Ted

I just want to state off hand that this is my first movie review, well other than just telling someone what I thought. So if you are looking for a well written, witty review then.. you might want to stop reading now. But since this movie is still in production, this will probably be your best bet for the time being.

I just went to a free screening of Ted at the Greenback theater in Sacramento, CA. And I just have to say off the bat, I LOVED it. A movie hasn't made me laugh that hard in a long time. Now, I'm not going to give you any more information than the description because with the movie not even being released yet, I think that would be a spoiler of some sort. But I will tell you that was so much better than what I imagined it would be, granted that was before I knew it was directed and voiced over by Seth Macfarlane. So if you're a fan of his, you're definitely in for a treat, and even if you're not I still think you would enjoy the innovative comedy that comes from a snarky and crude teddy bear companion. The acting was very solid, from main characters to jerk bosses, and crazy.. well, crazy people.. the acting was very convincing and enjoyable. The story was great, while it might sound stupid to some, myself included, it's very well executed. Definitely not one of the movies that left me thinking "the idea was good, but they could have done so much more with it", it was actually quite the opposite. And this is certainly not a low budget film, the CGI animation reflects this. The furry bear voiced by Macfarlane is very realistic and believable.

The only drawback I could possibly see that would cause someone displeasure would be, like a lot of new comedies, this film pushes the envelope in raunchy, vulgar humor. Plus the different amount of drugs used. This movie will receive (most likely), and be very deserving of a R rating. It doesn't rely solely on shock humor though, there is plenty of good old fashioned clean comedy. But if your like me, and that type of subject matter doesn't bother you, then I HIGHLY recommend this film. And if you're a Seth Macfarlane fan, then that's just a perfectly gift wrapped little bonus for you.

Seth MacFarlane's debut feature film, Ted, is an outrageously funny and surprisingly heartfelt comedy that blends raunchy humor with an unexpectedly sweet story about friendship and growing up. Known for his work on Family Guy, MacFarlane brings his signature style of irreverent humor, pop culture references, and boundary-pushing jokes to life in this unconventional buddy film.

The movie revolves around John Bennett (Mark Wahlberg), a man-child in his 30s who, as a lonely child, made a Christmas wish that his teddy bear, Ted (voiced by MacFarlane), would come to life. Miraculously, the wish was granted, and Ted became his best friend. Fast forward to the present day, and Ted's crude personality and refusal to mature have become major obstacles in John's relationship with his girlfriend, Lori (Mila Kunis).

Mark Wahlberg delivers a solid comedic performance, embracing the silliness while bringing a grounded, everyman quality to John that makes him relatable. Mila Kunis, as Lori, serves as the moral compass and voice of reason, giving the film a needed emotional anchor without being a nagging or one-dimensional character. Her chemistry with Wahlberg feels authentic, making their relationship struggles believable and sympathetic.

One of my friends got tickets for the movie. So, I had absolutely no idea what Ted was going to be about. Then I saw Seth Macfarlane's name in the credits, and I instantly knew what to expect. Even the opening scene had the audience laughing!

Ted, the carefree, weed-smoking teddy bear has been Mark Wahlberg's one and only friend from the age of 8. At 35, he is having trouble with his girlfriend (Mila Kunis) because of his immature behavior, mostly because of his teddy bear. As the movie progresses, we realize that he must decide between his true love and his beloved teddy.

The jokes include the typical Family Guy sort of humor - ranging from crude and crass to Seth's favorite 80s cultural references. Family Guy fans should enjoy a movie version of their favorite family. The story line is almost too predictable, but we almost forget about the story in the middle of all the humor.

I recommend watching the movie with a few friends and have a nice laugh. Just like an episode of Family Guy. Oh, and Mila Kunis is absolutely gorgeous and extremely lovable. There, you have one more reason to watch. 7 on 10 for the constant humor and the ridiculously funny teddy but the extremely ordinary storyline.

Whilst I did not dislike 'Ted' I cannot say I was overly impressed by it. The hype and popularity that built up towards the film's release had me expecting something fresh, something that would keep me laughing days after. To my disappointment, 'Ted', to me, turned out to just another Rom-Com, its only real unique twist being Ted himself.

Having said that, 'Ted' did provide some good laughs, whilst they weren't exactly side-splitting the film was entertaining and I did watch the entire feature without getting bored or uninterested. The animations for Ted were of a good quality, doing a good job in making it seem like Ted was actually there with the actors, rather than just a computer-generated 3D image.

What I felt let 'Ted' down was it's predictability and lack of memorable or unique laughs. Being rated as a 15, 'Ted's plot didn't seem to suit it's targeted audience, I have seen similar story lines in films rated PG or even U but the explicit content of 'Ted' was clearly intended for more mature audiences, therefore I felt it deserved a more mature plot.

Overall, I'd recommend 'Ted' to those who are looking for a relatively light-hearted story with a few giggles added in and a cursing, yet somehow still lovable, teddy bear. It's good, but nothing overly special.

I really should start this with a warning: This film is not for everyone! If you are easily offended (by swearing, sexual references, casual racism and various stereotypes) then you should read no further and give this one a miss. However, if you are a fan of Seth MacFarlane's other projects (Family Guy, American Dad) and maybe you call yourself an "80's child" (so many pop culture references to this time) you are going to love this.

Sure some parts are a little disjointed, the story seems vaguely familiar and the "moral" of it kind of gets lost but quite frankly, it's just so darn funny none of that matters. The script is hilarious, the cameos are fantastic and the soundtrack is perfect.

Ted himself is well animated and Seth (apart from sounding a little like Peter Griffin) voices him with the usual competence. Mark Wahlberg delivers exactly what we have come to expect from him, and the rest of the cast seem to have had fun filming, which comes across in the various performances no matter how big or small. The acceptance and interaction of everyone with a living teddy-bear adds to the simple joy of this film, and you find yourself happy to watch and not question why nobody is fazed by this. TED is a laugh a minute, party of a film and I, for one, can't wait to see it again.