Finn objectively had less screen time, though. I’ve seen one count where Finn has like half of Rey’s screen time. The reduction came entirely in TLJ, since they had about equal screen time in TFA. People have commented on there being so much less Finn, to the extent RJ explained his decisions to cut many of Finn’s scenes (link) and to condense his pivotal duel with Phasma (link).
To me the explanations don’t hold water, though. If too many of Finn’s scenes were transitional, then why not write more pivotal scenes for him? Why were Finn’s scenes always first on the cutting block as opposed to, oh here’s a revolutionary idea, cutting and condensing other scenes in favor of giving the male lead more time? Oh right, because he didn’t waaaant to. Because the fucking hack can’t be arsed to do his job and KK in her infinite wisdom let him slack off. She’s had no issue whatsoever with firing directors who weren’t up to par, but this shit somehow passed muster.
If we ever get an extended TLJ (which I imagine we will someday), with Finn’s cut scenes restored, I think it will be a better movie overall, Finn’s lead status will be more clear, and his screen time will be about the same as Rey’s.
RJ is a hack in every sense of the word. He decided to cut so much Finn, including pivotal and emotionally relevant scenes, and yet left in green tiddy milk and a gratuitous shirtless Kylo scene. He was disproportionately excited about the white characters is a trilogy with a Black co-lead. He never should have been given the reins.
I don’t know for sure, but I believe the storygroup (not RJ) was behind having a lead arc for Finn paralleling Rey’s, it was done, and RJ just dialed Finn back in post. Of course cuts had to be made, but when you look at Finn’s deleted scenes it seems like there was contempt for Finn’s status in the ST.
So glad he can’t get his hands on epIX.
That’s what gets me about TLJ, the contempt and mean-spiritedness particularly toward Finn. There have been bad SW movies before, who cares, you don’t watch most SW for the cinematic mastery anyway. But even the worst movies, The Phantom Menace, Solo, were earnest in their love of the world and its morality, sometimes painfully so. There has never been a SW movie that felt actually malicious toward the whole idea of SW and focused its ridicule on one character in particular. It’s a surreal and unpleasant experience made worse by the insistence that it’s a progressive masterpiece and the concerted efforts to silence criticism–something else I have not seen before with SW movies.
L.J.'s Obsessions 