Spoiler-free mini review!

Rating: 8/10 (20 December 2016)

As someone who hated Force Awakens, this was a delight to see, as in Star Wars isn't dead just because Disney acquired it.
Rogue One is like a well-written fan film but with a Hollywood budget. You would never expect something like this come out of Hollywood; and that's partially what makes it so great.
They put everything in a good balance; suspense, action, and emotion. The ending was also slightly unexpected, despite the fact that we already knew what was going to happen eventually.
I was nervous about the choice of director, also reading about various production problems (which of course could just be rumors). But in the end, it all came together, and I'm happy to say that I'm still a proud Star Wars fan.
I rate this 8/10, not perfect but almost as good as the original trilogy. Compare this to the 4/10 I gave Force Awakens, which was honestly quite generous.