If the original Star Wars: A New Hope was an homage to the adventure serials of the 1930’s, Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, now streaming on Disney+, is an homage to the adventure movies of the 1980s, but more specifically Amblin’s The Goonies, with a splash of E.T., and yes, even Star Wars itself. But before anyone thinks this is kid’s stuff, it is anything but. The 8-episode series expands on the worlds during the New Republic era, and if anyone wanted to see more of those space pirates introduced in The Clone Wars and The Mandalorian, this is the show for you.

Skeleton Crew revolves around a group of four children bored of their futuristic suburban dwellings. There’s Wim (Ravi Cabot-Conyers), an adventure seeker at heart who doesn’t want a boring job like his Father Wendle (Tunde Adebimpe). Wim’s best friend Neel (Robert Timothy Smith) is a friendly supporter of Wim’s imaginative side, but remains practical in his life’s path. Neel is also a blue elephant-looking alien that is NOT an Ortolan (Max Rebo’s species) but something new, yet to be named. Fern (Ryan Kiera Armstrong) and KB (Kyriana Kratter) are a rebellious duo who like to race and fix up hoverbikes, but are often taunted by others for not having the latest tech. Fern’s mother Fara (Kerry Condon) is the Undersecretary of their planet At Attin and fearful of her daughter’s lack of discipline. The rag tag foursome find themselves in an abandoned junker ship called The Onyx Cinder and with the aid of a triggered auto-pilot sends them deep into hyperspace. Their quest is a simple one: get home… but as their events progress, complications arise. Will their home planet At Attin be a true lost planet of eternal treasure like KB hints at? Are those who come to their aid trustworthy or are they in it for the fortune and glory? Along for the journey is the ship’s second mate droid, SM-33 (Nick Frost) who is loyal to his captain, no matter who it may be, and a force sensitive rogue named Jod Na Nawood (Jude Law) that has a questionable past and future and agrees to help get the kids home.

Skeleton Crew definitely strikes the right balance in humor and tone, treating the young actors as fully fleshed out characters, and not just “kids”. We learn very quickly what their personalities are and understand their yearning for something else beyond the Barrier, especially in their society where kids have their futures selected for them, instead of giving them the freedom to choose. This series is not about Jedi vs Sith, but it does serve as a backdrop, as Wim reads stories about Jedi Temples on his tablet, expanding on the notion of how Rey would learn about Luke Skywalker and think that he was only a myth.

There have only been two episodes released of Skeleton Crew, but if the first two episodes are any indicator, we are all in for a fun ride. Most importantly, it feels like Star Wars and for all ages. It’s great that we can live in a world where Skeleton Crew and Andor can both exist. The series is off to a great start and we’re excited for more.

Catch Star Wars: Skeleton Crew exclusively on Disney+.