Seth MacFarlane makes his crossover to the big screen via Ted and
he actually replicated his success in TV with the big box office
success of the movie. While the traces of his adult animation humor are
still very visible in Ted, MacFarlane mixes things up with a solid story about growing up.
When John (Mark Wahlberg) was 8 years old he wished that the teddy bear
he got for Christmas, Ted (voiced by Seth MacFarlane), could come to
life and become his real life best friend. The next day his wish came
true and Ted became a celebrity afterwards. But as years passed, Ted’s
popularity waned but he never left John’s side and they soon lived
together with John’s girlfriend Lori (Mila Kunis). However, Lori
believes that John will never grow up as long as Ted is still part of
his life.
Ted’s humor is pretty much like MacFarlane’s Family Guy
and if that brand of comedy makes you laugh then you will have a great
time seeing a talking teddy bear with his foul mouth and dirty deeds.
Most of the laugh out loud moments of the movie involves Ted whether he
is beating up a grown man, smoking pot and getting wasted on a party.
Even Ted’s short one-liners referencing a lot of pop culture moments and
personalities knocks it out of the park. I think the movie could still
be funny without being crass but it’s a formula that works.
But underneath the dirty jokes and set pieces,Ted also tells a
strong story of how some men are still trapped in a prolonged childhood
and refuses to grow up. In its own absurd way, the movie made a strong
foundation on why Ted and John’s friendship help and hurt them. Ted, the
teddy bear, could be a representation of the things that grown up men
hold on to that’s why they can’t fully embrace adulthood. However, the
movie does not resolve that part of the story well as it chooses to end
it on a more convenient but accessible way.
The technical work on Ted is marvelous and the details are spot
on. The flawless animation on Ted made the character felt like a real
actor and not just a special effect. MacFarlane’s voice work
complements Ted but he does not do that much to differentiate it from
his other “voices” in his animated programs. Wahlberg is perfect for
this role and his chemistry with Ted is terrific. Kunis is relegated to a
stock character but the actress oozes charm to make it more than just
“the girlfriend”. Giovanni Ribicci’s role could have use more time to
make for a credible villain while Joel McHale’s douche boss of Lori does
not add anything to the story at all and could be easily cut from the
story and McHale hams it up.
This is Seth MacFarlane’s first major attempt to tell a story outside the 22-minute runtime of his successful projects and Ted makes a strong case of what he could deliver in this medium. Ted is a crazy concept but thanks to its playful wit and surprisingly sweet heart it manages to shine.
Rating: 8/ 10
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