First, factor in the critical response. Of Disney's two nominees this year, the "Incredibles" sequel has an average score of 80 on Metacritic.com, and Disney Animation's "Ralph Breaks the Internet" has a 71. "Spider-Verse" tops both with 87. (Of the other two nominees, the Fox Searchlight-distributed "Isle of Dogs" scores an 82, and Studio Chizu's "Mirai" gets an 81.)
"Spider-Verse" is also tops on Rotten Tomatoes, where it's certified as 97 percent "fresh" among professional critics and gets a 94 percent score among civilian filmgoers.
"Spider-Verse" is even leading a simple vote on IMDb.com, whereas of Friday morning the Sony movie had nearly 3,900 votes in response to the question: Who should win? "Incredibles 2" was second with just 3,300 votes.
So the question becomes: Is "Spider-Man" good enough to overcome possible voter bias for Disney and Pixar, given those latter studios' high reputation and record of excellence? Plus, "The Incredibles" is a beloved, Oscar-winning franchise that has grossed nearly $1.9 billion worldwide. ("Spider-Verse," which introduces webslinger Miles Morales, has grossed $227 million worldwide since its mid-December release.)
So although the Pixar film would seem to have the edge, the dazzling, dizzying effects of "Spider-Verse" do make it a strong contender.
"Spider-Verse" is a richly layered, visually innovative tour de force, delivering waves of tucked-in nods to a half-century of Spider-Man comic books specifically and Marvel Comics more generally - and popping off the screen with constant stylistic shifts and even splashes of "Kirby Krackle." The look of "Spider-Verse" should render it a powerful contender at the Oscars and the animation industry's Annie Awards.
But if "Spider-Verse" can buck history and even win over the Hollywood Foreign Press, then it will emerge as The One to Beat at the Academy Awards, presuming that it's a lock for a nomination.
And in one last twist, a win for "Spider-Verse" is also a win for production partner Marvel Entertainment - which, as it happens, is a subsidiary of Disney.