Well, speaking about attachment to characters… As much as I expected it to happen, Jyn and Cassian’s death was, to me, the most emotional scene in a Star Wars movie since watching Return of the Jedi for the first time. Though I can’t clearly remember, I do not think even Qui-Gon’s death at the end of TPM resonated with me so much, and I was a kid back in '99.
While most people appeared to cheer when Darth Vader started butchering the rebels on the flagship, at the point I was (surprisingly) smirking, knowing he would fail. RO’s crescendo is when the Death Star shoots at Scariff. Not that I did not thoroughly enjoy the several minutes after that but they were bittersweet.
Something that irks me a bit is some people actually consider some of Jyn’s scenes to not be “strong” enough. I was highly skeptical of both the character and Felicity Jones prior to seeing the movie but I see not fault.
Take <i>“we’ll take the next chance… and the next… until we succeed, or the chances are spent”</i> line. Some friends were discussing after the movie she didn’t sound powerful and confident enough, rather being scared.
Er, really? Going on a suicide mission against a well defended military facility of a galaxy-wide Empire and you’re not supposed to be scared? Sure…