'Ted' - Rude, crude, racist - not your Care bear, but FUNNY!
Seth Macfarlane ('Family Guy' creator) brings his twisted humor to life in his directorial (he also co-wrote the script) debut 'Ted'. If you haven't seen the 'Red Band' Trailer yet, just click on the movie title in this article to view it, that is just a small sample of the rude, crude, racist, sexist and totally insane humor that fills the screen for nearly 2 hours!
Generally in these types of movies, all of the best funny bits are in the trailer - but with 'Ted', Macfarlane scores for most of the movie! In one of the most original and twisted concepts for a movie in some time, 'Ted' delivers on the promise of inappropriate humor and then some. Just when you think he couldn't get any more offensive, 'Ted' (voiced by Macfarlane) pushes the envelope that much further. In what could have been a one joke movie, 'Ted' delivers laughs that are both belly wrenching as well as cringe inducing.
'Ted' is the story of a boy, John Bennet (Mark Wahlberg) and his best friend, a stuffed teddy bear that magically comes to life during a wish on Christmas. They grow up together, 'Ted', at first is something of a celebrity, but like all child celebrities his star fades. Soon he and John (now 35) are living together with John's girlfriend Lori (Mila Kunis) spending their days getting high and watching 'Flash Gordon'.
The joke of a racist, sexist and crude teddy bear would only seem to last for a scene or two - but the dialogue is so inspired, so twisted that most of the time it works and far exceeds the original expectations you may have had for it. The movie does bog down when Macfarlane decides to get a little too conventional, staggering off course to pursue a storyline of a 'Ted' stalker who wants the bear for his son. Of course, this device is used to bring about the conventional ending. Without that sub-plot, 'Ted' still could have stood on it's own, with the sub-plot, it merely bogs down briefly. But with inspired dialogue and fantastic play between the actors (who all seem to be having a blast) the movie works!
Mark Wahlberg is hilarious as John Bennet, the picked upon boy with no friends who grows up to be one of those lost 30 somethings trying to find his way. I like Wahlberg as the straight man in comedies, he plays it well and the banter between he and Ted is often flawless. We almost forget that he is actually talking to a CGI teddy bear! Mila Kunis was born to play straight man in a comedy as well (no wonder, she is Meg in Family Guy), she handles Macfarlane's script well and goes along with nearly everything in good nature.
The best scenes however are those with Wahlberg and Ted - the riffing back and forth at times seems even improvised, illustrating the comedic genius of Macfarlane. Even more inspired are the moments when Ted is asked to leave and strike out on his own.
I have to warn you - this is NOT a kids movie as I am sure your teen or pre-teen will want to go. In fact, at the showing I attended, there were several very young kids escorted by their parents that caused more than a few twinges of uncomfortable laughter by me. It's 'R' for a very good reason!
'Ted' is an excellent 3 star debut for Seth Macfarlane and bodes well for future features from him!