Gritty. Hard-boiled. Tortured and flawed. Ah, the elements of the new prototypical superhero.

Audiences no longer crave truth, justice and the American way. They want an icy-cold, psychologically jacked hero that shoots heroin in the women's restroom after ripping out the spine of a baddie while bemoaning Corporate America. Superman, the embodiment of all that is good and right, is now merely looked upon with nostalgia -- not as a viable Hollywood product.

Superman is dead, and we killed him.

With the rampant cynicism and sarcasm that blows in from online movie critics, one might think Hollywood's ability to entertain is dead, buried, dug up, looted and thrown into a shallow stream.

Though there is something negative to be said about the constant parade of comedy and horror retreads, fans (the people actually paying to see these movies) apparently don't care. And why should they? They're having a blast at the movies. In fact, even in the midst of our Great Recession, moviegoers are flocking to the multiplex in record-breaking numbers.