Much more like it than the Awful Force Awakens.

Rating: 8/10 (7 January 2017)

I personally don't think the main Star Wars Saga will be where the real interest in this franchise will be and 'The Force Awakens' did nothing to disprove that point.
That story was over at the end of episode 6 'Return of the Jedi'.
Whatever they say George Lucas and Steven Spielberg never had a plan for the prequels and/or the 3 episodes that would follow the original trilogy when they were filmed. They maintain they did but the films we are seeing will only superficially do what they intended if at all. That is okay with me, as that is the creative process, but I do have issue with them saying otherwise.
I did see the point of explaining how we got to 'A New Hope' and the prequels gave us a history of those events but failed overall to really succeed with the wider audience.
The real fan interest will be captured by, and will remain with, the films that propose to 'fill in the blanks.'
Rogue One proves this but fails to really charm. It gives the immediate prequel to 'A New Hope' without getting us to really care.
As an events based tie in it is compelling and satisfying. The characters however fail to really connect with the audience and we don't really feel for them.
Overall a 8 out of 10. Loses one for the characters and one for not getting me to really believe in the rebellion but I was satisfied with everything else I saw.
Episode 8 is not one I am looking forward to but Rogue One has given me renewed hope in a Han Solo, Boba Fett or Darth Vader movie that will give us more of the Smugglers history or the Bounty Hunters fate, when he escaped the Jedi after his father died and then went on to get out of that Sarnak pit (because I like to think he did.) The fallen Jedi's actions in his prime pursuing the rebellion whilst perhaps being conflicted and his further descent into the Dark Side and an obsessional hunt for Obi Wan Kenobi perhaps?
These are much richer tapestries I think but the one that would break the box office would be the young Yoda. If that was done properly how good would it be? Remember how you lost it when Yoda confronted Dukku and absolutely lit him up!!!!!