I just dont getStar Wars anymore.Sure, I understand the stories, the mythos, the lore. But the overall direction of this franchise increasingly baffles me. The latest head-scratcher isSkeleton Crew, a newDisney+ streaming series series co-created by Jon Watts. His involvement, at least, I get. Watts directed the three hugely successful Tom Holland Spider-Man films, and he seems to have a very good handle oncraftingbroadly popular entertainments.He alsoelicitedvery strong performances out of an ensemble of relatively young actors. That was also true of Watts pre-Spider-Man film,Cop Car, which shares a little DNA withSkeleton Crewas well including its co-creator, Christopher Ford, who co-wrote Cop Car with Watts. TheirStar Wars show is a sort of Amblinesque Goonies In Space concept. A group of four rambunctious kidsinadvertently wind up on a spaceship lightyears from their peaceful planet with no way to figure out how to get back home. Their only hope is a man named Jod Na Nawood (Jude Law), who appears to know the Force and might be a Jedi ... or could be a con manexploiting these naive children for his own gain.SKELETON CREWLucasfilmloading...READ MORE: 25 Movies With Very Surprising Letterboxd ScoresStar Warshas always resonated with younger audiences, so making a series aimed at kids makes sense. And based on his resume, Watts makes sense as one of its primary creative forces. (Cop Car even had a very similar concept toSkeleton Crew, with a couple of troublemaking kids taking a police cruiser for a joyride, only to be chased by the cars amoral owner.)Ive got two kids at home who Ive Star Wars.On paper,Skeleton Crew seemed like the right show to do that.But then first episode opens with a very intense space battle. Ships are invaded, aliens get their eyeballszapped out, space pirates get blasted into oblivion. Okay ... so Skeleton Crew is a show about kids, but not necessarily for kids?Not quite. After the surprisingly violent opening, the show settles down into more familiar childrens entertainment territory. The scares vanish, at least for the first few episodes. Young Wim (Ravi Cabot-Conyers) lives with his overworked single dad (Tunde Adebimpe)on a boring planet that looks likeStar Warsmeets thesuburbs; endless streets of identical houses and manicured lawns,plus the occasional friendly domestic droid. Wim craves adventure and one day when hes late to school he finds one: Something buried in the forest near his home.SKELETON CREWLucasfilmloading...He convinces hiselephantine alien buddy Neel (Robert Timothy Smith) to investigate further, buttwo more rule-flouting kids Fern (Ryan Kiera Armstrong) and KB (Kyriana Kratter) start sniffing around too, and they want their own cut of thepotential buried treasure. Reluctantly, the two pairs agree to explore their mysterious discovery together.Ill let yousee for yourself how the foursome winds up in space and then how they encounter Laws character, who is far and away the most interesting presence in the series. Jod Na Nawood dresses a little like Lando Calrissian, swaggers a little like the young Han Solo, and I genuinely cant tell whether his Force powers are legit or a total put-on. Thats a good thing; the character keeps the viewer guessing and keeps you curious enough about his backstory to keep tuning in to future episodes.But here isanother inexplicable thing I cannot explain. Aside from a brief appearance in the violent prologue, Laws character basically doesnt show uponscreen until the third of the seasons eight episodes. Leaving your most compelling hero (or villain???) off-camera for a quarter of your series ... kind of an odd choice.STAR WARS: SKELETON CREWLucasfilmloading...Without Law, those first two episodes can be a slog, with hokey subplotsabout how tests and teachers are boring, and parents just dont understand, even in a galaxy far, far away. And theSkeleton Crew kids (and Wim especially, the nominal series lead) come across as less brave than willfully bullheaded. They dont just stumble into an adventure; they make a series of decisions they are actively toldnotto take, and then when they go badly, they insistthe consequences are not their fault.Maybe the shows younger audience wont mind that provided they make it through that intense opening sequence. The showdoesget better when Jude Law shows up. Otherwise, Skeleton Crewdoes little to erase the memory of the disappointingThe Acolyte, which Lucasfilm has reportedly already canceled after just one season (and several massive unresolved cliffhangers). And The AcolytefollowedAhsoka, whichfelt like a shownarrowcasted to fans ofClone Wars andRebelsto the exclusion of everyone else.Now heresSkeleton Crew, a show with moments that are too dark for kids and too infantile for adults. I really enjoyedThe Force AwakensandThe Last Jedi, and the first couple of seasons ofThe Mandalorian hold up really well. Lately, though, whenever I watchStar Wars, Im just confused.Like the kids ofSkeleton Crew, thisfranchise seems to have no idea where its going.The first two episodes of Skeleton Crew premiere on Disney+ on December 3. New episodes follow weekly.Get our free mobile appActors Who Were Wasted in Star Wars RolesThese wonderful stars have appeared in Star Wars movies and shows, but only in parts so small they left us disappointed.