And let’s face it, if the Academy had not listened to the outcry dissing its proposed “Most Popular” award to address the art house vs. box office conundrum, AND if ‘Black Panther” producers allowed it to be nominated, it would have won paws down. But the Academy didn’t’ follow through, and now its vying for the super Oscar nod.
Check out SBR’s sportsbooks to wager on ultimately who will win the Academy Awards.
An almost all African-American cast stars in the well-crafted story of an African King who also is a superhero (Chadwick Boseman). T’Challa rules over Wakanda, a hidden, technology-forward kingdom while having to face a vengeful cousin (Michael B. Jordan), in a movie that is a revelation to the superhero genre. It also was a box office smash, making more than $1.3 billion worldwide.
Unfortunately, competing against the writer-director Alfonso Cuaron’s poignant “Roma,” we don’t think “Panther” has a chance. In this case, the nomination would be the win.
Comic book movies are usually only considered in the special effects categories with a few exceptions and a win in an acting category (Heath Ledger). In the Marvel vs. DC universe, DC has the edge – thanks to Batman. Maybe instead of saying “I’m Batman” he might consider saying “I’m Oscar-worthy.”
MARVEL
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017): Nominated for: Best Achievement in Visual Effects. This film was more visually stunning that the first, but not as thrilling.
- Doctor Strange (2016): Nominated for: Best Achievement in Visual Effects. A nice addition to the MCU.
- X-Men: Days Of Future Past (2014): Nominated for: Best Achievement In Visual Effects. The only film in the X-Men universe to get the attention of the Academy.
- Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014): Nominated For: Best Achievement In Visual Effects. The third sequel in the MCU to get an Oscar nod, but “Winter Soldier” was never going to be Christopher Nolan’s “Interstellar.”
- Spider-Man 2 (2014): Won: Best Achievement In Visual Effects; Nominated For: Best Achievement In Sound Mixing & Best Achievement In Sound Editing. Well-deserved Oscar if only for our hero’s battle with Doc Ock and Spider-Man having to stop a moving train.
- Guardians of the Galaxy (2014): Nominated For: Best Achievement In Visual Effects & Best Achievement In Makeup And Hairstyling. How Benicio Del Toro’s hair didn’t win an Academy Award, we’ll never know.
- Iron Man 3 (2013): Nominated For: Best Achievement In Visual Effects’ Third “Iron Man,” third Oscar nomination. Tony Stark would expect nothing less.
- The Avengers (2012): Nominated For: Best Achievement In Visual Effects. It grossed more than $1.5 billion. It should be happy with that.
- Iron Man 2 (2010): Nominated For: Best Achievement In Visual Effects. We weren’t big fans of this film, but I guess someone liked it enough to nominate it.
- Iron Man (2008): Nominated For: Best Achievement In Visual Effects & Best Sound Editing. Iron Man won awards from the Academy Of Science Fiction, Fantasy And Horror Films USA, the AFI, the Central Ohio Film Critics Association and the Hollywood Film Awards. Oscars, not so much.
- Spider-Man (2002): Nominated For: Best Visual Effects & Best Sound. We still remember gasping when Spidey began flying through the skyscrapers. It lost to “Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.”
DC
- Suicide Squad (2016): Won: Best Achievement In Makeup And Hairstyling. Was there something else this movie could have won an Oscar for? Uh, nope.
- The Dark Knight (2008): Won: Best Supporting Actor (Heath Ledger) & Best Achievement In Sound Editing; Nominated For: Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing, Best Art Direction, Best Makeup, Best Sound Mixing, Best Visual Effects. It’s official, Batman wins. Three Oscars, 12 nominations makes the Caped Crusader the more decorated from the Academy.
- Superman Returns (2006): Nominated For: Best Achievement In Visual Effects. Maybe it would have won if Superman had stayed in space. Probably not.
- Batman Begins (2005): Nominated For: Best Achievement In Cinematography. After several years where Batman movies were less than stellar, we get this gem. Thank you, Christopher Nolan and Christian Bale.
- Batman Forever (1995): Nominated For: Best Sound, Best Cinematography & Best Sound Effects Editing. Three nominations? OK, if you say so.
- Batman Returns (1992): Nominated For: Best Makeup & Best Visual Effects. Danny DeVito as the Penguin still rules. And you had Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman!
- Batman (1989): Won: Best Art Direction/Set Decoration. We loved Michael Keaton’s Batman … too bad he played 2nd cape to a scene-stealing Jack Nicholson. The soundtrack rocked as well.
- Superman (1978): Won: Special Achievement Award For Visual Effects. Nominated For: Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction, Best Sound. We could watch Christopher Reeve fly around forever.
