This has been true since the beginning of film's history, with rare exceptions. Spectacle sells, even going back to the point when the technology of film itself was the spectacle. (See for example the always-thrilling L'Arrivée d'un Train à la Ciotat: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dgLEDdFddk)

If you want "film as art," it's generally best to avoid studio mega-corps designed to make cash.