There are fewer Star Wars locations more popular than the underground dwelling that Luke Skywalker grew up in, and – apart from 40451 Tatooine Homestead mini-build released in 2021 – there has been little attempt by LEGO to capture this iconic location – until now.
Situated in the Great Chott salt flats on the edge of the Jundland Wastes, the moisture farm that Owen and Beru inherited from Cliegg, whose own parents constructed the far-flung outpost, was also briefly home to Shmi (née Skywalker) Lars whose own grandson, Luke, came to live under the care of his step-uncle and aunt.
While the bulk of the scenes depicting the Lars family homestead was shot on location in Matmata and the Chott el-Djerid in Tunisia, the interiors (with the exception of the family’s dining room) were constructed at Elstree Studios. Designed by production designer John Barry, the set was constructed of plywood, chicken wire and plaster and decorated with locally sourced props to give it an authentic, but used, look.
In this second attempt to replicate the Lar’s homestead – with this being the first suited to minifigures – LEGO has produced a vignette that is long overdue.
40531 Lars Family Homestead Kitchen
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| Ages | Pieces | VIP Points | Item | Minifigures | Value |
Tucked in the classy black box with its bespoke moisture farm logo are the two bags of 195 pieces that make up this small and exclusive set, along with the small instruction booklet that guides you through the 57 steps that will let you complete the build in less than 15 minutes.
Don’t be fooled by the quick construction time or the suggested 18+ age range though, because while the set is far more intricate than you’d expect, it’s nowhere as difficult as the label says.
The build starts with the base and adds the framework for the door wall, moves on to the studs-not-on-top shelf wall and benchtop, before finishing the door frame and adding the kitchen’s accessories.
With its 16 x 12 stud footprint, it’s a relatively compact diorama, but it doesn’t fail for its lack of size because the un-named designer squeezed a lot into it and has employed some interesting building techniques to keep it as stud-free as possible.
Best of all are the counter-top utensils, including the recessed food prep devices, the carton of blue milk and the toy landspeeder (or is it a droid-controlled iron?).
Joining the inhabitants of the Lars’s homestead – two-thirds of which have been available in minifigure form since 2005 – is Aunt Beru, who finally gets her debut as a minifigure. With her six lines of dialogue – which is far more than some of the other characters that LEGO has realized – she has been a long time coming.
The finished model is very satisfying: the hexagonal door acts as a backstop to a homely cooking space, with suitable angled walls, a worktop with curved edges, cluttered storage units and neat accoutrements.
Joining the fledging Diorama Collection is this cute depiction of Beru’s bijou sanctuary – it’s compact, detailed, and accurate and if anything is missing from this set it is the centerpiece plaque. Top marks go to the LEGO Star Wars design team for this delivery!
Included in the annual May The 4th Be With You retail promotion in 2022, this set was free to members with purchases of LEGO Star Wars products over US$160 / CA$200 / UK£160 / EU€160 / AU$229 made through LEGO.com or a brand store between May 1st and 8th.
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