'Star Wars: Skeleton Crew' is a Welcome Return to the Franchise

         On December 2, 2024, Disney+ premiered 'Star Wars: Skeleton Crew', which has earned rave reviews from critics and a score of 95% on Rotten Tomatoes at the time of this writing. "Skeleton Crew tells the story of four kids searching for their home planet after getting lost in the Star Wars galaxy, and the strange aliens and dangerous places they encounter on their adventure." The ensemble cast includes Jude Law, Ravi Cabot-Conyersm Kerry Condon, Nick Frost, and Ryan Kiera Armstrong. But what did the critics say?

        Martin Robinson of London Evening Standard says, "The children are immensely likeable, the gags work and my nine-year old daughter was clinging to my arm with every kid-friendly jump scare and plot twist." Adding, "Episode two has the crew deposited in a pirate port where they discover their lovely home planet is something of mythical place for the locals, an El Dorado which nobody believes they’re actually from. But nobody dwells on that as the pirates get wind of the fact that Wim has some Old Republic credits on him, and soon the kids are running for their lives. Eventually, they wind up meeting Jod Na Nawood, played by Jude Law, a former pirate in chains, who seems to have Jedi powers…"

       Chase Hutchinson of TheWrap notes, "Yes, there are no actual wheels on their flying bikes and the tone isn’t as balanced as Spielberg’s films, though it has heart where it counts. It will most appeal to younger viewers, but adults who remember the Amblin era may too get swept up in it."

       Adrian Ruiz of But Why Tho? A Geek Community praises the series, stating, "The Star Wars: Skeleton Crew season premiere kicks off with a promise, laying down a mix of adventure, mystery, and those classic Star Wars vibes we’ve come to love. It’s clear from the start that this isn’t just another galaxy-spanning saga about Jedi and Sith—it’s something smaller, more personal, but no less exciting. These first two episodes focus heavily on the kids and their journey while leaving plenty of intriguing breadcrumbs about the larger galaxy they’re about to explore. Right from the opening moments, Skeleton Crew Episodes 1-2 tap into the DNA of Star Wars. The first episode,  ‘This Could Be A Real Adventure,” mirrors the legendary intro of A New Hope, but instead of the Empire looming large, we get pirates. And not the quirky, lovable kind—these are brutal, self-serving marauders who’ll turn on each other the second it benefits them. It’s chaotic, gritty, and perfectly sets the stage for a series more about surviving the galaxy’s dangers than fighting for a cause." Adding, "One of the standout elements of the premiere is the world-building. From the opening suburban-like setting to the gritty, alien-packed pirate hub of Borgo, Skeleton Crew makes the galaxy feel alive in a way that not every Star Wars project does. The practical effects on the aliens are stellar, and the environments feel immersive, like something you’d experience at Galaxy’s Edge or on the Galactic Starcruiser."

Photo courtesy of Lucasfilm. ©2024 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved.

'The Order' Impresses at the Venice Film Festival

        On December 6, 2024, after an impressive showing at the Venice Film Festival, Vertical releases 'The Order', which has earned predominantly positive reviews from critics, currently holding at 76% on Rotten Tomatoes. In the film, "For over a year, a series of bold daylight bank robberies and armored car heists leaves law enforcement baffled and the public panicked throughout the Pacific Northwest. As the attacks become increasingly violent, FBI agent Terry Husk (Jude Law) becomes convinced that the robberies are the work of a domestic terrorist gang that plan to use the loot to finance an armed uprising against the U.S. government. Based on a true story, The Order follows Husk and his team into the tangled world of white supremacists to try to head off a violent uprising that could shatter the nation. As the militia builds a war chest of over $4 million, Husk pursues the malevolent racist Bob Mathews to a final bloody standoff that will go down in U.S. history." The ensemble cast includes Nicholas Hoult, Tye Sheridan, Jurnee Smollett, Alison Oliver, Marc Maron, and George Tchortov. But what did the critics say?

        Gregory Ellwood of The Playlist notes, "Despite a subject matter that feels shockingly contemporary, a plethora of fine performances, and true-life events that are a gift to any screenwriter, the movie ends, for lack of a better word, with a complete thud. And that’s not hyperbole. In all fairness, we cannot remember the last time we screened a movie that closed with such a dramatic whimper. There is nothing to spoil. Nothing is shocking. It just comes to a disjointed conclusion. And completely takes out the emotional sails of everything that preceded it. So much so that you leave the theater wondering, “How on earth did that happen?” We can’t wait for an answer."

Photo by Isaac Moore on Unsplash

        Alonso Duralde of The Film Verdict says, "The relevant can still feel depressingly familiar, which keeps The Order from registering as anything but a slightly more competent tale of FBI agents circling in on bomb-throwing racists." 

        Jonathan Romney of Guardian praises the film, stating, "Visually though, the film means business, with the desaturated, almost tawdry pallor of Adam Arkapaw’s photography evoking a weary early 80s America, in contrast with the richly tactile panoramas of the film’s northwestern forests, rivers and sweeps of rockface. As for Law – sporting a bristling moustache and some girth that evoke the weariness that Husk must fight in himself – he gives a sometimes warm, sometimes commandingly irascible performance that shows this actor moving confidently into middle-career authority. He and Hoult’s icy-eyed adversary combine to somewhat mythical resonance; a wrestle-with-the-demon duo that actually fits the political context to pointed effect."

        Ema Sasic of Next Best Picture writes, "Kurzel, who previously examined the life and behaviors of a mentally distressed young man in “Nitram,” based on the Australian mass shooter Martin Bryant, delivers this gripping and intense police procedural that doesn’t let up until the very end."