In the last few years, I definitely have to say, though, that I am definitely more a fan of the fictional universes that Star Wars and Star Trek exist in, which exist seperately from the (mostly) terrible stories set in those universes. I had to make that distinction when I realized that I would be constantly frothing at the mouth if I didn't change my perspective.

The studios need to understand that the fanboy is a fickle creature, but also a fair one. He will also be less likely to be distracted by the special effects and whiz-bang gadgets because he is already deeply familiar with all of that. That means, however, that there better be a good story that is in keeping with the "feel" of previous works that the fanboy has been exposed to.

That being said, in order for general audiences to like something, the fanboy doesn't necessarily have to be happy. Some universes might be too complex to just drop everybody into, so you have to simplify things.

This ties into your other post

http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/article/connecting_to_movies_a_character_study

which I'm also commenting on. If it's a good movie, everybody will like it despite it's limitations.