Weekend Watch: Skeleton Crew, Creature Commandos
Star Wars sends kids on an adventure and DC unleashes the creatures
Image Credit: Disney+
Welcome to the latest edition of Weekend Watch, where I recommend (or occasionally warn against) movies or TV shows I’ve been checking out. This week, it’s a double shot of TV as Skeleton Crew takes flight, and the Creature Commandos start their assault. Follow James on Twitter: @jamwhite and Threads/Instagram: @jammerwhite
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Star Wars on television has been something of a rollercoaster. There have been the nailed-on hits such as The Mandalorian and Andor and then… there have been some misses (hello, The Book Of Boba Fett). I’m happy to say that I found the latest offering, Skeleton Crew, to be much more in the former camp.
Created by Jon Watts and Christopher Ford (who worked together on the likes of Cop Car and Spider-Man: Homecoming), the film aims to bring something of classic Amblin movies such as The Goonies to that galaxy far, far away.
Skeleton Crew introduces us to a rag-tag group of younglings (no, not Jedi trainees) who live on a seemingly suburban world that is largely cut off from the rest of the galaxy for reasons that will become clearer as the plot develops. Our two main heroes are Wim (Ravi Cabot-Conyers), who dreams of adventures elsewhere, his head either stuck in a storybook about the Jedi or working up ill-judged schemes. Along for the ride is the nervy Neel (Robert Timothy Smith), who looks for all the world like the son of Max Rebo from Return Of The Jedi –– but we’re told he’s a different, if similar, species –– who would rather spend time studying or with his family, but tags along with Wim out of loyalty. They make a curious discovery in the woods near their school, and joined by rambunctious Fern (Ryan Kiera Armstrong) and more logical KB (Kyriana Kratter), they’re soon off on an adventure beyond anything they could have imagined.
The four young leads are all charismatic in their own way, enthusiastic and funny, and they make for a great mismatched buddy dynamic. Then you add in the likes of Jude Law, whose roguish character is powerful in the Force but also doesn’t exactly act like a Jedi. Then there’s the fact that while he calls himself Jod Na Nawood, he goes by different names. And plenty of others appear to want to find him...
Filled with pirates, creatures and hives of scum and villainy (no, not that one, another one), Skeleton Crew feels like something fresh and new, yet still of a piece with other Star Wars adventures. It’s bright and family-friendly, but also with a healthy hint of danger.
While I’m certain there will be those ready to dump negativity on the show, I’d recommend checking it out.
The first two episodes of Star Wars: Skeleton Crew are on Disney+ now. I’ve seen the first three.
Image Credit: Warner Bros.
Though James Gunn (working alongside producer Peter Safran) is preparing to launch his take on the DC screen universe cinematically with next year’s Superman, this represents the first actual project to emerge.
Written by Gunn with Dean Lorey as showrunner and Yves “Balak” Bigerel as supervising director, it adapts the comics by J.M. DeMatteis and Pat Broderick.
The basic storyline follows a group of inhuman prisoners at the Belle Reve facility who are recruited –– well, coerced, really –– to combat a tricky situation. Gunn, of course is used to this territory, as he already brought it to screens in live-action form for The Suicide Squad.
Animation makes for even more mayhem and stranger beings –– the likes of G.I. Robot, the Bride of Frankenstein, Weasel, Dr. Phosphorus and more are along for the mission, led by Rick Flag Sr.
Gunn and his team have recruited a superb voice cast, featuring Alan Tudyk, Frank Grillo, Indira Varma, Maria Bakalova, Zoë Chao and David Harbour among them.
As with Suicide Squad, it’s crazed but also heartfelt, Gunn and co. finding ways to illuminate the characters in interesting and varied ways.
This one is definitely not for the kids, but it’s definitely one for Gunn fans.
The first two episodes of Creature Commandos are on HBO/Max in the US. Sky has the series in the UK but has yet to confirm a date. I’ve seen the whole season.