As is usual, science-fiction and fantasy genre films dominate the list of 15 films eligible for nomination for the 2008 Visual Effects Oscar.
There’s some strong comeptition here, though a few films I suspect don’t have much of a chance to make the list of five nominees that will be announced on January 22, 2009. (Yes, Mummy: Tomb Of The Dragon Emperor, I am looking at you.) It should be interesting to see what the Academy picks and what their criteria may be. I would imagine that the work in some of these films was more groundbreaking than in others.
I am surprised to see that Speed Racer was left off of the list. Almost the entire film was shot in front of a green screen, the backgrounds being created and added digitally later. Effectively, the entire film was one long visual effect. And seeing how the film stylistically used those created visuals as a storytelling device, I certainly think it should be worthy of consideration for what the Wachowski Brothers managed to achieve.
Films making the cut are-
- Australia
- The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
- Cloverfield
- The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
- The Dark Knight
- The Day the Earth Stood Still
- Hancock
- Hellboy II: The Golden Army
- The Incredible Hulk
- Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
- Iron Man
- Journey to the Center of the Earth
- The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor
- Quantum of Solace
- The Spiderwick Chronicles
