This Could Be a Real Adventure

As someone who's kinda burnt out by the infamous Star Wars discourse, I just want something from this franchise that's easy to enjoy! I think, from what I watched and the reactions I'm seeing, that we've got just that here. It's not as grand and epic as this franchise could be, but given how many big swings and misses Star Wars has taken, it's refreshing that we got something as breezy and frankly innocent as this show! Now of course it's not perfect and I think it's gonna take me some time to get used to the child actors (at least those for Wim and Fern), but I can't really say this is soul crushing, childhood damaging garbage (which most of Disney Star Wars isn't in my opinion) and I believe I will enjoy this show simply for what it is!

A very promising start to a series that feels like a Star Wars take on Stranger Things meets Lost in Space. The characters are intriguing, especially the kids, ranging from rule-followers to the mischievous ones.

I appreciated how the story transports viewers to a new planet, At Atine, which feels completely different from anything we've seen in Star Wars so far. It resembles the suburbs of a major city, with advanced technology yet untouched by the wars and destruction that have plagued places like Tatooine or Coruscant. At Atine is quiet, somewhat sleepy, and residential, yet futuristic, featuring functioning schools and a sense of law and order during the New Republic era.

The main kid, Wim, might come across as a bit annoying with his overactive personality, but he's still likable, as is his friend Neel-a fascinating new type of alien introduced to the Star Wars universe. KB and Fern, the two girls in the group, are also enjoyable characters, and the interactions between the children are well-written, with great chemistry that shines throughout. I am not sure how I feel about the dad, he felt like an extra, but that doesn't matter as the show is about the children.

The episode concludes on an exciting and frightening note, effectively drawing the audience into the show. It's a strong premiere that leaves you eager for more.

Very solid starter of the series. Kids are relatable and likable. Need is my favorite of the bunch. Love the little Holiday Special easter egg. Wim is very likable as well. Fern and KB are a nice duo and they feel like real pre-teen girls as opposed to girl bosses that Kathy Kennedy loves self-inserting. Cool seeing Stacey Ehrmantraut from Better Call Saul as Fern's mom. Planet feels like Southern California but not in the super obnoxious way. I do love the kids play pretend lightsaber fighting like we all did when we were that age and no doubt so did Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni. All the parents are likable particularly Wim's dad. It's a solid 7/10.

The main objectives of This Could Be a Real Adventure is to establish characters and hook you into to the show. I think it does this reasonably well with a good premise of children going on an adventure. As a forty-something long time fan of Star Wars and also the Amblin movies to which it pays tribute, I am intrigued. My nine year old daughter thoroughly enjoyed it.

That being said, when filmmakers openly admit they are trying to do The Goonies in the Star Wars universe, they set themselves up for comparisons. What I love the most about The Goonies is the distinct characters and the chaotic banter between the young actors. This aspect is missing from Skeleton Crew's characters so far, which is disappointing to me personally, but I acknowledge that it is way too early to make serious judgements.

I think all the young actors do an excellent job with limited material to be able to express their characters.

Visually it is another great design from the Star Wars universe. Who would have thought we would ever see suburbs in the galaxy far, far away. Arguably this is too recognisable and not exotic enough, but it works for the story. Everything is enhanced by a nice musical score.

I think Skeleton Crew is unlike anything we've seen in the movies or other series, and I believe it's a great idea. Star Wars needs strong productions after several questionable works, and this series has great potential. However, we shouldn't place too much responsibility on it to restore our hope in Star Wars.

The target audience is kids, but I think the writers will guide us on an adventure in the galaxy that will captivate every Star Wars fan.

In the first scenes, I noticed a lot of CGI, which, in some cases, didn't look great. However, in others, it worked well, especially in the design of Neel. Regarding the characters, I really like them, and I think they have great potential, both in the series and for the cast's individual careers.

As I mentioned, we shouldn't place too much responsibility on this series to revive the hope of fans in the Star Wars universe-after all, the main characters are kids. Let's support them and see where this journey takes us!