Oscar Watch: The critics' view--and how it could shape the race

As Oscar season continues, I’ll be looking at the Academy Awards from a variety of angles. Here’s a look at how critics have weighed in on the leading Best Picture contenders, and how it might affect the race.

ROTTEN TOMATOES

What it is: A quick snapshot of the percentage of critics giving a film a favorable review.

The Primary Contenders
1) The Dark Knight (94)
Slumdog Millionaire (94)
3) Milk (93)
4) Frost/Nixon (90)
5) Doubt (76)
6) The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (73)

Next in Line
1) The Wrestler (98)
2) Wall-E (96)
3) Happy-Go-Lucky (94)
4) Rachel Getting Married (87)
5) Gran Torino (73)
6) Revolutionary Road (64)

What Rotten Tomatoes tells us: The Dark Knight is right in the mix. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button may be vulnerable. The Wrestler may be poised to leap from the top rope.

METACRITIC

What it is: A weighted average of top critics’ grades.

The Primary Contenders
1) Slumdog Millionaire (86)
2) Milk (84)
3) The Dark Knight (82)
4) Frost/Nixon (80)
5) Doubt (70)
6) The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (69)

Next in Line
1) Wall-E (93)
2) Happy-Go-Lucky (84)
3) Rachel Getting Married (82)
4) The Wrestler (81)
5) Gran Torino (73)
6) Revolutionary Road (71)

What Metacritic tells us: The fifth Best Picture slot may be open. Wall-E is a force to be reckoned with.

TOP 10 LISTS SCOREBOARD

What it is: A roundup of critics’ year-end Top 10 lists based on total number of list appearances and rankings within those lists.

The Primary Contenders
1) The Dark Knight (687)
2) Slumdog Millionaire (671)
3) Milk (656)
4) The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (374)
5) Frost/Nixon (281)
6) Doubt (106)

Next in Line
1) Wall-E (852)
2) The Wrestler (464)
3) Happy-Go-Lucky (357)
4) Rachel Getting Married (349)
5) Revolutionary Road (169)
6) Gran Torino (113.5)

What the Top 10 Lists Scoreboard tells us: The top three Best Pic contenders will be difficult to oust. There’s a lot of passion for Benjamin Button among those who like it. And again, Wall-E is a major force.

The Big (Critics’) Picture
Based on this yardstick, Slumdog Millionaire, Milk and The Dark Knight look to be locks from among the six Best Pic leading contenders, with Frost/Nixon appearing generally strong. Benjamin Button could be vulnerable, and Doubt will probably have to “settle” for a slew of acting nominations.

In terms of critical acclaim, Wall-E looks most likely to make the jump to a surprise Best Picture nomination, followed by The Wrestler. And it appears that Revolutionary Road and Gran Torino have tough roads ahead of them to score a long-shot Best Pic nod.