As we draw ever closer to the Oscars, we’re bombarded by myriad “Top 10” and “Best Of” lists… As we draw ever closer to the Oscars, we’re bombarded by myriad “Top 10” and “Best Of” lists by film critics from across the country with films that many casual moviegoers don’t actually see – something tells me that your average Joe didn’t make time to see “Babel” or “Dreamgirls.”

With ever-decreasing Oscar viewership numbers, perhaps we need to take a different approach and acknowledge those films that lie slightly beyond the grasp of the Academy.

Regarding departures from the norm, 2006 had two acting performances in particular that surprised because of their previous track records. While Josh Hartnett has been devoid of personality and a black hole of charisma, Paul Walker’s stilted, I-take-myself-too-seriously delivery is simply bad.

But in “Lucky Number Slevin” and “Running Scared,” both actors broke their own molds – Hartnett’s surplus charisma earned him heartthrob status and Walker immersed himself in the role of a low-life mafia thug with some impressive pathos.

And on the subject of rhetoric, “V for Vendetta” used its very topical script and own blend of logos to create this year’s best popcorn film with a brain. It worked on both the cerebral and the “dude, that fight scene was sweet” levels.

“Crank,” on the other hand, dealt a fist straight to the gut with its depiction of a man who’s been poisoned and must keep his adrenaline high to live. The energy comes through onscreen in one of the most gleefully over-the-top movies in years: just pure, unadulterated fun.

But what makes funny? We’ve had a few examples this year, but the two that stood out the most are “Talladega Nights” and “Jackass Number 2.” “Talladega” was buoyed by great performances as it mocked a NASCAR culture while embracing it.

Meanwhile, “Jackass Number 2” deserves recognition simply because of its greater LPM (laughs per minute) ratio than any other film in 2006, along with its ability to shamelessly bring out the inner child in any man who watches.

On a more serious note, the documentary that got all the attention this year was Al Gore’s “An Inconvenient Truth,” but a far stronger documentary lived a few blocks over on HBO in Spike Lee’s mesmerizing “When the Levees Broke.” Using an even-handed approach, Lee’s documentary focused extensively on the before, during and after of Hurricane Katrina and its effects on New Orleans.

To help lift the spirits after the last blurb, we have this year’s best feel-good movie, “Rocky Balboa.” Sylvester Stallone scored big with the underdog appeal as he returned triumphantly to his greatest cinematic creation and gave Rocky a fitting end. Just try not to get those little chills up your back whenever the theme revs up or Rocky starts punching that bloodied side of beef.

On the topic of bloodied sides, there’s “The Descent,” a UK horror film that’s one of the best of its genre in years. Granted, the characters are drawn as thin as sliced ham, but that doesn’t matter when the cave scenes are done so well and the tension is ratcheted up to 11. Be warned, as it is likely to trigger claustrophobia even when sitting in a wide-open living room.

Horror wasn’t the only genre in 2006 to deliver unexpected gems. While “Cars” received all the animation hype this year, a stronger competitor received a lukewarm response when released a few weeks later. “Monster House” is the type of movie that could have been made in the ’80s by Steven Spielberg, and the amazing house-rendering and over-the-top action had me wishing that it were live-action. It’s a modern classic that resonates just as well with kids, adults and everyone in between and is just plain fun.

And with that, let us cinematic types congratulate the films that either weren’t noticed, didn’t comment too deeply on society or simply tried to entertain. Bravo, indeed.