That’s a really cool video, and really impressive roto work!
Perhaps competent isn’t the right word. What bugs me about her character is that she comes out of nowhere, we’re suddenly supposed to just go along with her plan (which the audience doesn’t know about), and then in the end, she saves the day?
I don’t think we’re supposed to go along with her, I think we’re supposed to be suspicious of her like Poe is. Then we’re surprised (like Poe) when she actually has a plan and saves the day.
You’re right — I see what Rian Johnson was going for. With that said, I don’t like it. I get it, but it doesn’t sit well with me at all because in the end, she is suddenly embraced by Leia as a friend. It’s as if we’re suddenly supposed to be okay with this stranger making these great sacrifices, despite her abrasive attitude.
One explanation that I thought while watching it was that she couldn’t trust anyone after being tracked through hyperspace. It reminded me of Battlestar Galactica, when they kept getting followed through light speed because someone planted a tracking device on their ship. If Holdo is suspicious of a traitor, she might keep her plans more secret. However, this is not really addressed in the film, so it comes off as a plot contrivance.
I have the same head canon — yes, she couldn’t trust anyone. Unlike Battlestar Galactica, however, they didn’t say this in The Last Jedi. The thing I like about this guy putting Ackbar back into the film is that it explains that they’re not discussing the plan for that very reason. That makes Holdo’s abrasive attitude make so much more sense and actually allows the audience to feel more appreciative for her sacrifice.
Just my two cents, anyway.