to protect them the wider evil abroad in space, so the viewer is immersed into a time when the franchise was entertaining and positive without holding a political mirror up to the society it is engaged with.
The difficulty with working with children is well established, for a lead actor who is almost in every scene with the endearing foursome at the centre of the story of the mystery of At Attin, Jude Law steps up to the science fiction mound once more and seriously knocks the performance out of the park, living up to his status as a seasoned actor of superb repute.
As the mystery unfolds, so the danger for the four young but adventurous children increase, and it is to Jude Law’s credit that he brings out the best in their youthful performances, making Robert Timothy Smith, Ryan Kiera Armstrong, Kyriana Kratter and Ravi Cabot-Conyers’ struggles of navigating a time when the bloodthirsty and the reckless are willing to destroy anything if it gives them the wealth they so desperately covet in the days after the Empire’s fall.
The pleasure of the series certainly derives from the choice made to not allow the series to become a puppet to the direction taken in other series such as The Acolyte, its sincerity is in its ability to just be enjoyed as a coming-of-age tale that speaks across the generations.
Whilst only being in the series for a short period of time Kelly Macdonald adds a sophistication to the screen in her role of Pokkit, a counterpoint to Jude Law’s Jod Na Nawood, and yet both following a course of negotiating their soul for the credits they believe is theirs by right.
The obvious nature of the series demands that it is aimed at the young demographic; and yet the overall aesthetic is enough for all the family to truly appreciate the experience of the rite of passage, to remind the adult sitting with their child that at some point they have to be allowed to leave in order to grow.
A sizeable entry into the Star Wars world, Skeleton Crew is good old-fashioned enjoyment.
Ian D. Hall