The photographers were ready, the press lined up, the fears of disaster averted. In many respects, the red carpet at the 17th annual MTV Movie Awards was a normal experience as these things go. But then, this was a gold carpet — and when MTV throws a party, even the biggest stars in the world have to watch their backs. Literally.

“I was just watching ‘Bad Boys 2′ with my son, and I told him you can’t open a movie better. That’s the best movie opening ever!” Will Smith excitedly hollered at “Transformers” director Michael Bay when they bumped into each other on the gold carpet. “We need ‘Bad Boys 3′!”