So Mr. Plinkett weighed in on the film:
Some fair arguments to be sure (and hilarious as always), but I think RLM kind of misses the points Rogue One was aiming for and why so many dyed-in-the-wool Star Wars fans like myself love it so much...
1. Rogue One is not meant to be viewed "cold turkey" like ANH or TFA. It's why the "Star Wars" name was moved to the subtitle role ("Rogue One: A Star Wars Story"). Episode VII was the Star Wars movie that got the general public back on board with the franchise. For many viewers (especially the younger ones), it was the first Star Wars movie they had ever seen. The bigwigs at Disney and LucasFilm knew this, thus the decision was made to "play it safe" and essentially make a soft reboot of ANH. Now that everyone's more or less on the same page these "anthology" films are free to do whatever they like without having to worry about explaining the "rules" again.
2. Rogue One is a movie by hardcore Star Wars nerds, for hardcore Star Wars nerds. RLM seems to be partially aware of this with their Half in the Bag [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kc2kFk5M9x4] critique ("AT-STs! AT-STs!"), but I don't think they realize how deep the fanservice rabbit hole goes in Rogue One. You see, I wasn't fangasming over the Star Destroyers and Darth Vader (...well okay, I DID fangasm at the second Vader scene). The thing that got me really excited was all the shout-outs and Easter Eggs to the Expanded Universe. Juggernauts, kyber crystals, the Whills, Saw Guerrera, Hammerhead Corvettes, calls for "General Syndulla" over Yavin IV's PA system, the Ghost (aka the ship from "Star Wars: Rebels") participating in the Scarif space battle, etc. That said, they were all subtle enough that it didn't detract from the experience for those not in the know (at least, that's the impression I got when I asked my not-Star-Wars-obsessed friends about it).
3. Yes, the main cast of the Original Trilogy were instantly iconic, but they were also SIMPLE (Luke's the naive idealist, Leia's the bossy, take-charge leader, Han's the cocky, selfish bastard everyone secretly wishes they could be, Obi-Wan was your stereotypical "wise sage" archetype, etc.). Now there's nothing wrong with simple characters, especially when you're dealing with a basic "good vs. evil" opera/spaghetti western like ANH. Rogue One on the other hand isn't so straightforward with its depiction of the Star Wars universe, introducing "shades of gray" morality and the resulting emotional baggage. It explores the harsh realities that rebellions often have to grapple with, such as compromising one's moral values for a greater cause. This results in more nuanced characters that admittedly aren't explored enough, but at least give the impression that they're more than your typical Star Wars archetypes.
4. I for one liked Chirrut Imwe and his Taoist take on the Force. Instead of directly manipulating the Force and bending it to his will, he humbly surrendered himself to it. Not only did it provide a fresh take on what being a Force user means, but it helped bring back some of the Force's mystique by showing that there are many ways to interpret it and utilize its power.
5. I like space battles, dammit! I've always liked the dogfights and ship combat in Star Wars; I was that weird kid on the playground who wanted to be Wedge Antilles when everyone else was arguing over who got to be Luke and Vader. This is the first time I've gotten a satisfying, large scale space brawl since Return of the Jedi, so you'll excuse me if I revel in the spectacle. I haven't had my metaphorical frosting for so long that I almost forgot what it even tasted like.