It's so difficult to create an American movie hero for mass consumption! The marvelous Pauline Kael, generally a sturdy populist when it came to American movies, wrote in 1964: "we don't want to see the image of ourselves in those cheats and cuckolds and cowards. We want heroes, and Hollywood produces them by simple fiat... A drama about a man's defeat would seem somehow antisocial, unamerican, 'arty,' and even decadent." But, surely, our tastes have evolved since? But then, maybe Kael's assessment still holds true. Even if men like Clooney and Pitt are allowed to flirt with darkness, ultimately, the hero must be a force for good and it helps when he is Will Smith. Okay, so here are great things that are happening that don't involve Will Smith. READ MORE