JJ's Trek is a return to the more light-weight, frothier side of TOS (And especially the TOS films!) as opposed to stuff like The Cage which informed the mantra of TNG+ Trek. As such I find it kinda alienating and simplistic but it's still informed by previous Trek. Just not my favourite kind.
Star Trek 2009 isn't really far removed from Search for Spock at all. Although its villain is much shitter. Nero is the pits and Bana's performance was Razzie-worthy. I expect Harrison to be several classes above.