Perhaps, but if a film wishes to not be associated with the that which it is remaking/rebooting/relaunching/whatever, then it should change it's title and make proper adjustments to the script to reflect this. Otherwise, it will inevitably be held to a set standard. I understand that it's a marketing tool - using a previous film's success and legacy to promote your own. A great majority of the movie-going audience will not be made upset by this, usually because the audience is newer, younger and less connected to the original film; they don't find it to be stumbling upon sacred ground like movie nerds such as myself do.
I compare it to a cover song. It needs to respect the original yet try to be unique. It's a really hard balance. It's something that only those with a truly original and fresh perspective on a classic piece of art should take a shot at.
It's similar to saying a sequel shouldn't be held to the standard of the original. But of course that doesn't make sense. If you choose to mooch, it better be for a good reason. Doesn't have to be better, but at least has to try to expand on something and justify our time in investing in it. Often, films of this nature tend to fail to meet these expectations. But occasionally you get something that succeeds.
An example of a successful relaunch would be Hammer's Horror of Dracula. It's a retelling of a classic story, but it's a fresh take, yet doesn't take anything away from the original film adaptation from Universal. Also, I previously mentioned The Fly and The Thing, both falling into the same category. Films that fail to succeed in this category are the recent rash of slasher remakes, including Friday the 13th, Texas Chainsaw Massacre and even Rob Zombie's take on Halloween (although I enjoy it, Zombie missed much of what made the Myers' character appealing in the first place, which was subtlety and mystery).
Not to say the Dawn remake wasn't a decent popcorn film, but it isn't a film that will go down in history. A hundred years from now, the original Dawn of the Dead will be looked upon as one of the most important films ever made and a landmark in the genre.