Inconsequential storyline dampens what could have been a masterpiece

Rating: 8/10 (13 December 2017)

This film would have been a masterpiece if it weren't for the completely inconsequential adventure we're forced to take with Finn and a girl named Rose. This detour achieves absolutely nothing in the movie: none of the action or story development is of any consequence whatsoever to the larger plot or themes and to add to the tedium of it is that the settings and special effects in these parts are completely amateurish and juvenile. Honestly, they feel like the prequels. Any producer worth his or her salt should have cut that storyline altogether, thus trimming the film back by thirty minutes and letting it be exactly what it is otherwise: a well-paced story with an awful lot of heart and wisdom graced by powerful performances and breathtaking visuals. The Finn and Rose storyline will keep me from seeing this over and over again.
That being said, I'll definitely watch it at least twice more in the theater because honestly everything else is pretty much perfect. Ren and Rey, Rey and Luke, Luke and Ren - the scenes in the throne room. Wow! I loved Poe's storyline and the entire chase between the First Order and the Resistance was spot on.
But nothing, no nothing, was ever more beautiful than the ultimate showdown of good versus evil. The final 30 minutes of "The Last Jedi" are as perfect a piece of film making as it gets.
Maybe I'll just purchase a movie editing software and cut out the whole Finn/Rose adventure altogether. Then I could enjoy over and over again a 2 hour masterpiece instead of a great, but flawed, 2.5 hour epic. Truly, and unfortunately, none of Finn's storyline would be missed in this otherwise flawless film.
8.5/10