The Good: Star Wars hasn't really done the ragtag band of misfits trope before this (although The Mandalorian is trying to have a rotating cast of misfits), and I think they did pretty well here. I really like Jyn Erso, Chirrut, and K-2SO, who is the best droid in Star Wars to date. I wasn't a huge fan of Cassian, but he was decent enough by the end. Also, it was great to see Darth Vader in action again, rampaging and destroying people left and right. That might be the last time we ever hear James Earl Jones as Vader. I know some people didn't like the "Don't choke on your own ambitions" joke, but I thought it was right in line with stuff like, "Apology accepted, Captain Needa." I also enjoyed the Princess Leia cameo at the end, obvious CGI or not. It's so weird to think Carrie Fisher passed away only a week or so after the movie came out.
The Bad: It takes a really long time for Rogue One to get going. Plus, with this being a prequel, you do already know how this is going to end up, so all of the time Jyn insists she's not going to help the rebellion feels empty because, well, you know she ultimately will. The CGI on Leia and Tarkin is a little rough, and while I do love James Earl Jones as Vader, he does sound his age a bit with this performance, which made me feel a little sad because that's one of the most iconic voices in cinema.
The Best: The final battle as they try to steal the Death Star plans is easily the highlight of the movie and makes up for the slow pacing up to this point. Before the movie came out, I had a pretty strong feeling that the entire team was going to die because there had to be a reason you don't hear from these guys in the OT or the ST. I mean, I guess they could have gone into hiding because that's what Star Wars heroes do, but still, I do appreciate that they all did the heroic sacrifice pretty well. It didn't feel cheap or contrived. It's definitely one of the best Star Wars climaxes.
