What stands out about this year’s presumptive front runners in the Oscar race for Best Visual Effects is how they represent three extreme examples of the three most specific variations on so-called movie magic.
James Cameron’s megabudget “Avatar: The Way of Water” is the culmination of over a decade of work toward the creation of an entirely fabricated fantasy world that looks almost entirely real. It is a crowning achievement in computer-generated effects, along with state-of-the-art motion capture and some old-fashioned “just do it for real” underwater photography to create an almost unprecedented cinematic experience. Even if audiences know that Pandora isn’t real and the Na’vi are a fictional species, the immersive 3-D experience is all about selling the notion of trusting your lying eyes.
Conversely, the high-flying aerial stunts of Joseph Kosinski’s “Top Gun: Maverick” are a master class in practical magic. As has become Tom Cruise’s unofficial signature over the last several years, specifically when playing Ethan Hunt in the “Mission: Impossible” sequels, the film’s real-world, in-camera spectacle supplements a nonfantastical story featuring real stunts, authentic vehicle mayhem and actual actors seated in the cockpit (or on a sailboat) for a genuine sense of authenticity. “Top Gun: Maverick” is the triumph of the plausible, the notion of being wowed because you know (or think) that they really did it.
The next-most plausible winner, even if it’s a comparative dark horse, is “Everything Everywhere All at Once.” Directors Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert’s pinball-paced borderline hallucinogenic multiverse action-comedy is a stunning example of top-flight visuals in service of a wild fantasy narrative. The twist is that it was produced for around $25 million. The Michelle Yeoh-starring vehicle features an endless barrage of seamless audio/visual wonders not brought to life by an established effects house on a tentpole budget but by a small team overseen by Zak Stoltz. The achievement being offered here is the sheer quality on a shoestring budget with a skeleton crew.
(Remember 2016, when “Ex Machina” and its $15 million budget beat “Mad Max: Fury Road,” “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” and “The Martian”?)
“Avatar: The Way of Water” is a triumph of the impossible, “Top Gun: Maverick” is a victory for the plausible, and “Everything, Everywhere All at Once” is a testament to offering so much for so little. The films couldn’t be more different, and yes, all three have their share of practical magic and CGI. It would be almost the opposite of a fair fight.
Though the same is true of just about every Oscar category. As Humphrey Bogart once said, “The only honest way to find the best actor would be to let everybody play Hamlet and let the best man win. Of course, you’d get some pretty funny Hamlets that way.”
Sure, the likes of “RRR,” “Jurassic World Dominion” and the year’s various comic book superhero flicks (“The Batman,” “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” etc.) could end up in contention. However, expect the Best Visual Effects battle to come down to these three critically acclaimed crowd pleasers. If so, it really will be an honor just to be nominated.
