The Best Animated Feature Film category can sometimes be tricky. You can almost always be sure of a Pixar nominee. Usually a Disney picture is present. One or two foreign films sneak into the race. But sometimes a front-runner is hard to pin down. Putting your money on Pixar is not always a sure-thing.

And this year, in particular, the crop of films is particularly strong.

The Nominees:

• Incredibles 2
• Isle of Dogs
• Mirai
• Ralph Breaks the Internet
• Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

Will Win: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

Could Win: Incredibles 2

Dark Horse: Isle of Dogs

The late-year push that Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse received should put it over the top. It is easily the most critically-praised animated film of the five, and it was a money-maker, as well. Not to mention that the animation style is different, and it sticks out. The voting pool should take that set of circumstances and put Spider-Verse into the top spot.

The other four are not necessarily out of the picture, however. Mirai, unfortunately, is likely too underseen to take the award. And Ralph Breaks the Internet didn’t splash like Incredibles 2 or Spider-Verse did.

But Incredibles 2 and Isle of Dogs are likely neck and neck for that upset spot. The appropriation controversy on Wes Anderson is not as loud as it was when Isle of Dogs was released way back in April. That said, it is probably enough to give Incredibles 2 an edge.

Either way, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse should walk off with this award. Both front-runners in this case are animated superhero films, but the Academy is more likely to reward something that looks new rather than the familiar Pixar formula that they have rewarded in the past.

As always, thanks for reading!

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—Alex Brannan (@TheAlexBrannan)