Tuesday, September 20, 2022

'Top Gun: Maverick' vs. 'RRR – Rise Roar Revolt' for Best Action/Adventure Film at the Saturn Awards


I told my readers "I plan on finishing the movie nominees next" to conclude 'The Black Phone' vs. 'A Quiet Place Part II' and 'Last Night in Soho' for Best Horror Film at the Saturn Awards, then promised them "I plan on having more awards show coverage tomorrow. Stay tuned" at the end of 'Our Flag Means Death' and Stede Bonnet for Talk Like A Pirate Day. Here are the nominated films in the final three movie categories from Deadline Hollywood.
Action / Adventure Film

• RRR – Rise Roar Revolt (Sarigama Cinemas / Variance Films / Potentate)
• Death on the Nile (20th Century Studios)
• F9: The Fast Saga (Universal Pictures)
• No Time to Die (United Artists Releasing)
• Top Gun: Maverick (Paramount Pictures)
• West Side Story (20th Century Studios)
If this were a normal year, I'd say the contest for this award woul be between the latest entries in the James Bond and Fast and Furious franchises. This is not a normal year. "Top Gun: Maverick" is the top grossing movie of 2022 so far and is still in theaters, where it was number four at the box office this week after falling from first last week. It's also the leading nominee in this category, with five total nominations. I'm planning on voting for it, even though "West Side Story" is a better overall film, I don't think it belongs here. Its main competition isn't either of the usual suspects. Instead, it's the Indian film "RRR – Rise Roar Revolt," which is nominated for three total awards, including the next category.

International Film

• RRR - Rise Roar Revolt (Sarigama Cinemas / Variance Films / Potentate)
• Downton Abbey: A New Era (Focus Features)
• Eiffel (Blue Fox Entertainment)
• I'm Your Man (Bleecker Street)
• Riders of Justice (Magnolia / Magnet Releasing)
• Silent Night (RLJE Films)
Normally, I'd vote for "Downton Abbey: A New Era," but its box office was a bit disappointing and this is its only nomination at any awards show. On the other hand, "RRR - Rise Roar Revolt" has three other nominations, two here and one for Best Picture at the Hollywood Critics Association Midseason Awards. That's enough to convince me to vote for "RRR."

Independent Film

• Alice (Roadside Attractions/Vertical)
• Dream Horse (Bleecker Street)
• Dual (RLJE Films)
• Gold (Screen Media Films)
• Mass (Bleecker Street)
• Watcher (IFC Midnight)
"Mass" is by far the most nominated movie in this category at other awards shows, including the BAFTA Awards, so it has my vote.

Follow over the jump for the other nominations for these movies in categories I already covered in Part 1 of superhero nominees at the 2022 Saturn Awards — movies and 'Everything Everywhere All at Once' vs. 'Cruella' and 'Ghostbusters: Afterlife' for Best Fantasy Film at the Saturn Awards with updates from 'Nightmare Alley' leads Thriller Films at the Saturn Awards and 'Nope' vs. 'Dune' for Best Science Fiction Film at the 2022 Saturn Awards.

Actor in a Film

• Timothee Chalamet, Dune (Warner Bros. Pictures)
• Tom Cruise, Top Gun: Maverick (Paramount Pictures)
• Idris Elba, The Suicide Squad (Warner Bros. Pictures)
• Tom Holland, Spider-Man: No Way Home (Sony Pictures / Marvel)
• Daniel Kaluuya, Nope (Universal Pictures)
• Simu Liu, Shang-Chi and the Legend of The Ten Rings (Marvel / Walt Disney Studios)
• Robert Pattinson, The Batman (Warner Bros. Pictures)
Four actors from superhero films snagged nominations in this category, more than half the field. I watched three of them and rank their performances as Robert Pattinson, Idris Elba, and Simu Liu. I have a feeling that the acting committee snubbed the best actor in a Spider-Man suit in "No Way Home," Andrew Garfield. That written, I'm not planning on voting for any of them. Instead, I'm voting for Timothee Chalamet as Paul Atreides in "Dune."
On the one hand, I'm pleased to see that "Top Gun: Maverick" has a Twitter image promoting its nominations. I wish more films did that, like some of the TV nominees have. I'd be surprised, but not shocked, if the campaign worked well enough to convince a plurality of Saturn Awards voters to pick Tom Cruise. He is far and away the biggest star, but he's not the best actor. On the other hand, I expect him to get a couple of People's Choice Awards and his movie to get one or two as well.

Film Direction

• Guillermo del Toro, Nightmare Alley (Searchlight Pictures)
• Joseph Kosinski, Top Gun: Maverick (Paramount Pictures)
• Jordan Peele, Nope (Universal Pictures)
• S. S. Rajamouli, RRR – Rise Roar Revolt (Sarigama Cinemas / Variance Films / Potentate)
• Matt Reeves, The Batman (Warner Bros. Pictures)
• Steve Spielberg, West Side Story (20th Century Studios)
• Jon Watts, Spider-Man: No Way Home (Sony Pictures / Marvel)
Between Matt Reeves and Jon Watts, the two nominated directors of superhero films, I'd pick Reeves. That doesn't mean either the Saturn electorate or I will vote for him. Instead, I think it will be one of Guillermo del Toro, Jordan Peele, or Stephen Spielberg. I'll figure out which one after I watch their films.
I may not think that "West Side Story" belongs in action adventure, but I think Spielberg is still the best director here, so I'm planning on voting for him.
Film Editing

• Spider-Man: No Way Home, Jeffrey Ford, Leigh Folsom (Sony Pictures / Marvel)
• Top Gun: Maverick, Eddie Hamilton (Paramount Pictures)
• The Batman, William Hoy, Tyler Nelson (Warner Bros. Pictures)
• Nightmare Alley, Cam McLauchin (Searchlight Pictures)
• Everything Everywhere All at Once, Paul Rogers (A24)
• Nope, Nicholas Monsour (Universal Pictures)
• Ambulance, Pietro Scalia, Doug Brandt, Calvin Wimmer (Universal Pictures)
The one movie I've seen in this field is "The Batman," so I'm not ready to make a decision. I've already listed the films I plan on seeing before I vote. One of them might not be "Top Gun: Maverick," the top grossing movie of 2022 so far...That written, it's my pick to win and I might just vote for it sight unseen other than trailers.
Still the case pending watching the other films on my list.
Film Visual / Special Effects

• Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Jorundur Rafn Arnarson, Erik Winquist, Joe Letteri (Marvel / Walt Disney Studios)
• Ghostbusters: Afterlife, Sheena Duggal, Alessandro Ongaro (Sony Pictures)
• Godzilla vs. Kong, Kevin Andrew Smith (Warner Bros. Pictures)
• Jurassic World Dominion, David Vickery (Universal Pictures)
• Shang-Chi and the Legend Of the Ten Rings, Christopher Townsend, Joe Farrell, Sean Noel Walker, Dan Oliver (Marvel / Walt Disney Studios)
• Spider-Man: No Way Home, Kelly Port, Chris Waegner, Scott Edelstein, Dan Sudick (Sony Pictures / Marvel)
• Top Gun: Maverick, Scott R. Fisher, Ryan Tudhope (Paramount Pictures)
While "Shang-Chi and the Legend Of the Ten Rings" and "Spider-Man: No Way Home" both earned Oscar nominations, I think the effects for "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" were more spectacular, so it's my provisional vote until I stream "Jurassic World Dominion." I'm a paleontologist and have a soft spot for dinosaurs.
I suppose the special effects in "Top Gun" would be practical effects, like explosions, and digital effects in a supporting role. I don't know if either would get me to vote for it in this category.

With that, I'm done with the film nominees. Stay tuned for television, although I might just post something about the Emmy Awards next instead of the Saturn Awards, which is still television.

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