We finally had the opportunity to see Rogue One. Others had told me it was better than the prequels and perhaps better than The Force Awakens, and they were right. It's vintage Star Wars. The costumes and sets were so reminiscent of the originals, I could watch the movie all day for that reason alone. Visuals missing in the prequel-sequels. The tie-in at the end was great. We nearly turned on A New Hope when we got home just to complete the experience.
Having gone in totally unfamiliar with the plot, I was a bit lost at the beginning as one scene switched to another during the introduction of character and worlds. It took a while to get anchored in the story. We finally did, but I noticed a certain disconnect when it came the characters. Comparing notes with my husband after the movie, he sensed the detachment as well. It made sense later, but as a fan and a writer, I struggled with it during the movie. I'll be better prepared the next time we watch it. With that out of the way, I'll be able to pick up more details missed during the first viewing.
I wouldn't say it's my third favorite Star Wars movie, but I may have to watch it a few times to get a better appreciation for it.
Kudos to the writers for the nod to Darksaber (though they used a word other than "dark".) Darksaber was my favorite novel in the extended universe and I enjoyed the tie-in.