Yes, it's that time again. This past Sunday, Hollywood paid tribute to some of the most talented entertainers in the movie world...or at least some of the ones most liked by the fans. With categories like “Best Kiss” and “Best Fight” awarded alongside “Best Female Performance” and “Best Male Performance”, the MTV Movie Awards has become a favorite awards show among those movie-goers who are always in line for the next action blockbuster or gut-busting comedy. Don't expect to see many crossover nominees from the Oscars or the Golden Globes (although there are exceptions, such as Ellen Page, Javier Bardem, and Johnny Depp), but do expect to see a fun, irreverent look at the movie industry, and some plugs for current and upcoming movies thrown in for good measure. Some people don't like the blatant advertising, and I have to admit it can get a little old, but I do think it fits the theme of the show.

While the nominees are chosen by a panel of professionals at Tenth Planet Productions, the winners are voted on by the public. To many actors, awards such as this are even more coveted, as a true entertainer's ultimate goal is to please the fans. If they are doing that, everything else falls into place. So, while there are plenty of laughs and parodies, the winners are truly honored to receive the award, a bucket of popcorn trophy. Hosted by Mike Myers, the whole show is laid back, from the presentations to the wardrobe, and there are a number of comedy sketches and live performances, including an episode of “Wayne's World”, Adam Sandler doing a parody of “Nobody Does It Better” when accepting the MTV Generation Award from presenter Tom Cruise, and musical performances by Coldplay and The Pussycat Dolls.

Why am talking like the show is ongoing, even though it aired Sunday? Because you can go to www.mtv.com and see the entire show. I think that's a great idea, for those who miss the show the first time, but I do have a couple of minor gripes for the folks who run the MTV site. First, while I don't mind ads interspersed in the program (between the clips, as it is actually not one big stream, but a series of 32 individual clips), I was annoyed that there only seems to be one, running over and over. (Actually, when going back to the site to review some clips again, I believe it will be a different ad if you leave and come back, but it was the same for your whole visit if you stay.) Also, since what is on the site are the clips from the show, to the side of the video window is the name of the clip, and it says who the winner is before it is announced. While you can get around this by detaching the video, that may not be desirable for all viewers.

While I will not ruin anything for those who have not watched the show or seen the list of winners, I did want to give kudos to Adam Sandler. The Generation Award, while first started as a spoof, has evolved into a legitimate award to honor movie actors that are fan favorites for their whole career (thus far). His musical parody was typical of the comedy that has made him a top star in that genre. Afterwards, he gives sincere thanks, and includes his wife and family (they are expecting their second child), and he also thanks the troops overseas for the job they do, saying he hopes to see them home soon. So many celebrities use their status to blast our government and political leaders and shout their views from any stage they can, and that gets annoying, whether you agree with them or not. I will not share my political views, but I do believe that most Americans can agree that we support the troops themselves, and I applaud him for thanking them properly without making it a political statement. I have seen Sandler do interviews, and he seems to truly be one celebrity who is down to earth and supportive of his fans, rather than acting like he is better than his fans because of his fame and talent.

There is one puzzling category, that of “Best Summer Movie So Far”. Uh, it's only June 1^st when the show is aired live? There have only been a handful of movies that can even qualify, and of those that do qualify, how do you really know when the nominees are being selected which movies are going to be worthy? This year's nominees was not a bad list (Iron Man, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, Sex and the City, and Speed Racer) but at least one of them has been something of a flop thus far. Seems to me that this is just another way to plug a current movie. I'd much rather see them change this, to maybe “Best Movie Trailer” or find another outrageous category, along the same lines as “Best Kiss” or “Best Fight”. Looking back over previous years, it would seem that the categories do sometimes change from year to year, but perhaps they should get a category list and stick to it.

If you missed the live telecast, are a movie fan, and like the kind of humor seen in mainstream movie comedy, then I recommend visiting the site and watching the show. Be advised: this program is not for young viewers – there are adult jokes. Most of the sketches and presenter comedy bits are quite funny, although I have to say I did not approve of how Will Farrell and Danny McBride led into the nominees for “Best Fight”. They chose to poke fun at “the fight to stop illiteracy”, and while I don't know if perhaps their humor was designed to actually draw attention to the problem in a positive way through comedy, I just thought it was in poor taste. I am a strong supporter of programs that help adults with this problem, which unfortunately is becoming more widespread, and this was disappointing. Aside from that, as with all comedic efforts, not everyone will like every sketch, bit, or joke, but overall a quite enjoyable show. Oh, and Mike Myers was a great host...yeah, baby!

Photos:  Wikipedia and MTV