Most of the technical awards handed out at the Oscars are the kind most of us couldn't possibly predict. Sound editing vs. sound mixing? Please. But visual effects is one category in which pretty much everyone has an opinion, and many of the most popular movies of the year finally get a chance to compete. Iron Man vs. Harvey Dent's half-burned face, Brendan Fraser at the center of the earth vs. Brendan Fraser in China-- oh, it's on.

The 15 films that will vie for three Oscar nominations were announced today by the Academy, including a number of film that boast bona fide breakthroughs in visual effects. It's hard to imagine choosing between the people who created the shriveled baby version of Brad Pitt in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and the water god at the end of The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. So while I'm sure I'll have lots of opinions on whoever gets chosen, it's hard to predict which of these films will make the final three.

Check out the full list below, and see if your personal favorite made it. It's a pretty inclusive list-- even the Cloverfield monster gets his due!

“Australia”
“The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian”
“Cloverfield”
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
“The Dark Knight”
“The Day the Earth Stood Still”
“Hancock”
“Hellboy II: The Golden Army”
“The Incredible Hulk”
“Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull”
“Iron Man”
“Journey to the Center of the Earth”
“The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor”
“Quantum of Solace”
“The Spiderwick Chronicles”