A general discussion thread on the Mos Eisley Cantina...

I really like the source music for this in the soundtrack. Described as a Benny Goodman tune. Just called Cantina Band 1 and 2.

Some of the creatures, the ones made as action figures I had as a kid but not the rare Snaggletooth.

All cgi creature redos are garbage. It’s one of the things that irks me about the special edition.

Of course, I also only like Han to be the only one who fires, Greedo shooting first really ruins the Cantina scene.

The old masks and the dirtiness of the bar, the smoke etc said it was a den of iniquity and the perfect place for Ben to hitch an illegal ride off Tatooine. Scum and wretched hive of villainy.

Especially the cartoon cgi in Mos Eisley before they enter the cantina, we didn’t need dinosaurs.

The original used universe of griminess, grit and imperfection seemed real. It’s often overstated but in this case, this is verisimilitude.

I really like the western feel meets Kurosawa when Ben slashes Ponda Baba.

There’s two new creatures, well, technically just one creatively decorated to look like two distinct characters, which fits in perfectly with the ethos of making a Star Wars film, and it’s a good old fashioned puppet, not CG.

The scene with the two thugs bothering Luke is probably my favorite scene in all of Star Wars.
“He doesn’t like you!”
“I’m sorry!”
“I don’t like you either!”

It’s just so brilliantly dry. Always cracks me up. Also, Obi-Wan showing his badass side for the first time right after. What’s not to like?

Also: Cantina band 2 is better than 1, even though 1 is more famous. Fight me.

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…