I greatly disagree with that statement. First off, this whole special covered a total of four chapters--two per episode. That's terrific pacing. Secondly, the last time Sasuke's past aired on television was literally over four and a half years ago. It was time for a refresher, and it also significantly built up the mood for the battle as well.
I haven't posted here in a while, but Naruto has been pretty amazing lately. The entire Jiraiya vs. Pain fight was incredible, and episode 135 has arguably the best fight sequence I've seen in the show. I just wish that the color palette for the hall in the Sasuke vs. Itachi battle was the same as it is in the opening theme, but it still looks great.