As a Star Wars fan, I was a tad bit skeptical when I heard this movie was going to be released several years ago. I was, however, pleasantly surprised. I enjoyed this film. The acting was good, the characters were interesting, and the cast was ethnically diverse.
The special effects were obviously gorgeous. There were a few surprising cameos that were made possible by CGI/animation. Unfortunately, there were moments when this particular animation looked amazingly realistic, and then there were moments when the animation looked eerily fake and borderline terrifying. (no offense, Disney animators) One reviewer online wrote about how the animation may not hold up with all the technological advancements that will come about in the very near future, which to me, is understandable.
The story was rather simple, but it was interesting to me how this movie apparently takes place in between Episodes 3 and 4 (AKA, Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope). The wardrobe and props were fantastic. The casting was pretty good as well. It is in my humble opinion that JJ Abrams prefers British brunettes to be his galactic leads, considering he cast Daisy Ridley as Rey in The Force Awakens and Felicity Jones (of whom I am a fan) as Jyn Erso in Rogue One. Although, this point may not be entirely accurate considering the fact that Gareth Edwards was the director of this film (but possibly Abrams had a big role in this, who knows).
*Side note: This movie was 1000 times better than the disappointing prequel/sequels (Episodes 1-3, Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones, and Revenge of the Sith).