It's a little bit off topic, but here is something Guillermo Del Toro wrote about why modern monster movies fail:
He believes there’s too much emphasis on dissecting the genre, with directors trying, and largely failing, to circumvent the genre’s common tropes rather than stepping back and creating an enjoyable scary movie:
"I think that there is a postmodern attitude towards the genre that tries to disarm or disassemble the genre in a postmodern way and I think that when you approach characters with earnest love, it’s a lot less safe because you’re not above the material. You are high on your own supply and it’s easier to be ironic, so I think that’s part of it."
And that, is what I feel is wrong with every sci-fi adaptation of a classic property that fails. People have pointed out all the good in JJ Abrams Star Trek adaptations, but fundamentally, what a lot of people felt was that his material was aloof and ironic, instead of earnestly loving Star Trek without irony.
I thought this was pertinent to the thread as there are people who don't love TOS or Star Trek for what it is, and want to make it something else - whether Battlestar Galactica or whatever - there is nothing wrong with Star Trek's stylistic choices or philosophy.