Many new superhero shows and films are described as "children's stories made for an adult audience." The colorful spandex costumes, the laser beams, and the basic morality (good triumphs over evil) appeal to the innocent part of a grown-up's mind. What's implicit in these science fiction stories is made explicit in this latest Star Wars series. In Skeleton Crew, four children are thrust into the foreground, and their lens is used to embrace the childlike tone of this story. The atmosphere is playful and funny. In Episode 1, the thrill of a car chase and the urgency of a race-against-time scenario is placed on a scene where Wim misses his school bus and is required to reach the exam hall quickly. Wim's only best friend is a human-cum-elephant named Neel, and they live on a planet called At Attin. This place is diverse and filled with droids who do tasks ranging from driving a bus to handling security. Even the teacher is a droid, teaching kids about "liquidity modeling" in a monotonous voice. Consider this as some sort of message about authority figures operating like well-oiled machines. They follow commands and do their jobs dutifully. The uninhibited mind of a kid views these narrow-minded obedient slaves as bots, not sentient beings.
When Wim says he has discovered a Jedi temple, his words are not just dismissed as rubbish, but he is also ordered to study for his exams and subdue his curiosity. When Neel asks a question in the exam hall, the droid immediately tells him to shut up instead of inquiring about the source of his query. The moment is meant to be funny, but it also reveals how promptly we shoot down a kid's sense of inquisitiveness due to our impatience or any other "adult" thing. But these notions cannot mask the stench of unoriginality from the series. The four children at the center are a collection of clichés. Wim's dad is a workaholic, so he tries to find excitement through his toys and theories. Neel belongs to a happy family, so he is...fine. Fern has an overprotective mother who has already planned the path for her daughter. This is why she breaks the rules with her bike to experience freedom, and to feel alive. KB, Fern's best friend, is smart and sympathetic (she tells Fern she is being unnecessarily rude towards the boys). The first two episodes put these familiar characters in familiar situations and say, "Laugh! Smile!" Ask why, and the show will scream, "Because these things are happening to the kids!"
It's impossible to ignore the mediocre CGI that fails to generate awe, fear, and excitement within the viewer when Wim, Neel, Fern, and KB stand near the door of an ascending starship. Fern's high-speed bike ride is shot impersonally - it's not visually intoxicating. What's so dreary, though, about Skeleton Crew (or the first two episodes) is that despite its jovial tone and the presence of otherworldly beings, it lacks a sense of wonder and curiosity. Everything goes through the motions smoothly; we don't feel elated or even just happy. The kids, on a planet of dirty pirates, learn that the locals consider At Attin a lost city. It's a place with unlimited wealth or something. Skeleton Crew is supposed to be a coming-of-age story, and I think Wim, in the end, will probably realize that he was already living in paradise. The parents might also end up fixing their mistakes, and we will be left with sweet, teary smiles. Sniff, sniff.
Final Score – [4/10]