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Star Wars: Skeleton Crew” Episode 5, titled “You Have a Lot to Learn About Pirates,” is a joyful love letter to the classic Steven Spielberg franchise. It takes the young protagonists and their supposed Jedi protector, Jod Na Nawood (Jude Law), to the planet Lanupa in search of the coordinates to their homeworld, At Attin. This journey is full of danger as they find their way through a modern spa built upon the site of the old pirate hideout of Captain Tak Rennod.
Lanupa is an old world, also known as The Battle World and The Demon’s Rest. It was the secret subterranean hideout of the legendary pirate Tak Rennod, to whom the ship the kids stole, the Onyx Cinder, once belonged. They hope to find the coordinates to At Attin in Rennod’s secret underground lair. However, their search is in its nature archaeological since so much time has passed since Rennod’s era.
The episode’s mix of adventure, archaeology, and “
Indiana Jones”-esque traps is a clear homage to Spielberg’s classic work. The kids’ search through the spa for signs of Rennod’s lair mirrors Indiana Jones’ quest in “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade,” where he searches for the Grail Knight’s tomb. The booby-trapped pirate caves underground create just the same feeling of risk and thrill as those in “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom” and “Raiders of the Lost Ark.”
Their journey is full of pitfalls: the pirates, bounty hunters, local security, and other chases. The SM-33, Nick Frost, enlightens them about the history of the planet and shares with them that the ship once belonged to Captain Rennod, adding mystique and danger to their quest. The health and beauty spa and hot springs resort now sit atop the lair of Rennod, in complete contrast to the ancient pirate hideout beneath it, forming an interesting combination of modernity and antiquity.
It is only when the crew finds themselves underground, courtesy of Cthallops, and begins working their way through Tak Rennod’s booby-trapped pirate caves that things really kick into gear in terms of “Indiana Jones” homages. These caves at first appear to be a sort of “Treasure Island”-style caves but quickly prove themselves to be more along the lines of tests guarded caves in the search for the holy grail in “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade”. The kids soon have to navigate a laser beam, not dissimilar from Indiana Jones and his buzzsaws. Other traps are more creative, such as floating up to spiked ceilings and throwing money into an acid pool to unlock a treasure room, done tastefully with the “Star Wars” twist.
Gratefully, that isn’t the only homage. As Jod and the crew emerge from their final, lethal test, they enter a room full of huge treasure, not unlike Indy’s discovery in “The Last Crusade.” The treasure room is full of golden trinkets, pirate booty everywhere; a feast for the eyes, at least. Jod warns the kids that much of it will be booby-trapped. The scene at the same time recalls the exposure of the Thugee rite from “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom” and the conscious selection of artifacts from “The Last Crusade.” Neel is a smart kid, and he picks up the right treasure, but at the very end, there is a betrayal, just as with “The Last Crusade.”.
“Star Wars: Skeleton Crew” has been a cornucopia of references and homages to Spielberg’s work, particularly his Amblin era of ‘80s films geared toward kids. From “E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial” and “The Goonies” to the entire “Indiana Jones” saga, Spielberg’s work has been foundational to “Skeleton Crew.” This episode wears Indy’s whip and fedora with aplomb throughout, making it a standout in the series.
