10 Best, Worst and WTF Moments at 2016 MTV Movie Awards
It’s pointless to level any of the normal criticisms of award shows — the celebrity gawking, the bizarre writing for the bits, the artificial nature of the prizes themselves — at the MTV Movie Awards. They’re devoted to celebrating big-budget blockbusters, broad performances, and CGI spectacle — the kind of movies that, say, the Oscars might sneer at. (Unless you’re Fury Road. But we digress.) That populist leaning was on full display at the 25th edition of the channel’s golden-popcorn affair, stringing together a series of movie-star guest appearances and plugs for upcoming franchise installments, including the Harry Potter spinoff Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Marvel’s Captain America: Civil War, and, especially, the all-star villain extravaganza Suicide Squad. (Bonus points for Jared Leto’s throwback, glam-rock leather jacket and mention of anal beads. The Joker, indeed.)
Still, that emphasis just means you have to watch the ceremony specifically as entertainment, rather than something that pretends to award objective artistic “excellence.” With that in mind, here are the 10 best, worst and WTF moments of the 2016 MTV Movie Awards.
BEST: The hosts’ Mad Max entrance
Hilariously mismatched hosts Kevin Hart and Dwayne Johnson had a fantastic introduction to the ceremony, entering the Warner Brothers’ lot in full Mad Max: Fury Road mode. Hart was strapped to a car and wearing Max’s metal-muzzle face mask, while Johnson played the role of the Doof Warrior, complete with flaming guitar. Also, there was an entourage of war boys, providing backup for the entirety of the ceremony. It was a perfect choice for the show’s opening homage — a massive, spectacular, entertaining, and smart blockbuster. Best of all, the pre-taped awards took the opportunity to cut to Charlize Theron, gleefully grinning from the audience. It was on fire.