Time for a film

Seth MacFarlane‘s first feature film was full of laughter and some great moments amongst a decent plot line as well. The chemistry between Wahlberg and his childhood teddy bear is believable as they seem like two best mates who have been through it all over the years.-

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Mark Wahlberg plays John Bennett, a 35 year old in an average job behind the counter of a rental car company. He has a lovely girlfriend of four years in Lori, who is played by the equally lovely Mila Kunis. Like any couple they have some issues within the relationship, most often caused by the immature Ted, who would rather have fun then take life seriously. 

The film is often filled with laughter, with Family Guy director MacFarlane bringing a lot of his typical crude humour to push the boundaries. There’s plenty of hits with jokes and throwaway lines that had the audience in hysterics. A lot of the jokes are offensive but I actually don’t think they were that shocking – although there definitely were a few moments where the line was close to being crossed. 

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I also need to mention how great the CGI for Ted was. I was constantly thinking throughout the film how real it seemed, and a big kudos is deserved. The bear seemed so real with it’s fur, which was constantly changing in the lighting and different conditions like the wet.

The characters are likable enough but not lovable. Wahlberg’s character did become a bit annoying at times while Kunis was her usual self without being overly special. Giovanni Ribisi is great though in a minor role as a weird stalker of Ted. Ted himself was often over the top but it worked well enough and provided numerous laughs – especially when he throws insults around haphazardly.

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The movie has a lot of pulp culture references, many of which I probably didn’t get, but also a few which had me laughing out loud while most others were quiet. There should be something in there that will appeal to most people, whether there’s enough of it is another question. I found the plot to be a bit thin but it never tries to be anything other then a funny comedy. The other subplots are minor and definitely don’t detract from the main purpose of the movie – to provide laughter and entertainment.

MacFarlane’s first feature film is a great effort and something which is well worth watching. There’s enough fun to be had and I’d say it will appeal to a wide majority, although it will probably offend some. Liking Family Guy is definitely not a pre-requisite and I would almost say it is not a guarantee you will like Ted as they are still very different. There’s a Peter Griffin reference thrown in as well which I enjoyed. Overall, an entertaining and enjoyable time at the cinema! B