There are a lot of good films still being made, 500 Days of Summer, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, Fantastic Mr. Fox, The Hurt locker (yeah has some explosions but its a war movie, still has a good plot and characters), The Men Who Stare at Goats, I've heard good things about Shutter Island but I have not seen it.
Those are just a few off of the top of my head. Every year there are going to be big block busters with huge budgets and lots filler because a lot of people like to go to see a film that they don't have to really think about they like to go watch cool shit happen for a few hours and forget about all the bullshit that they have to deal with on the outside world.
However every year there will be some very thought provoking films with a great plot, characters/character development, story arch ect. I suggest trying to watch more indie films as well if I were you, a lot of indies focus on these aspects because they don't have the budget to spend on effects and such so they focus more on story.
Cinema is full of different genres and each has their place and have helped shaped the way we make/view and ultimately enjoy films.