Kevin Hart, who was the target of many size-related jokes throughout the night, brought his kids on stage to accept the comedic genius award. "I do it all for them," he said. "I'm trying to leave a legacy behind."

Host Amy Schumer set the tone at the outset, poking fun at MTV, Hillary Clinton and even Harrison Ford.

"This is going to be the party of the year. I just hope Harrison Ford doesn't crash it," Schumer said, referring to the actor's recent plane mishap.

In one of the most energetic moments of the show, Robert Downey Jr. brought his fellow Avengers to their knees while accepting the Generation Award.

Cast mates Scarlett Johansson, Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo and Jeremy Renner all took the stage to present their co-star with the award, which Downey called "the recognition I so desire." They then fell to their knees as Downey talked about his memories of the first MTV Movie Awards, and "clawing" his way to the top.

"I partied way too much. I've squandered, resisted, repented," he said, imploring the audience to "dream big, work hard, keep your nose clean."

But the real focus was on what's coming up at the multiplex this summer. The Movie Awards' 2013, host Rebel Wilson, and her "Pitch Perfect" co-stars introduced a new clip from their upcoming sequel.

The team behind "Paper Towns," an adaptation of John Green's novel, debuted a new clip as well.

Of course, there was also an agenda behind Downey's accolade: the promotion of "Ultron." The "Iron Man" star introduced a new clip from the Marvel blockbuster, which bows May 1.

Even host Schumer had a film to promote: "Trainwreck," a relationship comedy with Bill Hader from director Judd Apatow that Schumer wrote and stars in.

"Go see my movie 'Trainwreck,' I think that's the biggest lesson we've all learned here tonight," said Schumer as she closed the show.

Related:

Chinese films draw attention at Houston film festival

Crossing the pond, landing with a thud