With a rather common buddy film premise, Ted has inherent core that pulls sounds and images from classic comedies and merges it with contemporary crude. Directed by Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane, the film does not hide the common mark found in all his work, and does so without being repetitive and by provoking some genuine laughs.
As a child, John Bennet (Mark Wahlberg) receives a new teddy bear for Christmas and wishes for him to come alive. The next morning, it does. Over twenty years later Ted’s (Seth MacFarlane) autonomy brought him the typical rise and fall of fame, and is now enjoying a rather simple existence hanging out with John, smoking weed, and drinking beers. When John’s girlfriend Lori (Mila Kunis) asks for Ted to move out citing him as a enabler for John’s immature behavior, the two continue to find ways to enjoy each other’s time. Meanwhile, a creepy father (Giovanni Ribisi) and son are very interested in having Ted become a part of their family.
Ted has many of the same common bits that made Family Guy and other Fox animated television comedies modern cult classics. Cut-aways, crude humor, big-band musical interludes, and a small autonomous being that is adorable despite its inundated profanity; this film will ease any MacFarlane fan and non-fan into a film that is both magical and affectionate.
Ted is a teddy bear who has seen the heights of stardom, but as the narrator points out, like any child actor, he has fallen back to mediocrity. Yet, Ted is not disappointed in this fall, he revels in it. Smoking weed and drinking beer with is best friend John is the life. Lori’s insistence in Ted moving out is a common premise, usually targeting a fellow human or a dog, but never a magically autonomous teddy bear. What separates this film’s premise, which is unabashedly unoriginal, are the genuine laughs that are not exactly over-the-top nor too topical. Repeat viewings may net additional laughs as the theater I was in had an audience that continued to laugh and cheer into the bits of dialogue.
The cinematography of the film is rather stunning, especially for film meant for easy consumption. So many films promote 3D immersion, low-frequency oscillations, and other gimmicks that seem to distract rather than captivate. However, Ted has such a gorgeous picture with an high resolution that is able to capture the dust motes floating in the air against natural lighting. Dust motes exist everywhere, yet films rarely show them. This realism is not deliberate, but helps ease the spectator further into the suspension of disbelief, especially when we are trying believe that a profane teddy bear is best friends with Mark Wahlberg.
Like the successful CGI integration of Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Ted is another film where the CGI is incorporated into the film with ease. MacFarlane performs both the motion-capture and the voice for Ted, and the bromance with Wahlberg smartly enables a suspension of disbelief. Wahlberg channels his goofy persona from The Other Guys but also as a lovable and flawed thirty-something struggling to be the man Lori yearns for.
Kunis excels in portraying a woman who wants to show her care-free style, yet continues to find annoyances in the bromance between Ted and John. Ribisi tops even his most creepy roles, here he is a creeper who has a life-long infatuation with Ted in a predictable, yet satisfying subplot. In all, the performers in Ted are perfect for their roles, and assist in creating a enchanting film. There are also several cameos from other MacFarlane projects, nostalgic 1980s television shows, and even Ryan Reynolds who makes a hilarious appearance without a single word.
Ted is nowhere near original. Not as a bromance on the cusp of failure, or as a MacFarlane vehicle. However, it does exceed expectations and provide crude but authentic gags. Ted has indeed provided some of the most laughs from any comedy this year. There is a classicism to the narrative that has a calming effect and it may generate interest across many generations.
