Character development =/= backstory.
For what it’s worth, I don’t think they needed to develop every single character. I just wish at least a few were more focused. It’s tricky when you have so many characters with so many different elements. The Krennic/Erso friend/foe dynamic hinted at but that never goes anywhere. The Saw Gerrera/terrorist aspect of the Rebellion of which is clearly there but otherwise completely unexplored. Jyn’s on-again, off-again rebellion and risking everything for the greater good (and how that relates to Galen) which is there but basically brushed over. The Cassian conflict which is very solid but doesn’t have any sort of meaningful resolution in regards to the moral dilemma of a violent Rebellion. Bodhi Rook and his connection to Galen/why he defected. Chirrut and Baze and anything about their religion/trust in the Force beyond what we can assume based on prior knowledge of the concept. These are all interesting things but far too unexplored. Some scenario in which many arcs are tied together with some thematic coherence would have been best route.
I do too think the film could have been longer. Team based war films often reach near 2 and a half hours and this had the leeway to do so as a standalone.
I think you have a great point. And I do not laugh my ass off at your post. 😃
All the characters were merely touched upon. However, the Rebellion has always been seen as a faceless and nameless collective of disposable people whose deaths were more or less meaningless. R1 finally gives some depth to the Rebellion even if its not enough as say Han Solo. It lends some sense of sacrifice and consequence to their deaths. The characters of this film will never stand along side the titans of the Galaxy but they were never meant to. R1 is a cross section view of the Rebellion.
Perhaps there could have been more but it stands on its own and as a supplement.