Rogue One is a new hope for us.

Rating: 9/10 (22 December 2016)

What makes a movie a Star Wars story? We can summarize what should be in a Star Wars movie as follows.
1. The War Between Good and Evil (And their motivations) 2. The Discipline of Force based on eastern philosophies (Taoism, Buddhism, Sufism) 3. Transferring the philosophy from the Master to his Padawan
THE WAR BETWEEN GOOD AND EVIL Star Wars at its core tells us a war between good and evil. The difference between other good vs. evil stories and Star Wars is that, in Star Wars the line between good and evil is very thin and the motivation that makes a person evil is told very evidently.
Darth Vader prefers the dark side for a very noble cause, to save Padme. It is the same motivation that Darth Vader passes on to the light side, to save his son from the emperor.
THE FORCE In each episode Lucas tells us something new about the Force based on eastern philosophies. And this teaching is transferred from the master to the Padawan.
Episode: I is about the "Living Force" and the midi-chlorians. The master is Qui-Gon, and the student is Obi-Wan.
Episode: II is about "Force of the Patience". Master is Obi-Wan, student is Anakin.
Episode III: is about the "Infinity of the Force" and "The Dark Side of the Force". Master is first Yoda, then Palpatine. The student is Anakin.
Episode: IV is about "the Force of Unity" and "Force of the Instincts". Master is Obi- Wan, his student is Luke.
Episode: V is about "The Force of Emptying the Mind", and "The Infinity of Force". Master is Yoda and Luke is his student.
Part VI is about "Light Side of the Force", and the teacher is Yoda, and student is again Luke.
Although the name of the movie starts with "The Force", there is nothing about "Force" in The Force Awakens. We do not see a master or an apprentice in the movie. Force does not be transferred from the master to the padawan. It is soulless space movie. Jar Jar Abrams has no idea about Force and Star Wars.
ROGUE ONE Rogue One is more than a Star Wars movie. The film talks skilfully about the Force, and its transfer from the master to the padawan despite the fact that there is no a single Jedi. Master is Chirrut Imwe, padawan is his guard Baze Malbus.
We can say that Rogue One is about "Submission (surrender) to the Force","Infinity of Force" and "Force of Mantra.
SURRENDER TO THE FORCE We have heard from Obi-Wan earlier in episode IV: "Let go your conscious self and act on instinct." We have a force-sensitive character in Rogue One called Chirrut Imwe. And he has almost surrendered to the Force.
"I fear of nothing. All is as the force wills it." Chirrut Imwe
Let's look at this philosophy from Masnavi. According to this philosophy, there is no opposition, everything is my guest and happens for me.
"(The feeling denoted by the words) "We will not submit" and (the desire to raise) objection have gone from us (saints), since there is coming a great recompense for what has been lost. Inasmuch as heat comes to me without fire, I am content if He extinguishes my fire. Inasmuch as He gives light without, any lamp—if your lamp is gone, why are you lamenting? Now listen to a story of those travellers on the Way who have no objection in the world." Masnavi - Rumi Book: III; 1875 -1878
ETERNITY OF THE FORCE Rogue One also refers to the Infinity of the Force.
"Chirrut Imwe said to Baze when he was about to die: Look for the Force. You will find me there." Chirrut Imwe
"When the hú that passes away has surrendered itself to Him, it becomes everlasting and never dies. ('Tis) like a drop of water (which is) afraid of wind (air) and earth; for by means of these twain it is made to pass away (and perish. When it has leaped (thrown itself) into the sea, which was its source, it is delivered from the heat of the sun and from wind and earth. Its outward form has disappeared in the sea, but its essence is inviolate and permanent and goodly. Hark, O (thou who art like a) drop, give thyself up without repenting, that in recompense for the drop thou mayst gain the Ocean. Hark, O drop, bestow on thyself this honor, and in the hand of the Sea become safe from destruction." Masnavi - Rumi Book: IV; 2615 - 2620
THE MANTRA OF THE FORCE Every doctrine has melodic expressions that will make you feel good when you repeat it.
In Salinger's book Franny and Zooey, Franny says: " the starets tells the pilgrim that if you keep saying that prayer over and over again —you only have to just do it with your lips at first—then eventually what happens, the prayer becomes self-active  'Something happens after a while. I don't know what, but something happens, and the words get synchronized with the person's heartbeats, and then you're actually praying without ceasing. Which has a really tremendous, mystical effect on your whole outlook. I mean that's the whole point of it, more or less. I mean you do it to purify your whole outlook and get an absolutely new conception of what everything's about."
For the first time in a Star Wars film, we are witnessing such a mantra. Chirrut Imwe repeats his mantra in many scenes.
"Force is with me and I am the one with the Force"
CONCLUSION After Jar Jar Abrams has ruined the Star Wars with The Force Awakens, I had a bad feeling about the future of Star Wars. However, director Gareth Edwards show that Rogue One is a new hope for us.