What makes SF so damn good is its ability to surprise and challenge us. Unfortunately, that's exactly what Hollywood has decided mainstream audiences are allergic to, so they recycle the same old tropes again and again. Anything new and interesting must be shoe-horned into the familiar shapes, or ignored.
For example, how many times have you seen this one: hero's buddy is brutally, callously murdered by generic bad-guy, he decides on revenge and possibly discovers some love-interest at the same time. He is nearly beaten, but by skill and courage wins through to triumph over the bad-guy, although not so conclusively as to preclude the making of a sequel.
For example, how many times have you seen this one: hero's buddy is brutally, callously murdered by generic bad-guy, he decides on revenge and possibly discovers some love-interest at the same time. He is nearly beaten, but by skill and courage wins through to triumph over the bad-guy, although not so conclusively as to preclude the making of a sequel.
That is basically the Hollywood plotline, with minor variations. It's present in anything from Avatar to Beverley Hills Cop. The really good Sci Fi makes a point of defying this cliché so it never gets to the screen. Given what happens to SF when it does make it (unrecognizable pulp) this is probably A Good Thing.