Just your typical SE rant I’m afraid…
The reason the original cantina scene was so iconic and worked so well was the fact that, prior to entering the cantina itself, there was no evidence of anything particularly exotic or out of the ordinary beyond what we’d already seen in the film at this point - some Jawas, some Stormtroopers, some droids, some vehicles etc. Obi Wan says “…only watch your step, this place can be a little rough…” and then BOOM - it’s a creature fest! It was crazy and funny and sinister all at once, and it was so iconic.
The SEs killed all that IMO. Now Mos Eisley is this massive CGI future city bursting with domes and spaceships and giant dinosaurs etc etc. The whole shock/surprise of entering the multi-creature cantina is dulled by the preamble that is the Mos Eisley special effects extravaganza. It kills the gag.
I think George forgot this. Even when he made RoTJ he was all about how disappointed he was by the cantina in Star Wars and how he’d done it better in Jabba’s palace with ‘more articulated creatures’. But the articulation wasn’t the point - it was all in the timing and mood and surprise element.
Another reason to thank the Force for 4K77, Harmy, this site etc etc…