Trying his hand at live action for the first time, small-screen animation mogul Seth MacFarlane has brought his very particular brand of bawdy, politically incorrect humour to the big screen romcom universe in the form of Ted, a foul-mouthed, pot-smoking teddy bear.
The titular toy was gifted to a young John Bennett (Mark Wahlberg) and, via a desperate Christmas wish, comes to life. The two become best friends, bonded over their love of Flash Gordon and fear of thunder. Unlike most movie imaginary friends, Ted isn’t hidden in a closet; he’s out in the open and naturally becomes a celebrity, even appearing on Johnny Carson.
Flash forward thirty years and Ted’s celebrity has worn off but his friendship with John hasn’t, the pair still hanging out everyday smoking pot and watching crappy TV, much to the chagrin of John’s girlfriend Lori (Mila Kunis) who wants him to grow up and leave his teddy bear behind.
For fans of MacFarlane’s TV work, a lot of Ted will seem awfully familiar. The Ted character is a continuation of all the talking babies, aliens, dogs and bears that have been a staple of his cartoons over the years. The humour is very much along the same lines though some of the more offensive gags suffer without the cushion of a cartoon, most notably an ill judged scene involving Ted’s Asian neighbour.
Though the use of his usual tropes often makes Ted feel like an extended episode of Family Guy, MacFarlane’s unique comedic style breathes life into what could have been a conventional comedy. In someone else’s hands, the pothead slacker would’ve been just another Seth Rogen or Jason Segel character but making him a cartoon teddy bear opens up a world of crude, R rated possibility that no live actor could’ve pulled off.
Alongside his toilet humour, random celebrity cameos and tangential cut-aways, MacFarlane surprisingly manages to bring a lot of heart to the film. The filthy gags, however funny, can only go so far without something to anchor them and MacFarlane knows this, delving into more relatable themes of friendship, accepting when it’s time to grow up and balancing new relationships with old ones.
Key to all this working is the likeable lead performances. Wahlberg, an underrated comic talent, has steadily become one of the most versatile leading men around and impresses as an average guy torn between only friend and the love of his life.
Kunis, no stranger to MacFarlane’s offbeat humour after 13 years on Family Guy, is equally impressive, making Lori an empathetic character rather than just another nagging movie girlfriend.
There’s also strong support from Giovanni Ribisi as a bizarre stalker who’s been obsessed with Ted since he was a kid and Community’s Joel McHale as Lori’s delightfully slimy boss.
Packed with gross out humour, cheap shots and out-there celebrity cameos, Ted is quintessentially MacFarlane. It goes without saying then that it might not be for everyone but if you are already a fan then Ted will be a deeper, often darker but ultimately more rewarding venture into the mind of one of the more uncompromising comedic talents around.
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