Digmon did a good job shortening it, since there is some important information and scenes from it … you gotta have a good chunk of it.
I don’t care much for TFA - so maybe I’ve missed something, but clarify to me what you would need to have.
Because when they arrive at Takodana, the first thing to happen is that two aliens report to The First Order that Han Solo, Rey and Finn are there. This is the only thing that I feel you could imply would be missing as information from the Rathar sequence.
Rey and Finn left with the Millenium Falcon from Jakku - and now Han Solo is there with them. Ergo, Han Solo has the Millenium Falcon again and the First Order now know where they are. It requires 10% more IQ from the audience, which - from my point of view - is a welcome addition to this mess of a movie. Only thing would be to add the Snoke speaking of Han Solo sequence to after they land on Takodana and enter the cantina, rather than before.
Removing the Rathtar sequence does this;
- Chewie does not get hurt his first 10 minutes back in the franchise like some imbecile.
- Han Solo and us, the audience, doesn’t have to talk to two very un-intruiging gangs that serve no story function than what could already be replaced by what I suggested above.
- Han Solo doesn’t get an deus ex machina the first TEN minutes he’s back in the movie, by accidentally being saved by rathtars espacing, just as the gangs are about to kill him - overstating it several times before doing so.
- and whoop; all characters seem smarter and doesn’t have forced situations happen to them for the sake of suspense, and we can all happily forget the mess even happened as it serves NOTHING to the overall story.