There are an awful lot of peripheral ST fans out there. A Paramount poll years ago proved this. What they have been waiting for all along is a more accessible, mainstream type film that everyone can enjoy. Call it dumbed down if you will, but I think of it more as streamlined. Even more than before, I'm expecting this film to bring in new fans, not a huge amount but enough of a number to support a TV show on a network, where 10 million viewers in this day and age is enough to keep the show on the air. STNG avged 17 million in syndication!
You know one think? Lots of people actually
want to like Star Trek. They just can't, not now, with the 1960 camp, the convoluted storylines, the technobabble. Don't get me wrong: I like them, but I understand it's not for everybody's taste. But Star Trek has much more than this. The characters, the ships, the fun, the adventure, the thrill, the drama: it has it all. It has all the potential to be a
bona fide cultural myth, and not be the object of adoration of a lucky fews devoted fans. Just like superhero movies broke the stereotype and now deliver all the spectrum of genre (from TDK to FF), I really hope that this movie will usher a new generation of space operae, like the SW prequels could have done, if done well.