Holy shit, that movie was absolutely fantastic. I would rank it so far above The Force Awakens it's not even funny. Felicity Jones sold Jyn Erso as a character and her relationship with Mads Mikkelsen as her father nearly brought me to tears. Diego Luna played Cass incredibly nuanced to show both the good and the bad of the rebellion. Donnie Yen was absolutely badass and brought the spiritual side of the Force down to a somewhat more grounded level. Krennic was played perfectly to a tee, and his character was so much more richer after I read Star Wars Catalyst so I can see why this frustration and greed feeds him and pushed him to the point of having his own creation kill him. Everyone's death was so well executed (no pun intended).
Now let's talk about the fan service because my god was it well done. The resurrection of Grand Moff Tarkin was incredible. He was more in this movie than he was in Episode IV and it totally fits. Despite his large role in Catalyst, I really thought he would still be little more than a cameo, but his large role was so needed to bring that insight into how the Empire operates and how even within it there are factions fighting against each other. I really thought the CG would bother me, but I was endlessly impressed with how real it looked even with the close up.
Darth Vader was the next round of massive fan service and my goodness they did him justice. From the gigantic shadow casting over Krennic to his line "Do not choke over your aspirations" while he's Force choking him was so freaking good. Of course, the killer moment was at the end when he slaughters the rebels before they escape. The subdued yet powerful Force powers he showcased were incredible. He didn't need to flip around or do some prequel shit. All he needed was to deflect the lasers with his lightsaber, maybe push a dude or two into the celing and walls, and perhaps strike through the heart of a rebel through the door. So. Freaking. Good.
Finally, the crunch at the end. Opening the doors and there she is. Princess Leia. Jimmy Smits's Bail Organa was fantastically implemented and to be honest I was wondering if that was all we would hear about Leia as "someone [he] trusts with [his] life" (plus the sick Obi Wan reference). I also really wasn't sure if we would see her face, and if we were to see her face how good the CGI would be. But man, they sold it. Her face wasn't as convincing as Tarkin's but that may have had to do with the brighter lighting, but my goodness the way they conducted that scene was pitch perfect.
God I love this movie. I left the theater with a huge smile on my face. 9.5/10