Seriously, I think that almost nobody would bitch about the movie had they been blasted away by ILM special and visual effects. Shatner didn't get enough money to do anything. Budget restrictions are in the whole movie. Just imagine how Nimbus III and the assault on the city could have really looked like with a bigger budget and ILM trickery, for example.
Just think about it the other way: imagine Star Trek 2009 had the worst visual effects you've ever seen done by a crappy studio, a total joke compared to what has been standard in the last 10 years on the big screen.
Like this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYy_9LqD-yY
Or this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvRFPmHOMLI
Do you think people would then still like it as much?