It may not have ever been hard sci-fi, but it's still going to be a film people point to whenever I complain about the lack of sci-fi worth a damn. It's the same attitude the producers have - "it's set is space, what more do you need?". Like the Star Trek remakes - Abrahms wanted to make Star Trek for the people who never liked Star Trek in the first place, then got all pissy when those same people pointed out that it lacked substance, was poorly written and full of idiotic loopholes. There's no reason that a space faring sci-fi can't be made that, not only has a well thought-out, well written, speculative science fiction concept as its main focus, but one that also appeals to people in terms of visuals and excitement and action and character. Except for those with their hands on the purse strings, of course, those same executives who continually underestimate their audience and perceive them as too stupid to be drawn in by a concept that asks them to think for themselves rather than just sit and be entertained by the flash and noise of modern cinema. I mean, fuck it, I'll just read a book. But just once, just once, it'd be nice to go to the cinema and see a science fiction that isn't afraid to be daring in more than just the visual department.
There's room for both.