Nazis, a planet of blue creatures, Iraq and domestic abuse take over this year’s array of Oscar nominations announced Tuesday by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.No real surprises crept into the list of nominees, but the Academy seems to have one of the more deserving spectra of contenders in recent years.Here’s my take on the nominees and predictions for whom I think will take home the gold at the March 7 ceremony. 
BEST PICTUREThe Academy unveiled its first lineup of 10 nominees since 1944 when “Casablanca” took home the accolade. And the Oscars give us a fair assortment of worthy contenders despite the now overcrowded category.Best Picture offers a fairly predictable array of nominations, including epic 3-D venture “Avatar” and much-acclaimed Iraq drama “The Hurt Locker,” both of which lead the Oscar pack with nine nominations each. Award-season staples “Inglourious Basterds,” “Precious” and “Up in the Air” also fared well on the list.And props to the Academy for recognizing an animated film for only the second time with Pixar’s “Up” — 1991’s “Beauty and the Beast” was the first.Odd, though, were the inclusions of pathos-packed box office champ “The Blind Side” and sci-fi surprise “District 9,” knocking out Golden Globe winner “The Hangover” and predicted nominee — one I was rooting for — “(500) Days of Summer.””An Education” and “A Serious Man” round out the list.Several selections could take the cake, but the combination of an overwhelming box-office record and nearly unanimously positive reviews indicate it’ll go to “Avatar.”BEST ACTOROnce-favored George Clooney (“Up in the Air”) seems to have emerged as an afterthought since Jeff Bridges (“Crazy Heart”) and Colin Firth (“A Single Man”) started snatching practically every acting statuette imaginable.Morgan Freeman (“Invictus”) fills an expected slot on the nominee list, but Freeman’s ubiquitous narrations won’t provide him with any chance of winning here. Jeremy Renner (“The Hurt Locker”) slips in as a critical darling and could serve as a dark horse for the win, but it’s improbable.Bridges’ recent Golden Globeand Screen Actor’s Guild wins give him an edge as the favorite over Firth.BEST ACTRESSThis is quite an interesting category.The most interesting thing about it is the irony.Sandra Bullock, previously miles away from Oscar’s radar, has easily emerged as a frontrunner in the category for “The Blind Side,” nabbing the Globe, SAG and several critics’ choice awards.Ironically, Bullock is also slated as the frontrunner for this year’s Razzie Award for Worst Actress for the atrocity “All About Steve.” Yet Miss Congeniality will still likely walk away an Oscar winner next month for her performance as an altruistic football mom.But competition shines with omnipresent Meryl Streep’s much-praised Julia Child impersonation in “Julie & Julia” — increasing Streep’s count to a record 16 nominations — and Gabourey Sidibe’s heart-wrenching performance in the urban drama “Precious.”BEST SUPPORTING ACTORThis race belongs to Christoph Waltz (“Inglourious Basterds”), who has racked up the majority of supporting actor awards during the last month.It’s nice to see Stanley Tucci receive some love for “The Lovely Bones,” and if anyone is to upset Waltz, it’s probably Matt Damon (“Invictus”), but even that’s far-fetched.And there certainly isn’t any hope for Woody Harrelson (“The Messenger”) or Christopher Plummer (“The Last Station”).BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESSMaggie Gyllenhaal’s inclusion is a pleasant surprise (“Crazy Heart”), and “Up in the Air” ladies Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick are deserving candidates. Penélope Cruz is credited as the source that holds together the disappointing “Nine.”But this category belongs to Mo’Nique.Mo’Nique turns in the most emotional, complex performance of the year (“Precious”) as an abusive mother living in the slums of Harlem and does a complete 180 turn from the persona on her BET show.——Contact Matt Jacobs at [email protected]