In a couple of days, Star Wars: The Force Awakens will overthrow Avatar as the highest grossing movie in the US. And, by all means, it deserves it. However, this does not mean that it is without flaws - no movie is.
For example, a central point in Kylo Ren's story was the worship of Darth Vader as a Sith Lord, even if the latter ultimately repented. Another important part of the overall plot is the destruction of the Senate and of Hosnian Prime by the First Order - why weren't any countermeasures in place and why didn't the Senate at least try to defeat the First Order? There is also the very interesting Maz Kanata (who knows the Force without being a Jedi or a Sith), the fact that Luke doesn't appear almost at all in the movie, and so on.
These are a just a couple of the things which have no explanation in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. And while many plot points will become clearer in the following movies, some may never will. How come? Simply because J. J. Abrams had to cut very much from the film.
In the following pages you will find out the most important scenes which ended up on the cutting room floor.
Lightsaber in space
One of the first rumors to ever appear about Star Wars: The Force Awakens was about the opening sequence. Back in 2014, when there was literally nothing known about the movie, it was said that The Force Awakens will begin with a shot of Luke's hand holding out a lightsaber, entering the atmosphere of an unknown planet.
Of course, the rumor did not explain how the hand and the lightsaber ended up in space from the first place, when the Jedi lost them in his fight with Vader in the Cloud City.
Apparently, this scene was actually in the movie, coming right after the opening crawl. But J. J. Abrams decided to cut it out and open Star Wars in another way. And this is actually a good thing, since the same question would have remained unexplained in a proper and satisfying manner: what the hell was the lightsaber doing in space?
To be noted, this would have still been a good opening shot, especially since it connects The Force Awakens with both the prequels and the original trilogy. The lightsaber was constructed by Anakin and then was used by Luke Skywalker.
Rey's Force visions
When she first touches the lightsaber at Maz Kanata's castle, Rey has her first Force experience - visions of the past, which reveal firsthand the existence of the Jedi and the Sith. However, while the scene which remained in Star Wars: The Force Awakens clears the muddy waters around Kylo Ren, it could have been much longer and much better (as far as we are concerned).
And this deleted scene followed the initial opening of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, with Luke's hand floating into space. In this way, her visions also show her a couple of scenes from The Empire Strikes Back, from when Vader cut off Luke's hand.
The extended version of the vision also showed that the initial scene (which ended on the cutting room floor) was a flashback, rapidly explaining why the lightsaber was falling out of the sky. Most importantly, it revealed that the planet wasn't Jakku.
The Senate
One of the biggest questions of Star Wars: The Force Awakens concerns the Senate and its impotence against the First Order. As mentioned in the introduction of this list, we cannot accept the easiness with which the villains erased a planet and all of its moons, with no actual resistance.
There is a small explanation in one deleted scene, which would explain why the Senate was delayed in its actions. In the movie, Leia is introduced pretty late, after the Maz Kanata scene. However, she was intended to appear before Han and Chewie, trying to convince the Senate to take action. Obviously, this doesn't happen - we can only assume that the Sith have already planted their spies among the Senators, which ultimately led to the destruction of Hosnian Prime.
Sure enough, this is just an assumption. However, even if this deleted scene didn't provide a full explanation, it still showed the relationship between the Rebels, the Senate, and the First Order. Most likely, the director didn't want to slow the pace of the first act - so this initial meeting with Leia was cut out. But was it the best choice? Will we find out if there were Sith spies in the Senate? Most likely not.
Maz Kanata - the Force user
Maz Kanata is easily one of the most interesting characters in the entire Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Just like Yoda, she is both small and big at the same time - and, pretty much like Yoda, she can also use the Force. Of course, this isn't shown in the movie - it is just hinted at.
In the original screenplay (and, most likely, in the uncut version of the flick), Maz Kanata displays her awesome powers. When the First Order attack her castle, she is cornered (with Han and Chewie) by the Stormtroopers. The fact that she isn't a Jedi or a Sith is pretty clear, since she had to concentrate on doing something.
So Han tries to stall the Stormtroopers and gets in a funny exchange with them. Eventually, he runs out of things to say and reveals that he has recognized Finn as being a Stormtrooper himself. At that point, Maz Kanata brings the ceiling of the cave on the Stormtroopers.
While this isn't exactly an important scene, it is still an interesting one, since it further develops Maz Kanata's character. Which would then explain why Han said that a woman always figures out the truth - always.
Simon Pegg vs. Chewie
When running from the Stormtroopers, Rey and Finn steal the Millennium Falcon from Unkar Plutt - the character portrayed by Simon Pegg. In the final cut of the movie, this action remains without any consequence from the junk buyer. However, a deleted scene showed a confrontation between Rey and Plutt.
Basically, the merchant follows her at Kanata's castle and confronts her. Believing to have an advantage, Rey pulls the blaster Han gave her. But Plutt easily takes it away. At this point, Chewbacca intervenes and defend Rey - however, he is already wounded at that point, so Plutt mocks him and pokes him in his wounded arm.
Chewbacca rips his arm and throws it away - and the role of Simon Pegg ends. Of course, this doesn't add anything relevant to the story. But the main reason it was cut out was in order to avoid a harsher rating from the MPAA - limbs flying all over the place isn't a family friendly scene. In any ways, this will probably be a scene to be included on the DVD, when it will be released.
Dismissing Darth Vader's redemption
One of the most important unanswered questions of Star Wars: The Force Awakens concerns Kylo Ren - why did he join the Dark Side and why is he such a fan of the Sith known as Darth Vader? He surely must know that, in his final moments, Vader chose the light and effectively brought the destruction of the Empire.
One of the deleted scenes from the movie explains all of these - explains why Kylo Ren chose the Dark side and why he wants to continue the work of Darth Vader. Simply put it, Supreme Leader Snoke altered the truth in order to fit his own plans. In this way, Snoke simply presents Vader's last moments as being moments of weakness, caused by emotion. And Ren sees the way Snoke wants him to see it.
And it becomes pretty clear in the moment which Kylo Ren faces Han Solo - he has been waiting for that moment, in order to test himself and prove himself as being at least the equal of Vader (from this point of view, at least).
What isn't explained, though, is the aversion towards all the Skywalkers, Kylo Ren being one of them. But we can bet that, in the future movies, this point will be explained (most likely it has something to do with him being sent away from his parents, by his parents).
Kylo Ren on the Millennium Falcon
There is one other scene featuring the main baddie of Star Wars: The Force Awakens which was cut out, a scene which once again shows him caught between his allegiance to Snoke and his past. After Han and the team reach the Starkiller base, Kylo Ren senses him and spots the Millennium Falcon. He boards it and has an emotional moment (in the sense described by Snoke) - in the cockpit, lowering his head and just saying, Han Solo, he must have thought that his place was beside his father, in the copilot chair.
Obviously, this scene would have emphasized a bit too much the dual nature of Kylo Ren and the fact that, in the end, he might find redemption (as the rumors go). But still - this would have been impressive and, once again (and as you will see in a couple of pages), it would have shown that Darkness and Light are inseparable in everybody.
The snowspeeder chase
While everybody expected for Star Wars: The Force Awakens to pay homage to the previous movies (especially the original trilogy), nobody expected for it to be, basically, a rehash of the same story.
Apparently, a big action piece ended on the cutting room floor because of that - the scene features the escape from the Starkiller base on stolen snowspeeders and features Rey and Finn. The scene was teased through the merchandise released in 2015 but, eventually, it didn't make it into the final film.
A figure from the past
Lastly, we reach one of the most interesting questions - why did Luke choose to seclude himself, when he could have easily (we guess) defeat the First Order?
While this isn't an actual scene which was shot, J. J. Abrams actually intended to have Anakin Skywalker appear in the movie, as a Force ghost. The idea was to show his dual nature, as being torn between the Dark and the Light side of the Force, never being able to choose between them.
It sounds pretty weird bringing Hayden Christensen back into the Star Wars universe, with his wooden acting. But this would have made a point - that all Skywalkers can acknowledge and harness both the darkness and the light inside them.
Just like it happened with Anakin, it also happens with Luke - which pretty much explains why he chose to leave the scene. Luke realizes that one cannot separate within himself the Dark and the Light. Basically, there is evil in each one of the characters, regardless of the path consciously chosen. And with this revelation, Luke maybe realizes that he is a relic of the past.
This isn't a full-blown explanation, of course. But this scene, with Anakin as a Force ghost unable to choose either Dark or Light would have made a very good addition (of course, we'd very much like to hear your opinion about this).
The myth
What is very appealing to the whole Star Wars universe is that it is all presented as a myth. Several hints were dropped in the original trilogy, and others in these current sequels - the Jedi and the Sith are nothing else than a legend, a myth whose origins were lost in time.
Rey is the one who asks who is Luke Skywalker and who says that she believed he was just a myth. Maz Kanata, as well, is also a mythic creature, who has lived for so long that she is became a pirate of legend. Han Solo's Kessel Run is also a thing of legend.
The deleted scene showed Rey actually asking who Luke was. And while it didn't add anything (and, by the way, didn't make sense in the final cut of the movie), it would have once again consolidated the idea that everything is happening, long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens – 20 minutes longer
All in all, Star Wars: The Force Awakens deserves all the money it earns. The fast pace of the movie, paired with the well-known story, captivated the audiences. However, about 20 minutes from the film ended up on the cutting room floor. And while some of the scene are better there, some might have been introduced, even if they slowed down the movie just a bit.
Here's what we missed and what might be released on the DVD (though Abrams isn't a fan of director cut versions):
Leia originally gave a speech to the Resistance in the war room after the destruction of Starkiller Base.
C-3PO's appearance in the war room was cut slightly.
The moment when Kylo Ren ignites his lightsaber in the first teaser trailer.
Lots of bits of dialogue from the trailers don't appear in the film, including: Maz: "Who are you?" Rey: "I'm no one." Maz: "Just let it in." Finn: "I've got nothing to fight for."
You'll notice that Finn gives Rey his jacket as they approach the Main Oscillator building in the third act, as the jacket switches from one character to another with no explanation.
The reaction shot of Rey from the trailer was from a larger moment which was in many of the evolutions of the story "” Rey is cleaning the parts she scavenged from the Star Destroyer piece while looking at the old wrinkly woman. She looks over at a mother next to her daughter, both dressed in fancy clothes. They are about to board a spaceship. And that's where the smile reaction shot came from. (via Slashfilm)
