The problem with Luke in TLJ was set up by TFA so that doesn't really factor into my comparison. As for the faults unique TLJ's storyline with Finn and Rose was pointless to the plot and character development, Rose was cringe, etc.
As far as their use of nostalgia goes, TLJ was better. TFA was a beat for beat retelling of ANH where the most marked difference I could think of was the complexity of Kylo Ren as a character... which not by coincidence was probably my favorite thing about TFA. TLJ on the other hand I feel more appropriately integrated nostalgia, it had scenes and plot lines that obviously mirrored ESB and ROTJ, however it didn't bug me in the same way because they took a lot of those things in different directions in a rather suspenseful way that actually kept me on the edge of my seat in the theater. TFA felt like it was playing it safe and relying too much on rehashing the OT, whereas TLJ felt like it was actually incorporating that same nostalgia while at the same time taking things in different directions.
As far as Rey goes, TLJ handled her better. In TFA she came off much more Mary Sueish basically succeeding at every thing she tried. Now in TLJ I won't deny that her power level doesn't make much sense (even if she's been inculcated to counter Kylo he still has training on her so she shouldn't be that close to him), however she gets humbled more sufficiently in TLJ with Luke calling her on her bullshit (OH YOU CAN FEEL IT YOU MUST BE REALLY POWERFUL), her own decisions getting her captured, and her failing to convert Kylo. Additionally her character itself was more compelling in TLJ than TFA because she had Kylo serve as a foil to her own character in a way I thought worked better for her than anything in TFA did.
As far as Kylo goes (who as a story element was my favorite part of TLJ), I liked the evolution of his character from a fanboy towards someone more seriously trying to be their own man, from his smashing of the mask after Snoke told him to take that ridiculous thing off to his betrayal of Snoke. "Let the past die, kill it if you have to, it's the only way for you to become what you were meant to be" indeed. To that end Kylo's still conflicted but it's more matured and reconciled than what we saw in TFA with his dark side seizing control of the First Order and his more sentimental side wanting Rey alongside him, two things that are in obvious conflict but don't speak to nearly the same irreconcilable rend within him in TFA, and to this end Rey as a foil to Kylo again worked for this movie. IF they handle this right this could be a very effective transition into Supreme Leader Kylo in Episode IX.
Now as far as Luke goes... I did not like Luke pussying out, that's a direction for the character I fundamentally disagree with, but let's look at how TLJ built on the premise established by TFA for Luke. TFA speaks to the notion that Luke pussied out just because Kylo destroyed his order, whereas in TLJ Luke speaks to some partially valid philosophical critiques of the Jedi, and it's revealed that he also ran because he activated his blade on Kylo. I'm still not satisfied by Luke's self-exile, but what's presented as the reasoning for it in TLJ has a whole hell of a lot more depth and justification to it than what we were initially given in TFA. Then of course lastly Luke got a heroic death, died with a W instead of an L, saved the resistance, put the fear of God in the First Order, spoke to Kylo's weakness, reconciled with Leia, and inspired people across the Galaxy. Then of course Mark Hamill's acting certainly helped the portrayal of Luke. Still not a fan of the direction Luke was taken in, which is endemic to both TFA and TLJ, but TLJ certainly did more to salvage it than the premise TFA set up.
As far as the acting goes, again I'd give it to TLJ. Kylo and especially Rey worked better as foils to each other, and TLJ was graced with the acting of Mark Hamill and with the acting of Andy Serkis as Snoke (to an extent not seen in TFA). Then of course Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia had more of a presence in this movie, as opposed to her two scenes with Han Solo and her just kinda being a part of the crowd in the control room. Harrison Ford was a great credit to TFA and I thought he slipped into the role of an older Han Solo very well, but I think this is outweighed by the other things I mentioned.
As far as the fight scenes go, TLJ wins this one for me. The fight scene highlight of TFA was the snowy woods fight, which first had Kylo dicking around with Poe then Rey pulling some bullshit out of her ass and beating Kylo, and the extent of the emotional and thematic significance of that fight boils down to "I gotta protect Rey!" "TRAITOR!" "You're a monster!" I thought this was definitely outweighed by the highlight in TLJ of the Praetorian guard fight with Rey and Kylo's teamup given the actual connection between the characters and turning point for the plot at this point. Likewise with Luke and Ren, there was much more gravitas to that fight, much more emotional and thematic stakes, and some pretty kewl lighting and surrounding environment and shit.
As far as the humor goes, I actually found TLJ rather humorous. I really enjoyed Luke's dry wit in this movie from dicking around with Rey with the leaf, to brushing off his shoulder after the AT-AT barrage, to his quips to Kylo. There were also some other moments, such as #putonatowel, some of the slapstick humor such as Kylo throwing around Hux and Snoke smacking Rey with the lightsaber hilt (call me lowbrow or something idgaf). TFA did have it's moments with the Stormtroopers ****ing off when Ren was destroying shit and "THAT'S NOT HOW THE FORCE WORKS" but overall I found TLJ funnier.
As far as the incorporation of the droid duo that's been in every SW movie so far, I prefered TLJ's inclusion here. Threepio had some pretty good moments "I will not be a part of the mutiny" and "Wipe that worried look off your face." For me though, it's really R2 that this movie did better on. R2 popping up at the end of TFA doesn't at all compare to his reunion with Luke in TLJ which put a stupid grin on my face for their entire interaction, from Luke getting all wide-eyed seeing R2 to the hologram thing.
The conflict within the First Order was also something I preferred in TLJ. This is similar to the point I made in my comparison between Kylo and Hux's inconsequential bickering in TFA to Tarkin and Krennic's rivalry with actual stakes in R1, which was obviously more compelling in R1. In TLJ, the conflict within the First Order between Kylo, Snoke, and Hux actually has stakes and consequences, which was something more appreciable than what we saw in TFA.
Now to be fair, I did like Poe more in TFA. He was really charismatic in TFA, and I didn't like how TLJ intentionally undermined his character just to be preachy. Also to be fair... **** the Finn Rose storyline, it was ultimately inconsequential to the plot, and some of Rose's shit made me cringe.
There are definitely flaws TLJ has that TFA doesn't share, but TLJ is more effectively it's own story than TFA was, satisfyingly develops some crucial characters from TFA, and does damage control on Luke from the point TFA left him at.
Overall I simply found TLJ the better of the two movies.