The movie no one asked for but got anyway.
It was based on the opening crawl of Star Wars: A New Hope, and took a couple paragraphs to turn into an entire movie. I went in expecting to be disappointed. Instead I was blown away. Not only was the writing on the same level as an actual Star Wars film, but the acting was incredible, action scenes intense, special effects spectacular (with one exception), and progression was riveting from start to finish. This movie was exceptionally well made, and despite knowing the ending was inevitable at no point did the sacrifices made seem particularly superficial or unnecessary.
Jyn Erso is not a sympathetic hero; she’s bitter, harsh, selfish; everything her circumstances made her. Despite Jyn’s moral ambiguity, she steps up to lead a group of like-minded rebels to do what’s right. Others around her are equal parts roguish reprobates and dedicated freedom-fighters. No one here seems like the clear-cut rebels we’re used to in Star Wars. They seem more like real people: not necessarily good or bad, but both depending on the circumstances.
Turning expectations on their heads, it seems Rogue One was a good movie after all.