Agree with this, its 1.5 films in one really.

With better overall oversight (i.e. the MCU) the three films would have worked better.
There's too much setting stuff up in this one, just to give it something to finish.

They could have had the start of the Palps storyline in TLJ, made it part of the Finn/Rose sub plot, had them off investigating rumours while the Fleet was under threat instead, and drop the whole 'hacking' bit/Canto Bite, but include the hope/spark/ambiguity element in another way.
Holdo's plan stays as is, they find another reason for it be discovered, and we carry on as it is.
That way we can jump straight in to them looking for Palp in TROS without the set up.

But of course Johnson had no idea that was going to happen, back to the oversight.
They needed a firm, clear, direction with key plot points agreed.
The MCU works as the directors know, broadly, where the characters are going next, but still manage to get their own style and film made.

Posted By: megson, Dec 19, 11:59:41