Back in 2008, the Academy Awards famously snubbed "The Dark Knight" in the Best Picture category and decided to nominate the little-seen film "The Reader."

The result was the lowest ratings for an Oscar telecast in years. As a result, in order to open up the race for more commercial friendly films, the Academy decided to expand the Best Picture category to ten films. However, since that rule was implemented, it has allowed more Indie films into the race and only three big blockbusters have landed best picture nominations: "Avatar," "District 9" and "Inception."

This year, the race looks wide open and there are a lot of films that are still not locks for Best Picture. There are also a lot of blockbuster films with great quality and that are worthy of Best Picture consideration. One of the biggest films that should be nominated in "Guardians of the Galaxy." After having an impressive lineup of films, Marvel's has made its best blockbuster since 2008's "Iron Man." The film may be irreverent and, at times, over the top, but it is smart, funny, moving and, most importantly, enjoyable. "Guardians of the Galaxy" also features great performances and also has incredible technical achievements, such as the makeup the special effects and the art direction. It also can serve as a ratings booster, as it is currently the highest grossing film of the year and also one of the films that was most beloved by critics and audiences.

However, if that movie is too funny and not serious enough, "Interstellar" could serve as the blockbuster in the best picture category. The movie may have scored mixed reviews with critics, but it is definitely a visual spectacle that is deserving of nominations in many categories like Sound, Visual Effects, Art Direction and Editing. "Interstellar" also should be rewarded for its ambition and it could also get nominated, so the Academy could makeup for the last two snubs for Nolan.

If "Interstellar" is not their cup of tea, then "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" or "Edge of Tomorrow" are intelligent pieces that have serious action, visual effects and great performances. Both films were critically acclaimed and had huge fans. "Captain America" was called the best Marvel film of the year and critics said it revolutionized the comic franchise in the same way "The Dark Knight" did back in 2008. Additionally, it made a lot of money at the box office. Meanwhile, "Edge of Tomorrow" may not have been a box office hit, but it was called intelligent and reminded many of the cult classic "Groundhog Day. It recently also landed a spot on the Top Ten of the Washington Post.

However, if none of these films work for the Academy, than perhaps the organization could go for "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1." Like "Interstellar," the film score mixed reviews, but the franchise is beloved by most fans and the Academy up to this point has snubbed every single installment. This new film is more character-driven and most fans said it felt like an art film. Like "Interstellar," it lacks the action most expected, and instead, it focuses on the actor's performances.

Finally, the last big blockbuster that could have a chance with the Academy is "The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies." "The Lord of the Rings" was a huge hit with the Academy and all three films were nominated for Best Picture with the third installment winning. "The Hobbit" has not had the same success as the first two films have not been successful with critics. Nevertheless, the first two films scored six nominations. Given that "The Battle of the Five Armies" is the last installment and there will definitely be a nostalgia factor, the Academy could go for the film. Additionally, if critical response is better than the first two, it could ultimately be a Best Picture candidate.

The Best Picture candidate will all depend on critics, so it will be interesting to see how the critics react to the big blockbusters.

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