Heh. Aren't you the guy who hates fantasy?

When it comes to the fantasy genre, magic is incredibly diverse. It runs the gamut from a very rule-driven system where the practitioners are basically computer programmers (Unsounded, The Magic Goes Away) to rule-driven systems where spells are discrete, pre-packaged products (Jack Vance and his imitators in tabletop games) to a clap-your-hands-if-you-believe-it magic driven by willpower (Dresden Files) to science-beyond-our-comprehension powered by eldritch gods (Grimnoir Chronicles) to "Oh, Hell, why would you even bother?" (Discworld).

Comparatively, the space combat we see on the big screen is incredibly formulaic.

: That's like saying punches and
: guns are a dime a dozen in action movies.

Actually, it would be like complaining that chase scenes are getting stale... in a parallel universe where just about every chase scene has the protagonist on a motorcycle evading pursuers in sports cars and commercial vans.