MTV Movie Awards 2015: The 8 Most Memorable Moments
The 2015 MTV Movie Awards were a mixed bag, made up of moments both funny and unfunny, awkward and adorable. We gave high marks to host Amy Schumer, while some other supposed comedic bits left us scratching our heads.
Here, we've collected some of the best and worst happenings from the night. Whether they were a high or a low point in the proceedings, they're all memorable in their own way, and will have us talking for some time. (Or at least until next year's show.)
1. Amy Schumer brings the funny (and the sex).
The hostess kicked off the night with a pre-recorded clip parodying a bunch of the nominated films, including "Boyhood," "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1," "Whiplash," and "The Fault in Our Stars." But despite declaring in her opening monologue, "Half of you don't know who I am, and the other half think I'm Meghan Trainor," Schumer definitely made a name for herself Sunday night, thanks to a barrage of outrageous, bawdy, and just flat-out-funny jokes. She poked fun at host network MTV (winners wouldn't have to worry about being played off during their acceptance speeches, because "MTV is the only network that refuses to play music"), misunderstood the movie "Selma" to actually be a biopic about Salma Hayek, and talked about sex -- a lot. One extended scene involved Schumer running into a gaggle of female friends at the movie theater, going to see sexy flicks like "Fifty Shades of Grey" and "Magic Mike XXL" armed with an array of objects to make the experience more pleasurable, including shower heads, baseball bats, and an assortment of gourds.
2. The Avengers assemble.
The "Avengers: Age of Ultron" cast came by to support Generation Award winner Robert Downey Jr., and preview a clip from the upcoming "Avengers" sequel. The crowd went nuts at the sight of Mark Ruffalo, Scarlett Johansson, Chris Hemsworth, Jeremy Renner, and Chris Evans walking out onstage, and ate up the cast's goofy antics during Downey's acceptance speech (which included the actor talking about his struggles with sobriety and his onetime floundering career, and urging fans to follow their dreams and "define your [own] generation"). But the "Ultron" clip was the real star, previewing a nasty showdown between the Hulk and Iron Man after Bruce Banner is possessed by the Scarlet Witch, and getting fans excited for the full "Ultron" experience, which is only weeks away.
3. Shailene Woodley wins the night.
The "Fault in Our Stars" starlet took home an armful of awards, including Best Female Performance, Best Kiss (shared with Ansel Elgort, who was MIA Sunday night), the Trailblazer Award, and the night's top prize, Movie of the Year. She was gracious and goofy during each acceptance speech she delivered, including the awkward moment she told fans to "blaze on" while accepting her Trailblazer trophy. "I don't know if I can say that," Woodley added hastily, grinning.
4. Kevin Hart's kids steal the show.
While we'd argue that an innuendo-filled awards show may not be the best place to bring your children, Kevin Hart's kids provided some of the best reaction shots of the night. Hart's young son and daughter sat stone-faced and bored-looking throughout the proceedings, but when their dad went up to collect his Comedic Genius Award, the pint-sized duo came to life. They looked on proudly as Hart dedicated his Golden Popcorn to his "two beautiful kids that are my best friends." The cuteness was capped by an elaborate secret handshake that Hart performed with his son, an adorable moment that was for some reason abruptly cut off by MTV's cameras, while an indifferent Bella Thorne waited for her cue.
5. Channing Tatum gives the people what they want.
Channing Tatum and his "Magic Mike XXL" costars Joe Manganiello, Matt Bomer, and Adam Rodriguez walked out to Ginuine's "Pony" as they prepared to present the Best Scared-as-S**t Performance trophy, and the audience went wild. Naturally, winner Jennifer Lopez wasn't going to let the group get off that easy, and encouraged them to bust a move, a request that Tatum and co. obliged, to the delight of the crowd. Later, Tatum came up to accept his own trophy (for Best Comedic Performance), and offered up a few solo dance moves. There's no doubt the actor left fans wanting more – and eager for the release of "XXL" this summer.
6. All the no-shows (and off-screen awards).
Unlike the Oscars or the Grammys, the MTV Movie Awards aren't exactly known for being a long, drawn-out affair. So what was up with all the off-screen awards? And all the no-shows, for that matter? We understand that Teen Wolf" star, Dylan O'Brien? He took home three trophies Sunday, but couldn't make it? And Shailene Woodley surely felt awfully silly when she waltzed up to collect Best Kiss without her costar Ansel Elgort. It seems pretty clear that most winners knew ahead of time that they were taking home their prizes (see below); someone at MTV should make sure that more of them are there for next year's ceremony.
7. Zac Efron and Dave Franco reprise their Robert De Niro impressions.
In an obviously planned and pre-rehearsed bit, Best On-Screen Duo winners Zac Efron and Dave Franco took the stage to accept their Golden Popcorn trophies dressed in their Robert De Niro costumes from "Neighbors." Unfortunately, the one-note joke played especially poorly when it was drawn-out for several minutes, coming across as trying too hard and just plain unfunny. The nail on the awkward coffin was Efron grabbing and twisting Franco's (clearly padded) crotch. The boys would have been better served by a normal acceptance speech – or maybe just Efron showing off his award-winning abs (Best Shirtless Performance, "Neighbors") for more than a few seconds.
8. "The Fault in Our Stars" makes us cry all over again.
The teenage cancer drama took home the night's top prize, and author John Green accepted the Golden Popcorn with a heartfelt speech. Green thanked the cast – including leads Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort – for their performances, noting, "These people are such a gift to my life." But the author saved his biggest appreciation for Esther Earl, the late teenager and activist who was the real-life inspiration behind "Stars." Green thanked Earl for reminding the world that a disability or disease does not define a person, and that "a short life can be a good life." If there were any dry eyes in the house, we missed it, since we were busy trying not to cry ourselves.Photo credit: AP