Five years have passed sinceStar Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalkerclosed out the Star Wars sequel trilogy, and saying it’s a mixed bag is a bit of an understatement. On the one hand, the dynamic between Rey (Daisy Ridley), Finn (John Boyega) and Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) is a joy to watch. On the other hand,J.J. Abramsmade some baffling creative choices that don’t line up withStar Wars: Episode VIII - The Last JediorStar Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens. The most egregious case is the resurrection of Emperor Palpatine, followed by the revelation that Rey is Palpatine’s granddaughter. But Abramsalso directsThe Rise of Skywalkerat a breakneck speed,with many scenes being left on the cutting room floor.
One of those scenes involves Chewbacca (Joonas Suotamo). The First Order captures the Wookiee warrior, which leads Rey to unleash a blast of Force lightning that obliterates his transport. But when Finn and Poe are later captives of the First Order, they learn that Chewie’s still alive! Suotamo expanded upon this scene in his bookRoar! My Life as a Wookiee(translated from Finnish). In it, Suotamo talked abouta cut scene where Chewbacca would have been at the mercy of Kylo Ren (Adam Driver).
Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker
In the riveting conclusion of the landmark Skywalker saga, new legends will be born-and the final battle for freedom is yet to come.
Chewbacca Was Tortured by Kylo Ren in a Deleted Scene
According to Suotamo, the cut scene saw Kylo resorting to mentally invading Chewbacca’s mind to find out where Rey, Finn, and Poe were going. It’s a skill the First Order’s leader used to terrifying effect on Rey and Poe duringThe Force Awakens. Buthe is overwhelmed by Chewie’s memories of his childhood past, and eventually leaves the Wookiee alone. Suotamo said the scene made him uncomfortable for many reasons; being restrained in a full Wookiee getup took a physical toll, and apparently, Driver was in full method mode during the filming ofThe Rise of Skywalker.He “psyched himself to be a real monster through it all,“Suotamo wrote.
The scene between Chewbacca and Kylo Ren also took place in theofficialRise of Skywalkernovelization byRae Carson, which expanded upon the film’s events. It also played amajor role in convincing Kylo to turn his back on the dark side, though Suotamo felt the scene was cut due to it being too dark, and that it might have impacted the weight of Kylo’s redemption. “Perhaps the transformation of Kylo Ren into Ben Solo would also have suffered with such an inhuman act that some viewers would see it as unforgivable even though he ended up saving the entire galaxy.” Whether or not one agrees with Suotamo’s take, cutting this scene reveals one major problem withThe Rise of Skywalker.
Cutting the Chewbacca/Kylo Ren Scene Strips ‘The Rise of Skywalker’ of Emotional Weight
By leaving the Kylo Ren and Chewbacca scene on the cutting room floor, Abrams misses out on a moment ripe with emotional weight, andit’sa recurring theme throughout the film. Kylo does eventually turn to the light side after witnessing a hallucination of his father, Han Solo (Harrison Ford), but it would have hit even harder if he was reeling from witnessing his childhood after invading Chewbacca’s mind. Another scene that’s robbed of its dramatic potential is the fate of C-3P0. While Rey, Finn and Poe are searching for a Sith Wayfinder, C-3P0 reveals that the information is in his memory banks — but to access it would override his programming. It’s a real bombshell of a moment; C-3P0 has been a major part of the Star Wars universe from the beginning, so losing him would be a huge deal. I say “would be” because one scene later, R2-D2 reactivates C-3P0 and brings back his memories, robbing the memory wipe of its potential dramatic weight.
Ultimately, the major problem withThe Rise of Skywalkeris thatAbrams was trying too hard to win over every singleStar Warsfan. In doing so, he wound up pleasing very few fans.The Rise of Skywalkeralso had a major effect on the Star Wars franchise’s theatrical future; to this day, the franchise has mostly been limited to the collection of television series on Disney+. Efforts are being made to bring back the series to its theatrical roots, starting withThe Mandalorian & Grogu, but whether it has the same reception as previous Star Wars films remains to be seen.
Star Wars' Biggest Problem Is the Fans
Recent attacks online make it feel like a crime to say anything positive about the beloved franchise.
Chewbacca Did Have an Emotional Moment With Kylo Ren in ‘The Force Awakens’
The Rise of Skywalkerskipping out on emotional moments also makes it the complete opposite ofThe Force Awakens, where Abrams took the time to introduce the audience to new characters and worlds. A major example involves the third act, which takes place on the planet-destroying Starkiller Base. Afterwitnessing Kylo kill Han,Chewbacca roars in anger and fires upon the young dark side user,wounding him. However, it’s important to recognize that Chewbacca aims for Kylo’s stomach instead of somewhere that would be a fatal blow. It shows that somewhere, somehow, Chewie recognizes the young Ben Solo.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, ultimately, is a film full of missed opportunities. Instead of closing out the sequel trilogy on a strong note, it’s now considered a major example of whatnotto do when crafting the closing chapter in a major film franchise. It all stems to cutting scenes like Chewbacca’s from the final product; rather than take a risk, Abrams opted for the safe path.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalkeris available to stream on Disney+ in the U.S.
