3. Speed Racer deserved a nomination for Best Visual Effects. Conceptually and creatively (if not technically), the effects were original and exciting.
I agree with this totally. I was surprised when I saw that it did not even make any of the two long lists at the VFX Bake-Off (the List of 15 and the List of 7).
But I hope
Benjamin Button wins in the category, as it was also a stunning technical achievement. If I had not done research on it beforehand, I would've never guessed that "young" Benjamin was CG, but merely Brad Pitt in makeup.
And it's not the amount of awards a movie is nominated for, it's what the movie's nominated for. And I think
Benjamin Button deserved nods in nearly all the minor categories; excellent cinematography, music, makeup, etc.
As for major categories, I thought it was one of the best movies I saw this year, but that's possibly because I also thought
Forrest Gump was a good movie, the structure of which is closely followed in
Button. That said, I don't think it really deserved a nod for Best Screenplay.
In terms of effects, I didn't think
The Dark Knight was anything too original, and
Iron Man largely seemed like
Transformers Lite.