Greetings, AHOL.
In the back of my mind, I think I always knew LEGO would eventually get around to producing a big-ass Mos Eisley Cantina set.
Still, I always kept my fingers crossed. Ever since LEGO started making Star Wars sets in 1999. It was top of the wishlist.
LEGO did release smaller Mos Eisley Cantina sets over the years.
First in 2004. Again in 2014. Once more in 2018.
Then, in the Fall of 2020, LEGO finally got around to delivering on the big bastard of a D2C, Master Builder, Mos Eisley Cantina set I’d been dreaming of.
It was worth the wait.
But like I said in the title. This isn’t a set review.
It’s a love letter.
A love letter to my favorite Star Wars scene and set piece of all time.
Sunday, February 26th, 1984 was a big day in our house.
Star Wars was finally coming to TV.
Sounds crazy now when there’s a version of it available on demand via your wristwatch. But back then, this was huge.
I was nearly four years old. Had heard all about this epic movie from Dad. Played with the toys. Knew most of the characters by name. Even though I’d never actually seen the movie.
It’d be another year or so before our family had a VCR. So this was it!
My big chance to finally see this thing the whole-wide world seemed to be bonkers about.
It didn’t disappoint.
Sensory overload.
Creatures and robots, laser swords, spaceships and swashbuckling - this movie had it all!
Even with all that going on, there was one bit in particular that stood out above everything else: the cantina scene.
More than any celestial explosion, cosmic dogfight or clash of lightsabers, it was this interstellar roadhouse and its alien patrons that bent my little brain most; detonating a young imagination.
I’d never seen such majestic horse-fuckery!
For all the blaster-fire bravado and light-speed high jinks Star Wars had to offer, it was this dimly lit, little desert saloon that took hold of my heart. 35+ years onward, it has yet to let go.
So many extraordinary, interstellar beings, all gathered in the one space, was a gobsmack. A big, beautiful amazement that opened hidden doors in my mind.
The sight of a hundred different species. The sound of a hundred different languages. All set to a universally jazzy, jizz-wailing warble.
Mos Eisley Cantina was a terrifying place. Full of danger. Filled with characters that could chew me up and spit me out.
And I wanted to be there so bad.
Mos Eisley Cantina is the reason for smiles when I hear people talking in a language I don’t understand.
Mos Eisley Cantina is the reason I still enjoy learning about customs and cultures that aren’t mine.
Mos Eisley Cantina is the reason I like dating people that don’t look like me.
Mos Eisley Cantina is the reason I never push an old man around.
The Star Wars Universe is awash with fascinating locations and unusual characters.
But my favorite spot is always going to be Mos Eisley Cantina.
February 26th, 1984; I take my first step into a larger world.
I visit Mos Eisley Cantina for the first time. A place I will return to again and again. And continue to frequent.
To some, it’s a wretched hive of scum and villainy.
For me, it’ll always be the place that taught me at a young age, it’s OK to be different. It's OK to be yourself. Everybody is special. And all are welcome.
Unless you’re a droid, of course.
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