The Razzie Awards nominations, in addition to being a dubious honor for everyone involved, also serve as a palate cleanser between the more earnest festivities of the Golden Globes and the Oscars. After all, we should take the time to note what didn’t work over the last year even as we recognize the films that delighted us (well, the awards bodies). And so the Razzies do the important work of tempering the adulation of awards season by handing out some “needs improvement” grades to certain performers and directors. That, and they remind us just how bad any movie that begins with “Paul Blart” was.
This year’s list appears to have homed in on four films in particular, as 50 Shades Of Grey, Pixels, Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2, and Jupiter Ascending all received six nominations apiece. The adaptation of E.L. James’ book (and we use the term loosely) was nominated in all the major categories, including Worst Picture and Screenplay, and even obtained Worst Actor/Actress noms for both Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson, respectively. The pair’s onscreen, um, chemistry has also lumped them in the Worst Screen Combo category, a distinction for which they’ll compete against Johnny Depp and Kevin James and their facial hair in Mortdecai and Paul Bart: Mall Cop 2, respectively.
But the Razzies don’t play favorites, or whatever the opposites of favorites is. Even Eddie Redmayne and Rooney Mara, who have been on the awards-show circuit this year for their performances in The Danish Girl and Carol, respectively, weren’t spared. Redmayne is nominated for Worst Actor for his role in Jupiter Ascending and Mara is in the Worst Actress race for her part in Pan. Razzies stalwart Adam Sandler has been nominated for the fifth consecutive year, this time for Worst Actor (for Pixels and The Cobbler), as well as Worst Screen Combo for his work with shoes in The Cobbler.
The Worst Remake/Rip-off Or Sequel category is mostly stacked with sequels like the fourth installment in the Alvin And The Chipmunks series, which could make the Fantastic Four reboot a shoo-in. And former Razzie nominees Elizabeth Banks, M. Night Shyamalan, Will Smith, and Sylvester Stallone have all been given a chance to redeem themselves in the Razzie Redeemer category for their recent work.
The Razzie winners will be announced February 27 (the day before the Oscars). The complete list of nominees is below.
Worst Picture
Fantastic 4
Fifty Shades of Grey
Jupiter Ascending
Paul Blart Mall Cop 2
Pixels