Sounds like the Spiderman movies, or last year's Incredibles.
How about any of these films from the past:
Shane; Maltese Falcon; Lord of the Rings (three movies); A Man for All Seasons; Remains of the Day; Bridge on the River Kwai; On the Waterfront; The Searchers; Grapes of Wrath; and so on and so on -- there are hundreds of similar examples...
Not a cartoon in the bunch. My point was not "make children's movies" -- my point was this: a director/producer can make a moving, memorable film without the gratuitous elements, IF HE CHOOSES TO. Today's Hollywood elites choose NOT to; they use the gratuitous elements to (A) hide their lack of talent and (B) promote "the Hollywood agenda." And then they moan and whine when no one goes to the movies any more.