So essentially meritless are the films up for this award, it’s hardly worth discussing the merits or demerits of each as a viable candidate. Rule out immediately Poseidon, for making most of its audience long for the days of toy models in studio tanks. Both Superman Returns and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest look pretty corny, but at least the latter gets away with it for being self-consciously bad. I’ve read an interesting theory that suggests the nominees in this category (as well as in make-up, more often than not) are, year in and year out, so rote and predictably limited to big-budget, CGI pyrotechnics because of a “circle the wagons” mentality among the guild deciding the nominees. In other words, to make their profession look as vital as the obscene price tags of this trio’s respective post-productions, those with ballots in their hands have a vested interest in nominating films that literally wouldn’t exist without their trade, instead of the lo-fi innovation of (for instance) The Science of Sleep. Whatever, we’ll be snoozing through this category from here ‘til kingdom or del Toro come.
Will Win: Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest
Should Win: Superman Returns
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