I expected a new take on Star Wars films, but this your average action flick

Rating: 6/10 (17 December 2016)

I am a huge fan of Star Wars universe and when I first heard about Rogue One and the amazing lineup of actors - including Mads Mikelsen, Forest Whitaker, Ben Mendelson, Donnie Yen and others, it felt as this movie could be an independent, almost artistic take on Star Wars galaxy.
I know I must be delusional but I strongly believe that this is what the Star Wars in 2016 era needs. A step away from the action, CGI flick into something much more intimate, atmospheric, with much less CGI. To me, Rogue One felt as any other modern comic superhero flick.
I remember Rogue One being advertised as a different take on Star Wars, being a "war movie", a movie about small scale warfare and a band of rebels taking on a small operation. But as I watched it, it felt like the last Episode in different clothes. Do we really need two of the same Hollywood blockbuster movies?
As I walked out of the cinema, I thought to myself how awesome it would be if they used half of the budget and actually had Neil Bloomkamp direct this - his sense for tactical and grand sci-fi but placed within a small intimate story of few individuals (think District 9, Chappie, Elysium) would be a perfect fit for a Star Wars spin off film, one that Rogue One was supposed to be.
And I write this only because I felt the whole plot and drive of Rogue One was so lacking. And the actors I had such high hopes for and I absolutely love them, had such small part and such lacking lines in the movie, I do almost feel robbed.
And Donnie Yen - I mean come on, we get one action sequence from him. He had such a potential for a non-Jedi bad ass role in the story but one short fight scene is all we got.
It's not a bad movie, but average at best. If you are a die hard Star Wars fan, you'll like it. And there's some great cameo appearances although they came off a bit cheesy for me.
But I wrote this as I believe Star Wars needs something different. I hope we get it one day. Disney, please give Neil Bloomkamp a new set of Star Wars stories, micro-stories, something set away from the plot of the main movies. Please.