Dr. Strange and The Jungle Book - Visual Effects nominees

Dr. Strange

Visual Effects - Stephane Ceretti, Richard Bluff, Vincent Cirelli, and Paul Corbould

Another Marvel masterpiece, Dr. Strange follows the life of Stephen Strange, brilliant surgeon and total narcissist, who loses the precise use of his hands in a terrible accident.  He discovers a monastery in Kathmandu where he learns the ways of a mystical force that allows him to join a group of monks sworn to protect the world and combat the forces of evil.  The Visual Effects in this film are remarkable - a combination of Inception and Avatar in their mind blowing beauty.  When I first saw this film, my first comment when it concluded was, "this will be nominated for Visual Effects."  Plus, the narrative is captivating enough that even folks who have no affinity for superhero films will love it.  It's an incredible accomplishment.

The Jungle Book

Visual Effects - Robert Legato, Adam Valdez, Andrew R. Jones, and Dan Lemmon

We all know the story of The Jungle Book, and this film is one of Disney's attempts to remaking their animated stories into live action movies.  Little man-cub Mowgli has been raised by a pack of wolves, and when Shere Khan makes it clear that he intends to kill Mowgli if he doesn't leave the jungle, Mowgli must flee to safety among his own kind.  Along the way, he is escorted by his friend Bagheera, and they meet many characters along the way - some friendly like "Bare Necessities" appreciator big bear Baloo, and some dangerous like "Trust in Me" anaconda Kaa.  There is a truly standout performance by Christopher Walken as King Louie.  This film does justice to those of us who saw the original Jungle Book as children, and captivates those seeing this version as their first introduction.  The Visual Effects are spectacular and the animal wrangling incredibly impressive.  Even adults will love this film!