The Los Angeles Critics Association has chosen Pixar’s Wall-E as “The Best Film of 2008,” a precedent-shattering first for an animated film.  Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight was the runner-up for best picture, and Heath Ledger received the L.A. Critics award for “Best Supporting Actor.”  Danny Boyle nabbed the “Best Director” nod for Slumdog Millionaire, and Sean Penn took the “Best Actor” award for Milk, nosing out runner-up Mickey Rourke, who starred in Darren Aronofsky’s The Wrestler.

While the L.A. Critics Awards are not necessarily predictors of what will happen at the Oscars, their picks do indicate that The Dark Knight is very much in the running for some major awards at the Academy’s annual bash.  But the L.A. critics' choices also indicate that TDK might have some surprise competition from the saga of the little compacter robot that just might possibly become the first animated film to win the “Best Picture” Oscar.  Though not as popular at the domestic box office as Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, or Cars, Wall-E has an intellectual dimension that appeals to critics and older audiences.  It has exceeded expectations on DVD, where it is about to eclipse Iron Man as the #1 release of the year (until the numbers for The Dark Knight come in), and the L.A. Critics "Best Picture Award" certainly gives it some momentum.