Rogue One - Screen writing zero

Rating: 6/10 (14 December 2016)

I wanted to like this movie so badly, but I just couldn't. I am a huge Star Wars fan, but the screen writing for this film is just terrible. That's not to say that there aren't things to like in this film. But it's the huge amount of fan service that kills it.
None of the characters, except the main character, get any development. The introduction of all the characters is disjointed and ham-fisted. And especially in the beginning the movie jumps all over the place hastily. It is as if they took very little time to write actual scenes.
The visual effects are really good. But unfortunately the movie relies very heavily on the inclusion of one completely CGI actor, who simply does not look convincing. They give him a lot of screen time and lines too, but it is just so distracting.
But the biggest problem is that it is just crammed full of fan service. The movie feels very strongly like a piece of fan fiction. There are also no surprises at all in the film. It is predictable from beginning to end. The movie keeps throwing references to the original trilogy, or to the Expanded Universe in your face, to the point where it becomes extremely cringe worthy.
The finale is spectacular, but by that point you still don't care about any of the characters or the plot... the movie fails to make the audience really care. A spectacular finale without emotion, is like a fireworks show without an audience: A lot of noise and wasted money.