Can a “high” concept comedy starring Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis, and a teddy bear voiced by Family Guy creator Seth McFarlane be any good? Hell yes, it can, and it is!
If you’re expecting an hour-and-a-half Family Guy-like episode in Ted – don’t. Sure, there is a lot of the same humor and quickly-worded references that fans of that show and of other McFarlane creations like The Cleveland Show and American Dad are used to, but overall, Ted is something special and unique. This is not because it’s truly hilarious or absolutely ridiculous – which it is – it’s because Ted knows exactly what kind of movie it is from the start, and does nothing over the course of its hour-and-a-half run-time to give viewers anything different than what an R-rated movie with a talking teddy bear should be.
In case you’re unfamiliar, Ted tells the story of an eight-year old boy with no friends, who makes a Christmas Day wish to have his teddy bear come alive. And it does. Fast forward nearly three decades, and a now 35-year-old Mark Wahlberg is found slacking it up in his girlfriend’s apartment, toking up with his “thunder buddy.” Over the course of the film, Walhberg’s character must make the decision about which is more important to him – his lifelong friend or the girl he’s madly in love with. You can pretty much guess how the film plays out from there.
Strippers named Sauvignon Blanc, fart jokes, tons of pot-smoking, debauchery, and a foul-mouthed stuffed animal are just some of the elements that make Ted the year’s best comedy so far. The laughs are non-stop, the story doesn’t drag, and the cameos – which won’t be revealed here – are great.
Overall, Ted, in case you have yet to notice, is one hell of a great comedy, and a damn good debut for first time director, Seth McFarlane. Here’s to hoping that this isn’t the last we see of the the raunchy, foul-mouthed teddy bear, but just in case it is, you will not be disappointed.
Rating: 8/10