86th Academy Award predictions - Visual Effects

Best Visual Effects

Guaranteed nomination and likely win

1. Gravity (Warner Bros.) - Visually, Gravity is unlike any other film I've seen. The space sequences are dazzling, mystical and beautiful and most importantly, realistic. Gravity is a film where the visual effects helped carried the story and for that it will probably end up winning.

2. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (Warner Bros.) - The Academy loves Peter Jackson's Middle-Earth series with the Lord of the Rings trilogy sweeping the Oscar ceremonies they received nominations at and the first Hobbit film earning 3 nominations at last year's ceremony. While the second Hobbit adventure will likely lose out to Gravity, the visual effects in this franchise have never disappointed and if any film could beat Gravity in this category it would be The Hobbit.

Strong chances at getting nominated

3. Pacific Rim (Warner Bros.) - Pacific Rim is the definition of a fun summer blockbuster and Guillermo del Toro's visionary imagination gave what could have been a generic sci-fi action film an epic scope and unique visual design that serves as a sort of homage to Japanese anime. The robots and the monsters looked fantastic in the film and it is likely Pacific Rim will earn a nomination for its VFX.

4. Man of Steel (Warner Bros.) - While critical reception for the Superman reboot was mixed to positive, most people agreed that visually Man of Steel was a treat. The opening on Krypton looked fantastic and while some argue that the latter half of the film is filled with nearly nonstop CGI action, the CGI looked good. The Transformers series (despite generic and bloated CGI action) has earned nominations for VFX, and Man of Steel had more than just that. There was a sense of realism and awe when Superman displayed his powers of flight and heat vision and the various environments such as Krypton, the liquid-style robots and various spaceships mixed with the usual fights and explosions will likely earn Superman's return to the big screen a VFX nomination.

Not completely sure bets

5. Iron Man 3 (Disney/Marvel) - Usually the highest grossing film of the year ends up with at least one nomination at the Academy Awards and it seems likely Marvel's Iron Man 3 could end up with one for its visual effects. The previous two Iron Man films and Marvel's the Avengers all received nominations in this category and Iron Man 3 features some dazzling visuals including the Extremis villains and Iron Man's robot army along with set-pieces such as attacks on Tony Stark's home and Air Force One. While the visual aren't as unique looking as the other films mentioned, this superhero sequel's status as the biggest film of 2013 could earn it a nod for visual effects.

6. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (Fox) - Ben Stiller's adventure dramedy may not seem like a film filled with too many visual effects, but you are wrong. The dream-sequences included in the film look visually dazzling including an epic fight sequence across a metropolis and other set-pieces around the world.

7. Star Trek Into Darkness (Paramount) - The first Star Trek earned 4 Academy Award nominations, a win for makeup and nomination for visual effects. The second film has a strong chance at earning a nomination for its visual effects, but it may not break out due to the immense competition provided by other films. However, the Academy has shown some love to Trek in the technical categories before, so don't be surprised if Into Darkness earns a nod.

8. Elysium (Sony) - Neill Blomkamp's sci-fi action thriller features some really great visual effects, specifically the various robots, which look very realistic compared to other bots seen in films. District 9 earned a nod for its realistic blend of CGI and special effects and Elysium has a solid chance to do the same.

Dark horses

9. Oblivion (Universal) - Tom Cruise's sci-fi epic rather generic and forgetabble, but if one thing can be said about it, it is that Oblivion had a great sense of visual style. It remains to be seen if this early April release will be remembered when compared to summer epics such as Man of Steel and holiday treats such as The Hobbit.

10. World War Z (Paramount) - Brad Pitt's zombie thriller broke out this year as a critical and commercial success, and despite some strong visual style, it probably won't earn a nomination considering zombies aren't as much of a visual treat compared to dragons, superheroes and giant robots.

86th Academy Award predictions - Best Picture

In this series, I will go through and analyze the contenders that might get nominated and possibly win in various categories for the upcoming 86th Academy Awards.

Best Picture

Guaranteed to get nominated (and likely to win)

1. 12 Years A Slave (Fox Searchlight) - Steve McQueen's historical drama has received near universal acclaim in nearly every category. Audiences who have seen it have praised it as a landmark film and masterpiece, and with all the recognition it is getting, it would be shocking if this wasn't nominated. And if it is nominated, expect 12 Years A Slave to be the winner in this category.

2. Gravity (Warner Bros.) - Alfonso Cuaron's sci-fi thriller has received excellent reviews and has become a box office blockbuster (as of October 20, the film's domestic total stands at $170 million) and a favorite among audiences. Gravity is pretty much a lock to sweep all the technical categories and it has a good chance of stealing the Oscar gold. The battle will be primarily between 12 Years A Slave and Gravity for the big prize, and there is a high chance that Gravity could end up a big winner come Oscar night.

Stand very good chances at getting nominated

3. Inside Llewyn Davis (CBS Films) - The Academy loves the Coen Brothers and has honored them and many of their films over the years. It seems "ILD" will be no exception, with strong word of mouth from various film festivals and growing buzz, ILD will is a likely a lock to be nominated, even though it probably won't end up winning Best Picture.

4. Captain Phillips (Sony) - This reality based action thriller has received stellar reviews, won over audiences and become a box office success. Tom Hanks is a lock for Best Actor and director Paul Greengrass and writer Billy Ray's script seem to stand very strong chances at getting nominated, so it expected that Captain Phillips will earn a nomination as well.

5. American Hustle (Sony) - This 1970's based crime flick has an all-star cast full of Oscar favorites Christian Bale, Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper, Jeremy Renner and Amy Adams, along with Academy favorite David O. Russell taking the directing reigns. Marketing seems to play up that while this crime flick will be more lighthearted, it will feature fantastic performances and that nice balance between comedy and drama that the Academy loves (i.e. Argo).

6. The Monuments Men (Sony/Fox) - George Clooney's star-studded war drama is like an Academy dream come true. It features an all-star cast including Clooney himself, Matt Damon, Jean Dujardin, Bill Murray, Cate Blanchett and John Goodman, a story based on true events revolving arts and cultures and plenty of humor and drama in between action-packed battle sequences.

Likely to get nominated

7. The Wolf of Wall Street (Paramount) - Martin Scorsese's all-star crime drama would be higher on the list if it wasn't for the fact that Paramount is not even sure if the film will be prepared on time. But based on the first trailer, Scorsese has a funny, stylish and smart look at the excessive 90's lifestyle of Jordan Belfort.

8. August: Osage County (Weinstein) - Critical reception for John Wells' adaptation of the hit play has been mixed so far. However, with an all-star cast featuring Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts, this might just grab the Academy's attention.

9. Nebraska (Paramount Vantage) - Filled with great performances from Bruce Dern and Will Forte, lots of festival buzz and Academy love for Alexander Payne, this small yet effective film may end up getting a nomination for Best Picture.

10. Blue Jasmine (Sony) - Woody Allen's latest film has received excellent reviews and with a near guaranteed lock for Cate Blanchett, a Best Picture nomination should be expected as well.

Dark horses that may sneak in

11. Fruitvale Station (Fox Searchlight) - Ryan Coogler's debut film opened this summer and won over film critics everywhere and has been praised by many to be the year's best. However, will the Academy forget about Fruitvale (an early summer release) by early next year after premieres of other strong fall contenders?

12. Lee Daniels' the Butler - This ensemble drama received mostly positive reviews and became a box office hit, but it remains to be seen if it will earn a Best Picture nomination. While many have criticized the film for being sappy and clichéd, it seems that this Oscar bait drama could actually get a nomination.

13. Prisoners (Warner Bros.) - Denis Villeneuve's dark and edgy kidnapping drama has received critical praise and buzz for several performances, but it remains to be seen if this can translate to a Best Picture nomination.

14. Her (Warner Bros.) - Spike Jonze's relevant love story has received universal acclaim out of festivals and while it is too early to say, this film could definitely move up on the list as it comes closer to its release.

15. Rush (Universal) - Ron Howard's thrilling racing drama will probably earn a couple technical nominations and possibly a supporting actor nod for Daniel Bruhl, and with the critical acclaim it has received, it remains to be seen if Rush can earn a Best Picture nod.

Quantum of Solace - 2.5 out of 4 stars

Like almost everyone who saw Casino Royale, I fell in love with the brutal and dark yet smart and heartfelt reboot of the James Bond franchise. It was everything a fan could ask for and anticipation was high in 2008 when Quantum of Solace came out. Another sequel to a reboot titled The Dark Knight opened to breathtaking success, grossing $1 billion and being hailed as a masterpiece and it has proven itself as one of cinema's newest modern classics. Most people expected this for QOS, as it had a strong director in Marc Forster and the return of Daniel Craig as Bond. Quantum of Solace proved to be a solid and entertaining action film, but little more than that.

Quantum of Solace picks up mere minutes after Casino Royale, with Bond driving away from henchmen in Italy after he kidnapped Mr. White at the end of the last film. The opening car chase is exciting and fun, but edited so rapidly and quickly it fills rigid and difficult to watch. Marc Forster is known for his quiet dramas like Finding Neverland but there have been times when directors of quieter fare have been great choices for action franchises (Marc Webb for Spider-Man, Christopher Nolan for Batman), but Forster's direction of Bond is honestly rather than messy. Four years later it was proven a drama director can handle Bond as seen with Sam Mendes in Skyfall, but that is a different story.

The main plot sees Bond tying up loose ends from Casino Royale and looking for Quantum, the organization that caused the tragedy in which Bond lost Vesper Lynd. The setup feels like an epilogue to Casino Royale more than actual sequel, and it is way too fast at 106 minutes to have time grow into its own, especially after Casino Royale's epic 144 minute running time. Bond's search leads him to South America, where he joins forces with Camille Montes, portrayed by Olga Kurylenko to avenge the death of both of their loved ones by taking out one of Quantum's heads Dominic Greene, who has a plot to take over Bolivia's water supply. This plot is actually a good idea for a commentary on environmentalism and a rather good motivation, but it is kind of rushed as the plot is only discovered near the films's end.

The middling plot is overshadowed by Daniel Craig's fantastic performance as James Bond. This time, Bond is a tortured soul who is lost after Vesper's death and Craig makes it seem realistic with another brutal performance. Craig is charming but also is deadly and a stone cold killer, just like Ian Fleming imagined the character. Olga Kurylenko is rather dull as Camille, not having enough personality but she proves to be a capable character, she is forgettable. Despite having a brief appearence, Gemma Arterton is charming and sexy as ill-fated MI6 agent Strawberry Fields, who reminds of me the 1960's Bond girls (specifically Diana Rigg from On Her Majesty's Secret Service). Jeffrey Wright also returns as Felix Leiter, providing a stylish and calm performance, despite being underused. Also returning is Giancarlo Giannini as Mathis, who is great as he looks for redemption after being accused of betraying Bond in the last film. Mathieu Almeric is unfortunately bland and forgettable as Dominic Greene, who is neither threatening or memorable.

Like in Casino Royale, there is no gadgets which means no Q or no Moneypenny as well. Judi Dench is also back as M, and is better in this film than in Casino Royale. She seems angered at Bond for his reckless ways but by the end of the film, we really do believe that she cares for Bond which is an integral part of Skyfall as well as closer to Ian Fleming's novels. Rory Kinnear also portrays M's aide Bill Tanner, a familiar character from the novels and earlier Bond films. Kinnear's Tanner is a minor role, but is strong and given more to do with his supporting role, and it is nice to see a familiar face from MI6 return. Marc Forster has a great filmography, but Quantum of Solace is unfortunately a messy effort from him, with his direction losing a lot of the plot for tons of action sequences that are too rapidly filmed and way too long. The film was written during the writer's strike and Neal Purvis, Robert Wade and Paul Haggis can't capture the magic of Casino Royale in their script. Despite that, the brief moments of dialogue with Bond and M is still well-written and fantastic.

Quantum of Solace is entertaining and exciting, but rather dissapointing as a direct sequel to Casino Royale. The cast is mostly solid and some of the action provides thrills, but is rigid and Marc Forster's direction is way too fast paced. The theme song titled "Another Way to Die" has a mixed reception among fans, but for I honestly loved it. Rock singer Jack White and R&B artist Alicia Keys give what they can and provide a memorable theme. As stated earlier, this film is underwhelming and dissapointing, but provides an excellent lead performance and manages to deliver some popcorn thrills.

Casino Royale Review - 4 out of 4 stars

In 2002, the James Bond celebrated its 40th anniversary with financial success, with Die Another Day grossing more than $400 million worldwide. Despite raking in lots of cash, Die Another Day was poorly received by both fans and critics, and brought and end to Pierce Brosnan's over the top, gadget-focused take on Bond. Four years later in 2006, Albert Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson decided to reboot the age old franchise casting unlikely Daniel Craig in the lead role as 007. Despite plenty of backlash, the result turned out to be Casino Royale, which remains one of the best, if not the best film in the franchise.

Set after Bond is just promoted to the rank as 007, Casino Royale finds Craig playing a more gritty and realistic version of the character, more in line with Ian Fleming's original novel. Craig is amazing as Bond and in my book, could be the best Bond ever, if not only second to Sean Connery. Craig manages to convincingly play Bond as a cold, brutal assassin, yet one with heart, brains and plenty of emotion. Craig also excels in his action sequences, particularly a chase in Madasgcar, a fight scene in a bathroom in Prauge and an amazing climax in Venice. He also manages to have excellent timing and line delivery, making what could have been otherwise boring poker scenes exciting.

Another reason the film works is the tightly plotted story and realistic tone. The last Bond film saw Bond using an invisible Aston Martin to stop a scheme involving a space laser and ice palace. This one feels more like an actual espionage tale, making it stand on its own as a genuinely thrilling spy film. Basically, Bond's pursuit of a bomb-maker leads to him stopping a terrorist attack in Miami, which causes terrorist Le Chiffre to set up a poker game at Casino Royale in Montenegro where Bond heads to win the money, which lead him to MI6. There is also a subplot involving an organization known as Quantum, which leads to the film's 2008 sequel Quantum of Solace, but more on that later.

Casino Royale is also aided by its strong supporting cast, something unusual for a Bond film. Eva Green is fantastic and gives a heartfelt and sexy performance as Vesper Lynd, a treasury officer who Bond falls for, leading to a love story that feels genuine and carries the film. We actually care for Lynd as she is a real character and not someone who is just there to look pretty. Judi Dench is also brilliant as M, the head of MI6 and Bond's boss who clashes with Bond over his reckless actions. The witty dialogue between Bond and M gives them a mother and son like relationship that works and carries the film. Casino Royale doesn't feature Bond allies such as Q or Moneypenny, but has the return of Bond's CIA contact and friend Felix Leiter played by Jeffrey Wright. Wright's performance as Leiter is strong, he is stylish and calm as Leiter and from what we get of him, he seems to be an equal in terms of coolness to Bond, not just a foil like in some of the previous films. Giancarlo Giannini is also solid as Bond and Vesper's contact Mathis. Mads Mikkelson is solid and gives what he can as Le Chiffre. The character is rather forgettable as a whole, but Mikkelson does his best and gives a villain that seems actually threatening, especially in a brutal torture scene with Craig's Bond.

Casino Royale is also aided by some strong work behind the camera as well. Martin Campbell doesn't have the best filmography (Green Lantern, Edge of Darkness) but he is perfect for a Bond film, having already brought back the character in 1995 with GoldenEye. Campbell's direction is brutal and breathless and he knows how to film some excellent action sequences, yet can also manage the film's more quiet moments including Bond's growing love for Vesper. Neal Purvis and Robert Wade have had a mixed bag with their previous Bond scripts, but they are aided by Academy Award winner Paul Haggis to write an intelligent, exciting and witty screenplay. Soundgarden frontman and American rock singer Chris Cornell also has a strong theme song titled "You Know My Name". It is a different song, but it perfectly fits with Craig's modern take on the character and nicely suits the stylish opening sequences.

Overall, Casino Royale is an amazing and exciting film and possibly the best Bond film of all time. Craig is fantastic as James Bond and the supporting cast is solid as well. Martin Campbell provides great direction backed up with Neal Purvis, Robert Wade and Paul Haggis' strong screenplay. The film was released to much hesisitation in November 2006 but obviously being a Bond film opened weaker than other entries, but still to a solid $40 million. However, like another recent amazing reboot (Batman Begins, OW $48 million, total $205 million), word of mouth propelled Casino Royale to a strong $167 million, a franchise best at the time. In 2006, critics and audiences both agreed - Bond was back and better than ever.

Biggest Films of 2012

2012 is going to be a big year for films with Pixar hoping to make a strong return with Brave after the critical misfire of Cars 2, the return of Peter Parker in the reboot The Amazing Spider-Man, the biggest crossover of all time in The Avengers, a prequel to one of the most beloved film series of all time in The Hobbit and the epic conclusion to the saga of Batman in The Dark Knight Rises. As you can see, 2012 is going to enormous with movies expect some to be contenders to even beat Avatar (either The Hobbit or The Dark Knight Rises) and other movies look to leave an impact on the box office and hopefully with critics as well. Of the films I just gave you, the ones that will probably be best received critically are either Brave, The Hobbit and The Dark Knight Rises. Brave looks to bring back Pixar to form after Cars 2 focused on style over substance while The Hobbit returns us to Middle-Earth almost ten years after Peter Jackson's beloved trilogy was released to sweep the Oscars three years in a row (with the ROTK winning 11 awards including Best Picture) and finally The Dark Knight Rises finishes off the story that started in Batman Begins (one of the superhero genre's greatest) and continued in The Dark Knight (one of the greatest films ever in general) and is probably the best contender for 2012's biggest film. Hype has been overwhelming and this film is definitely my most anticipated film of next year and I think it's safe to say it is currently the most anticipated film of all time. I'm predicting Brave will open to around $70 million, considering its an original film while The Hobbit will probably gross around $120 million in its opening weekend. The Dark Knight Rises looks to have an opening gross of $200 million and it will easily have the biggest opening weekend of all time. Besides the three films I just mentioned, I'm guessing 2012's third biggest hit will be The Avengers, a crossover from Iron Man, Thor, Hulk and Captain America which kicks off the summer movie season. The film will gross about $140 million in its opening but in the end, The Hobbit will outgross it eventually. Also looking to gross lots is The Amazing Spider-Man which isn't as hyped but still receiving positive feedback from fans based on trailers, posters and Comic-Con footage. I'm guessing it will open to around $90 million-$110 million but word of mouth may make it more popular and it should gross about $270 million domestically. The final Twilight film also looks to open big but due to the majority of climatic events occuring in Breaking Dawn Part 1, the sequel apparently several epic battles added just for the film that will kill off a lot of important characters. This makes me think Breaking Dawn Part 2 will open less than Part 1 with a gross of $110 million, but negative word of mouth among fans will make people stop seeing it but still, it's a wild card considering it is the finale to a series with a huge fanbase. Another film with lots of buzz lately is Ridley Scott's Prometheus, which should bring tons of Alien fanboys so this film should open to $50-60 million, considering a lot of the mainstream public won't know what it's all about. GI Joe, Men in Black III and Battleship should have solid openings with Men in Black looking to have the strongest opening with about $70-80 million while Battleship looks to have negative feedback from some who call it a Transformers rip-off or just believe the film is laughable, so this may be 2012's biggest flop while GI Joe should be decent with some positive buzz that it will redeem the franchise. The Hunger Games also looks to be big with a $70 million opening gross, considering it has the potential to become the next Harry Potter or Twilight but it still opens in March. Another big March film is Disney's John Carter which will have tons of fanboys and trailer feedback has been favorable but many won't know what the film is all about and the book was written almost a century ago, so popular sci-films like Star Wars and Avatar have borrowed from it but many might think it is a rip-off. James Bond should also open big to about $70 million for his latest adventure Skyfall while The Expendables 2 will probably gross around a $30-40 million opening due to the fact it can't be taken seriously due to laughable additions to cast like Chuck Norris. The Bourne Legacy could open to a $45-50 million weekend due to the fact Matt Damon is gone but it should do well because it is still a Bourne film and it could be 2012's big late summer surprise like Rise of the Planet Apes was this past year. So comment, tell me what you think will be big, tell me OW predictions, critical predictions, domestic and worldwide gross predictions and tell me what you're all looking forward to in 2012!

Summer Movies 2011

Well I had a great summer hanging with friends, family, traveling and going to the movies. Since I have been absent this summer here our my summer movie ratings.

Fast Five - 3 out of 4 stars
Prom - 1.5 out of 4 stars
Something Borrowed - 1 out of 4 stars
Thor - 3 out of 4 stars
Bridesmaids - 3.5 out of 4 stars
Priest - 1 out of 4 stars
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides - 2 out of 4 stars
The Hangover Part II - 2.5 out of 4 stars
Kung Fu Panda 2 - 3.5 out of 4 stars
X-Men: First Class - 4 out of 4 stars
Super 8 - 4 out of 4 stars
Green Lantern - 1 out of 4 stars
Bad Teacher - 2 out of 4 stars
Cars 2 - 2.5 out of 4 stars
Larry Crowne - 1 out of 4 stars
Transformers: Dark of the Moon - 2.5 out of 4 stars
Horrible Bosses - 3.5 out of 4 stars
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 - 4 out of 4 stars
Winnie the Poh - 3.5 out of 4 stars
Captain America - 3 out of 4 stars
Cowboys ans Aliens - 2.5 out of 4 stars
The Smurfs - 1 out of 4 stars
Rise of the Planet of the Apes - 4 out of 4 atars
Crazy, Stupid, Love - 3.5 out of 4 stars
Final Destination 5 - 2 out of 4 stars
30 Minutes or Less - 2.5 out of 4 stars
Conana the Barbarian - 1 out of 4 stars
Fright Night 3D - 3 out of 4 stars

KianKritic's Oscar Predictions

Best Picture: The King's Speech
Best Director: The Social Network
Best Adapted Screenplay: The Social Network
Best Original Screenplay: The King's Speech
Best Actor: The King's Speech
Best Actress: Black Swan
Best Supporting Actor: The Fighter
Best Supporting Actress: True Grit
Best Film Editing: The Social Network
Best Art Direction: Inception
Best Original Score: The Social Network
Best Sound: Inception
Best Makeup: The Wolfman
Best Costume Design: Alice in Wonderland
Best Cinematography: True Grit
Best Sound Editing: Inception
Best Visual Effects: Inception