Ted Review
Genre: Comedy
We liked?
Great chemistry between the three leads
Patrick Stewart!
Not so much?
Meandering plot
Ted is very much in line with Seth McFarlane’s usual work and this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Although some of the more outlandish jokes don’t quite translate very well when delivered by actors in the real world, Ted offers McFarlane fans the usual mix of funny jokes, crude jokes, 80s references and brief heart warming moments before another gay joke sneaks its way in.
Cards on the table now, if you’re not a fan of Seth McFarlane’s usual output (Family Guy, American Dad) then you can skip both this ted review and the film. The style and delivery of the jokes are very much identical to his cartoons so we both know it’s not for you and you’ve honestly got better things to do with your time.
For the rest of us, Ted is very much in line with McFarlane’s work as mentioned previously and this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Although some of the more outlandish jokes don’t quite translate very well when delivered by actors in the real world, Ted offers McFarlane fans the usual mix of funny jokes, crude jokes, 80s references and brief heart warming moments before another gay joke sneaks its way in.
The plot is standard McFarlane: Loser guy (Mark Wahlberg), long suffering girlfriend (Mila Kunis), and an unconventional best friend in the shape of a bear (voiced by McFarlane) that was magically brought to life when a Christmas wish came true.
The storyline is somewhat meandering and feels relatively pointless in places, but it’s merely a vehicle for the jokes which come at a fast pace and, in my mind, were a solid example of the cruder and funnier elements of Family Guy when it’s on a roll.
Wahlberg, Kunis and McFarlane are an enjoyable trio to watch and Wahlberg’s chemistry with his CGI best buddy really carries the film along in a light and breezy manner with superb comedic timing throughout. The three are backed by a solid bad guy turn from Giovanni Ribisi who plays a disturbed fan longing for a real life Ted of his own. The Ted himself is a hugely entertaining draw to the screen, utterly adorable and bright eyed, as warm and friendly as he is wild and immature.
Downsides? The plot is slightly all over the place, the language is almost overused to the point where I was getting tired of the F bomb and my language can make a sailor blush at times. You get the feeling that McFarlane only really has the one concept swimming around his head and as a result any faults you would level at Family Guy you could easily level at this film.
But otherwise this is a solid comedy film that delivers on the laughs and even if you find the humour not quite to your taste then the three lead characters make for an enjoyable watch.