Pro: Sam Mendes' golden-anniversary 007 adventure has hit the ground running with sensational reviews and gangbusters box office – it's guaranteed to be the biggest grosser in the franchise's history. Oscar talk has followed, with the film being taken more seriously as a narrative than the usual Bond escapades, thanks to script's darker tone and unusual degree of personal backstory – many admirers have hailed it as an equivalent feat of franchise reinvention to “The Dark Knight”...

Con: ...which, you may recall, failed to be nominated here. This is a branch that tends to view sequels as sequels, however highly polished or radically transformed. The Academy has never had much time for the Bond franchise, and it's likely many writers will simply see this as a proficient action exercise. BAFTA, who nominated “Casino Royale” in this category, may be kinder.

- Guy Lodge