“A subverted expectation is not clever or praise worthy, if the expectation existed solely to be subverted.”
Here’s a good analysis on Reddit, where the author at least attempts to be objective. Its title is a bit pretentious, as I don’t believe there exists such a thing as an objective analysis, but despite this the author makes a good effort to objectively analyze which subversions of expectations work in TLJ, and which do not:
https://www.reddit.com/r/StarWars/comments/7yw5mi/spoiler_the_last_jedi_an_objective_analysis_of/
"Summary Analysis Upon examining each of the major storylines, it is clear the goal of the filmmakers wished to use subverted expectations to bring dramatic change to the Star Wars universe. It is also clear the contrived circumstances behind the majority of them — and the tone deafness towards many characters — undermined their intentions and alienated fans.
The new Star Wars movies (TFA & TLJ) are a battle of contradictions — rehashed plots flipped on their head through contrived circumstances meant to enable sweeping removal of the old guard; new, diverse characters balanced against cardboard cutout rehashes (how redundant that the First Order must be lead by another snooty, petulant man with a British accent. Of all the roles crying for a shakeup, it is the leader of the villain military); and high-level plots with powerful messages undermined by cliches, improbable circumstance, and inconsistent applications of the Force:
Luke’s heroic sacrifice and embracing of his status as a legend is made hollow by the contrived nature of the threat he is counteracting, and the contrived circumstances of his sacrifice.
The unexplained origins of Snoke and the First Order diminish the storytelling and world building of the new movies, and dismiss the consequences of the original and prequel trilogies.
The Poe vs Holdo plot, in conjunction with Finn and Rose, led to the decimation of the Resistance due to bad leadership and contrived circumstances."
“Star Wars never needed to be rebooted — it already happened at the end of ROTJ. The Empire was defeated, Vader and Palpatine dead, Luke emerging as the last living Jedi, Han and Leia a couple. A clean slate was presented, and instead of embracing the countless possibilities, the filmmakers recreated the initial conditions presented in ANH, only to blow them away. This “reset” to enable a “passing of the torch” was unnecessary, for the narrative had already done this.”