Ted: Review By Corey W.

Fans of "Family Guy" will have an absolute blast with Seth MacFarlane's directorial-debut, "Ted". Ted is exactly what you'd expect it to be, an extended episode of Family Guy only with different characters. In all honestly, this wasn't something to complain about. As much interest I've lost in the show over the last couple of years, the style worked perfectly for Ted and even walked on new ground in the comedy-genre. If you are easily offended or just flat-out don't enjoy crude humor, this obviously isn't the movie for you. If there is anything Ted achieves at, it's crossing a line MacFarlane has never had a privilege of doing on network television. This film is as R-rated as they come.

The film's set-up does an excellent job easing in the audience's attention. The film begins with a short introduction to how the two main character's met. With a quirky and hysterical narrator to start the show, Ted instantly brings in a couple of laughs before the film even has a chance to show the opening-credits. From beginning to end, not a minute goes by where a laugh isn't granted. Ted's script is heavy with original humor and memorable punch-lines worth quoting. This is a on-screen bromance like you've never seen before, and that's Ted's strongest element.

Mark Wahlberg is an actor that I fully respect. He grew up not too far away from where I live today and I can remember the Easter morning I shook his hand only a couple of years ago. Not only is the man knuckle-tough and perfect for any action-flick, but ever since "The Other Guys" he's left a "mark" (get it?) in the comedy-department as well. You wouldn't think from a movie like "Four Brothers" or "The Italian Job" that he'd ever do well in a comedy but not only did I find him funnier than Will Ferrell in "The Other Guys" but he is even a show-stealer here in some scenes. You'd think MacFarlane's potty-mouthed teddy-bear would be the best part, but Wahlberg's performance is just as hysterical. Him naming out all those white-trash names was certainly an instant-classic scene walking out of "Ted".

It's no surprise seeing Mila Kunis here. She works with MacFarlane on "Family Guy" voicing Meg. Her performance here is good and I liked seeing her in the film but I guess you could say that I wasn't a fan of her character all that much. "Ted" tackles the concept "bromance vs. romance" in a unique and clever way. Obviously your rooting for the bromance. I mean, why wouldn't you root for the 35 year-old stoner and his teddy bear? What bothered me about Kunis' character is the fact that she gives him the ultimatum in the film. It's either he picks her or the bear. Um....WHAT?! Sorry for ranting but if I was dating a girl who magically wished for her teddy-bear to come to life when she was a child I wouldn't be the guy who made them split apart. That's a bond you just don't mess with.

Then again, if you want to look at that in a different direction the funny thing about Ted is how they make the character seem like a normal person. He's able to get his own apartment, his own job, and walk around like an average citizen (beside a photo here and there). So the fact that Kunis' character wanted Ted to move out makes sense, considering the movie tried to show that even teddy-bears can live a normal life.

There are some things about Ted that could have been changed for the sake of having no flaws. There are just a few minor things here and there (all in the second-half of the film) that didn't sit one-hundred percent well with me. The first half of Ted is perfection. I was all set on giving this film five-stars until I sat back last night after seeing the movie and really thought about it in it's entirety. Obviously a movie about a guy and his pot-smoking teddy-bear who eats and drinks (how does that happen?) is bound to have a couple flaws. I didn't look at those small things at all. What bothered me were things like Ted finding John at a hotel-room with no piece of information regarding how he knew he was there or Ted kicking John's ass in one-scene and then in later scenes we see Ted with no fighting-skills whatsoever. These were the two things that really kept me from giving Ted the 5-star rating that I truly wanted to.

Despite these tiny flaws, Ted is one bad-ass comedy that I am doubt going to catch in theaters again. The film is hilarious and does an excellent job blending unique weirdness and pop-culture references to sp*ce up the material. I already mentioned that Ted feels like a long-episode of Family Guy. You'll know what I mean once you hear the choice of music thrown into most of the scenes or even how the film has a lot of odd flashbacks. The film even has a lot of different cameos, one in particular that'll have the audience in tears. Seth MacFarlane's directorial-debut is no doubt a success. Some may even call it an instant comedy-classic. I say let "Family Guy" and turn "Ted" into an animated-series! It'll open up so many new doors for MacFarlane. Doors that closed on Family Guy a long-time ago.

What do you guys think of that?

Thanks for the read!

-Written by Corey Wood