Star Wars: Skeleton Crew
Disney+’s ‘Skeleton Crew’ has some problems, but overall it’s a return to form, when the galaxy far, far away was relatively safe for the family.
“In this world, wrestling is everything.” Or so say the residents of the aptly named Wrestling World.
Citizens in this wrestling-based society live for the thrill of watching pro wrestlers body slam, takedown and headlock their opponents. Here, wrestling isn’t just a sport but a way of life. In this wrestling world, “everyone—big, small or in between—is a wrestler.”
Almost everyone, that is, except Andy.
Although Andy has dreamed about participating in the wrestling world since she was little, she happens to be a citizen of Accountant Isle, where accounting is everything. Instead of body slams, takedowns and headlocks, citizens on Accountant Isle concern themselves with taxes, balance sheets and ledgers. And junior accountant Andy has trained her whole life to become a pro … accountant.
Suffice to say, Andy’s life isn’t quite the wrestling thrill she was dreaming about.
That is, until Tax Day.
On Tax Day, all the wrestlers travel to Accountant Isle to get their taxes done. While Andy is instructed not to interact with the wrestlers—on account of her poor grades at the Junior Accountant Academy—she can’t contain her excitement. She just has to meet these wrestling stars!
Unfortunately, Andy’s first meeting with a real wrestling gang goes badly, and it culminates in a tense wrestling match. Against all odds, Andy wins. And her accountant parents—though initially shocked—send her to the city of Rustburn where she can pursue her dreams of becoming the greatest wrestler of all time.
As you might expect for a show centered around wrestling, Invincible Fight Girl features violent brawls that sometimes leave characters covered in cuts and bruises. The animated violence is not overly graphic—and characters impossibly survive dramatic falls and smashes—but some younger viewers might be disturbed by the number of kicks, punches and pushes featured in these fights.
Additionally, the flashy wrestlers sometimes wear tight and revealing costumes like leotards or fitted shorts. Once again, the animation style does not attempt to make their costume choices graphic. Characters also occasionally use a bit of rough language (think words like “heck” and “stupid”), and you may hear misuses of God’s name throughout the episodes.
Aside from these minor critiques, Invincible Fight Girl contains some surprisingly positive content—despite its placement on the Cartoon Network’s typically risqué time block, Adult Swim.
When Andy decides to chase her wrestling dreams, her parents seek to understand her passion, and they even actively support her. Additionally, the show seems to emphasize the importance of finding contentment with life in addition to chasing a dream. A character tells Andy, “If a dream is the only thing that can make you feel alive, you got a lot more living to do.”
While Invincible Fight Girl does have some valid content concerns, the show’s positive messages about chasing dreams and finding contentment might give the show a fighting chance with your family.
(Editor’s Note: Plugged In is rarely able to watch every episode of a given series for review. As such, there’s always a chance that you might see a problem that we didn’t. If you notice content that you feel should be included in our review, send us an email at [email protected], or contact us via Facebook or Instagram, and be sure to let us know the episode number, title and season so that we can check it out. )
Wrestlers come to Accountant Isle on Tax Day, and Andy is eager to meet them. Unfortunately, when Andy mistakenly misplaces tax documents for a wrestling group called the Perm Gang, they threaten to destroy Accountant Isle, and Andy must use her limited wrestling skills in a match against Perm Gang leader Immaculate to save the day.
Most of the episode’s action features wrestling sequences with cartoon violence. While these sections are obviously animated, characters in these scenes get kicked, punched and slammed against walls. One character cracks an opponent’s ankle. Victims of the violence are sometimes covered in cuts and bruises, and they sometimes verbally express their pain. In one scene, a wrestling group physically harms non-combatant individuals. In another scene, a large explosion destroys a section of a city—though we don’t see overly gruesome human aftermath after this event.
While characters generally keep their language appropriate, one character uses the phrase, “Get your butt in gear.” Characters also say, “I swear” and “heck.” A few characters also treat other characters unkindly by laughing at or yelling at them.
Andy attributes her ability to meet the wrestlers to fate. There is a brief moment in which it looks like people are bowing to the Perm Gang wrestling group. Many of the wrestlers wear tight or revealing clothing. Male and female wrestlers wear leotards, and a male wrestler wears a costume without a shirt.
After her fight with Immaculate, Andy’s parents send her to the city of Rustburn to train at a wrestling gym. Initially, she struggles to find her place in the big city, but a group of failed wrestlers called the Busters help her and promise to introduce her to wrestling legend, Quesa Poblana.
Characters fight each other. In one scene, an explosion occurs, causing characters to flee. When a character threatens to kill Andy, another character uses seemingly supernatural powers to defeat him. After losing a fight, someone falls on the ground, drooling and foaming at the mouth. Andy’s parents drag her away from a fight by her hair.
Characters utter some concerning language, including a few misuses of God’s name and the word, “stupid.” One character also sarcastically says, “Just kill me.”
The wrestlers sometimes wear skin-tight or revealing uniforms.
Disney+’s ‘Skeleton Crew’ has some problems, but overall it’s a return to form, when the galaxy far, far away was relatively safe for the family.
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