Directed by: Seth MacFarlane
★★★☆☆
Ted is the story of a boy John (Bretton Manley/Mark Wahlberg) who wishes his teddy bear was alive, and it comes true. The film follows the two 30 years later, they’re washed up stoners and they’ve been together the entire time. Whilst the storyline isn’t the most amazing – the consistent laughs more than make up for it.It’s Seth MacFarlane’s first feature film, and I’m certain it’s the first of many. If you love Family Guy and American Dad, you will absolutely love Ted, the immature, mildly offensive humor translates flawlessly into feature film. Only MacFarlane can get away with controversial jokes about Lou Gehrig’s disease… However, it doesn’t all push boundaries - you and your friends will be singing the silly Thunder song for weeks!It’s safe to say if Family Guy is too much for you, you probably won’t like Ted. For some people a teddy bear smoking weed is just too much! But if you’ve never seen Family Guy then give Ted a try, I guarantee it will make you laugh out loud. Although it may be lacking a solid narrative arc, you will still find yourself rooting for Ted and John to stick together.Ted himself is voiced by the all too familiar voice of the super talented Seth MacFarlane, in a voice which is essentailly the same as Peter Griffin - a crowd favorite.The film boasts several talented actors; Patrick Warburton makes an appearance – and he’s gay with Ryan Reynolds, it’s absolutely brilliant. Giovanni Ribisi is the perfect psychopathic father, intent on stealing Ted. And Joel McHale is hilariously seedy as John's rival for Lori's (Mila Kunis) affection. These actors make the film for me - the combination of talent is unexpected, but absolutely fantastic. I was surprised to hear that Mark Wahlberg was chosen to star alongside Mila Kunis, they seem an unlikely pairing, and audiences are more accustomed to Wahlberg in action roles, but they have pretty good chemistry, and it’s great to watch. I’d recommend this film if you fancy something hilarious, and easy to watch. It’s one of those films you can watch several times and it will still make you laugh, there’s always little jokes you miss the first time round. If you enjoy this film, I recommend: The Campaign (2012), The Hangover (2009) and The Other Guys (2010).
