This would be my ideal outline for a last Jedi edit, which keeps most of the thematically interesting material of the film but tightens and restructures the plot to remove the bloat and baggage, and weird decisions like making the casino plot a side quest in the middle of another plot, which then consequently drags on for way too long. This is accomplished essentially by moving canto Bight to the opening as the 'prologue’action beat, then slowing down somewhat for rey and Luke on ach-to, and the character development with Kylo, then building into a tighter paced third act where the flight from the resistance base, the aborted mutiny, the confrontation with snoke, the godspeed maneuver, and the final showdown on crait all happen in quick succession. The only concern I have with this restructuring is Rose, and her introduction as a character, and the relationship with her sister, who wouldn’t die until the beginning of the third act in this edit. I’ll be looking to see if I can get around this problem on the next viewing. Would be interested in getting feedback on the idea so far though.
Episode VIII
The Last Jedi
The capital of the republic has been destroyed. Able to track the last members of the resistance through Hyperspace, The evil First Order now pursues them to their hidden base.
As they prepare to evacuate the planet their last chance for escape may lie with a mysterious code breaker who will allow them to slip through the shields of the First Order command ship and disable the tracker.
Yet as Finn leads a small team to find the code breaker it may be too late even for the return of Jedi master Luke Skywalker to save the resistance…
Resistance fighters led by General Leia Organa begin preparations for the evacuation.
Finn, Rose and BB-8 acquire the help of the hacker DJ at the Canto Bight casino, who says he can help them disable the tracking device. They run in with the authorities and the mercenary arms dealing clientele of the casino, and narrowly escape on a stolen ship with the help of the child slaves at the casino racecourse, after leading a fathier chase through the streets of the old city.
Meanwhile, Rey has arrived on remote Ahch-To with Chewbacca and R2-D2 aboard the Millennium Falcon to recruit Luke Skywalker to the Resistance. Disillusioned by the failures of the Jedi and under self-imposed exile from the Force, Luke refuses, even after he learns from Rey of Han Solo’s death. Unknown to Luke, Rey and Kylo begin communicating through telepathic visions. Prompted by R2-D2, Luke agrees to teach Rey the ways of the Force. Luke and Kylo give Rey differing accounts of the incident that turned Kylo to the dark side; Luke confesses that he momentarily contemplated killing Kylo upon sensing that Supreme Leader Snoke had corrupted him, causing Kylo to destroy Luke’s emergent Jedi Order in retaliation. Convinced that Kylo can be redeemed, Rey leaves Ahch-To to confront Kylo without Luke.
a First Order fleet arrives at the resistance base. Following an effective but costly counterattack led by Poe Dameron, Resistance fighters manage to destroy a First Order dreadnought, before the Resistance vessels jump into hyperspace to escape, but the First Order pursues them using the tracking device. Kylo Ren destroys the Resistance support fighters, but hesitates to fire at the lead Resistance ship, after sensing his mother’s presence. However, TIE fighters destroy the bridge of the ship, incapacitating Leia, who only survives by using the Force. Command falls to Vice Admiral Holdo. Holdo reveals her plan to discreetly evacuate the remaining Resistance members using small transports. Believing her actions cowardly and risky, Poe instigates a mutiny.
Finn’s party returns to the fleet and infiltrates Snoke’s ship, but is captured by Captain Phasma. The mutiny is aborted when Leia recovers and stuns Poe, allowing the evacuation to begin. Holdo remains on the ship to mislead Snoke’s fleet as the others flee to a nearby old Rebel Alliance base on Crait.
Meanwhile, Rey lands on the command ship, and Kylo brings her to Snoke, who reveals that he controlled the mental connection between her and Kylo as part of a plan to destroy Luke. Ordered to kill Rey, Kylo instead kills Snoke and works together with Rey to kill Snoke’s elite guards. Kylo invites Rey to rule the galaxy with him, but Rey refuses. Using the Force, they struggle for possession of Anakin Skywalker’s lightsaber, which splits in two.
DJ reveals the Resistance’s plan to the First Order, and the evacuation transports are targeted with heavy losses; Holdo sacrifices herself by ramming Snoke’s fleet at lightspeed to stop the barrage, inflicting massive casualties on the First Order. Rey escapes in the chaos, while Kylo declares himself Supreme Leader.
Finn, Rose and BB-8 pilot a stolen imperial shuttle to join the survivors of the evacuation on Crait. When the First Order arrives, Poe, Finn, and Rose lead a charge with old speeders. Rey draws the TIE fighters away with the Falcon, while Rose saves Finn from a suicide run against the main enemy cannon, which blasts a hole in the Resistance fortress.
As all seems lost, Luke appears and confronts the First Order so the surviving Resistance fighters can escape. Kylo orders the First Order forces to fire on Luke to no effect, then engages Luke in battle. Kylo strikes Luke with his lightsaber, but it passes through him. Luke tells Kylo he will not be the last Jedi, while Rey uses the Force to help the Resistance fighters escape on the Falcon. His journey complete, Luke vanishes into the Force.
Leia reassures everyone that the rebellion has all it needs to rise again. On Canto Bight, one of the children that helped Finn and Rose escape grabs a broom with the Force and gazes into space.