Oscar 2017 - VFX

I decided to start again (it becomes sort of "traditional") with the VFX nominations (not that I would really have a choice, it's the only section where I've seen all movies...). So... the effects in "Deepwater Horizon", the story of the disaster happened in 2010 on a drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico, are focused mostly on the fire during that event. Without too many comments, I find this entry a bit as an outsider here...

"Doctor Strange" has effects that reminded me of "Inception". However, a bit too colored for my taste...

"The Jungle Book" brings probably the best on-screen rendering since "Planet of the Apes" for CGI animals. Actually, pretty much everything seen there is CGI, and considering both the volume of effects in this movie and also that the result is a really nice piece of work makes this a favorite in this category. Leaving aside the topic of the current entry for one second, I did not expect to like the movie. It was a nice surprise. I have no idea how much of it was mere nostalgia but it's also a very catchy version for Kipling's stories. A different ending from the classic animation, surprisingly less mature I would say, but overall more happy :)

I wrote about "Kubo and the Two Strings" last year. Regarding the VFX it's probably the most complex animation I've ever seen. Maybe Aardman's stuff gets close, but I don't think they've reached this level yet. I have an objective preference here.

Finally, we have "Rogue One". We could get a surprise here, but I can't say that I've seen something very impressive. Although as a movie was better, the VFX was pretty much on par with "The Force Awakens". Maybe I'm subjective, but well...

Verdict: "The Jungle Book" will probably win, but my vote goes to "Kubo".