Skeleton Crew Episode 5 secretly pays homage to a classic film from the 80s

This article contains Spoilers For Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, Episode 5.

“Star Wars: Skeleton Crew” borrowed ideas from Disney filmsThe series is a huge love letter to Amblin and stories of countless adventures. It goes without saying that John Watts and Christopher Ford’s foray into the galaxy far, far away wears its influences on its sleeves, and Episode 5, “You’ve Got a Lot to Learn About Pirates,” is no different. In fact, it’s an homage to a beloved ’80s film about a group of young friends who set out to find a cache full of treasure — similar to the adventure that takes place in this episode.

Episode 5 of “Skeleton Crew” sees Jude Na-Nawood (Jude Law), SM-33 (Nick Frost), and the kids continuing their search for… The mysterious “Star Wars” galaxy on the planet Aten. However, they are forced to stop in Lanupa after learning of the hidden treasure cache of the notorious pirate Captain Renaud, which could contain the coordinates needed to find the children’s home world – and cause them trouble.

However, fans of 1980s adventure films may be reminded of “The Goonies” after watching Episode 5. In addition to the similarities between the two stories, the aforementioned pirate’s name is “Donner” spelled backwards. This is a reference to the director of “The Goonies”. The late Richard Donnerwho once gave some sound advice to the creators of “Skeleton Crew.”

John Watts and Christopher Ford are masters at telling stories about children at risk. The horror film “The Clown” tells the story of a father who wants to feed on young children after dressing in a satanic circus costume. “Cop Car” is about kids being chased by a creepy sheriff after they steal his car. Meanwhile, “Star Wars: Skeleton Crew” is about kids forced to navigate the galaxy far, far away and the various dangers that exist within it. During an interview with GamesRadar+Watts revealed how Richard Donner helped him learn how to tell stories related to children, which carried him into the world of “Star Wars.”

“I got this advice from Richard Donner, who I was lucky enough to hang out with shortly before he died. He was talking about casting for The Goonies and he said you don’t cast kids to play a part, you cast kids because of who they are.”

Watts explained that Donner’s advice was on their minds when casting the show’s young leads — Wim (Ravi Cabot Conyers), Vern (Ryan Keira Armstrong), KP (Kerianna Krater), and Neil (Robert Timothy Smith) — and it paid off. “Skeleton Crew” boasts some excellent performances from its young cast members, and they wouldn’t seem out of place in a film like “The Goonies.”