Oscars: Best Visual Effects - Overview

"Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" (2004) and "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1" (2010) were both nominated in Best Visual Effects previously. Featuring dragons, magic, giant serpents, and countless other showy effects, it has the potential to win.

With impressive tracking shots, a train derailment, and a recreated Paris of the 1930s, there is enough to marvel at in "Hugo" for it to potentially win this race. It is the only Best Picture nominee represented in this category, which might give it an advantage.

The Oscars like robots, from "Transformers" (2007) to "I, Robot" (2004) to "A.I.: Artificial Intelligence" (2001), which were all nominated but didn't win. "Real Steel" has fighting robots, which makes this particularly interesting. Vote-splitting with "Transformers: Dark of the Moon" is something "Real Steel" should be concerned about.

The motion capture used in "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" will wow Oscar voters. They've monkeyed around with similar techniques before, giving the award to "King Kong" in 2005. Andy Serkis was the actor whose performance was digitally captured in that film, which is also true of "Apes." He also appeared in digitally enhanced form in the Oscar-winning "The Lord of the Rings" franchise.

"Transformers" (2007) was nominated for Best Visual Effects but didn't win, and sequel "Revenge of the Fallen" (2009) was snubbed entirely. Voters are almost never bored with automatons, but they also could favor those in "Real Steel" over this sequel.