I did like it.
I went in without a clue expecting Episode VIII, meaning the one after 'The Force Awakens' with the characters from that movie. The opening scenes I thought were about Rey's early years before she was dumped on a planet and became a scavenger. When they showed the character Jyn in a prison, I briefly thought this was Rey somehow captured again until I looked close and saw it was a different actress. I even groaned seeing the deathstar, thinking, "Is that now 4 fucking deathstars in these movies?" Nope, it was the first one.
I'm not sure where I finally figured out where 'Rogue One" fit in the timeline, but it was a ways into it.
And I agree with vile that they finally made an actual movie that wasn't about selling cute fuzzy toys, action figures and happy meals to kids. It was gritty, blunt and heroic. I've read where those that pick at plot details will find tons of conflicts, but at least this movie explained why the first deathstar was so easy to blow up. It was designed that way on purpose by its creator, who didn't want to build it in the first place.
I'm calling it Episode 3.5. It is probably my 4th favorite out of the 8 Star Wars movies made so far. I still like the first trilogy the best with it difficult to say one that is my favorite, probably 'A New Hope'. Everyone always says 'The Empire Strikes Back' is the best, but it always seemed like filler to me between the other two movies. I could have done without the fuzzy ones dropping rocks on stormtrooper heads like vile mentioned, but I did like some of the early scenes in 'Return of the Jedi'.
Really none of the Star Wars movies made after the first trilogy have stunned me the way I hoped. Each of those 4 (I, II, III and VII) and even 'Rogue One' left me slightly disappointed. The best scifi movie I've seen in the last 30 years or so was 'Avatar'. If they can just make a Star Wars movie that made me go "WOW" the way 'Avatar' did, then I would be pleased.
