THE BTMG TOP 20 OF 2012...THAT DIDN'T MAKE MY TOP TEN LIST!

As a new member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association, I had the opportunity to see a lot more movies than I usually do throughout the course of previous years.  Some great (the ten greatest will be showcased in my upcoming Top Ten of 2012 piece), some close-to-great, some good, some disappointing and some truly awful (you can see my list of the Worst Ten here).

Below you’ll find my Top 20 close-to-great flicks of 2012.  Movies that all had a legitimate shot at making my Top Ten at one point or another…  They ultimately got bumped out – but they remain solid flicks that you should all add to your must-watch lists!

In an effort to keep the clutter down (wish more critics were as thoughtful), spend more holiday time with my family than with my computer and to work a little literary math in to the proceedings I’ve offered the briefest of summaries for each film – because I’ve already explained that I enjoyed them all.

So, in no particular order, here are those 20 films you should see:

THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY* Familiar ground + Hairy feet = Epic adventure
LINCOLN* Slaves freed + Great acting = Oscar contender
WRECK-IT RALPH* Arcade life + Clever adventure = Family fun
BERNIE** Crime comedy + Subtle acting = Surprisingly great
MAGIC MIKE** Channing/McConaughey + Male strippers = happy wives
THIS IS 40* Many truths + Middle age = Uproarious laughter
THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER Teenage life + Blossoming love = Adolescence defined
BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD** Backwoods bayou + Children’s imagination = Powerful journey
THE SESSIONS* Paraplegic virgin + Awkward comedy = Deeply moving
THE GREY** Liam Neeson + Wolves attack = Deeper meaning
ROCK OF AGES** Hair bands + Butt rock = Cheesy fun
MARVEL’S THE AVENGERS** Heroes Assemble + Earth saved = Popcorn fun
SAFETY NOT GUARANTEED** Time travelers + Wacky premise = Charming story
LIFE OF PI* Spiritually charged + Visually stunning = Astonishing achievement
21 JUMP STREET** Buddy cops + Trigger happy = Hilariously offensive
THE INTOUCHABLES Foreign language + Unlikely companions = Sensitive comedy
FRANKENWEENIE Burton animated + Man’s friend = Simplistically charming
JACK REACHER* Old school + Action packed = Explosively fun
PROMETHEUS** Aliens prequel + Many questions = Dramatic sci-fi
THE IMPOSSIBLE* Tsunami strikes + Family separated = Immensely riveting

*Currently in theaters
**Available on DVD/Bluray