Some of my friends have grown weary of Seth MacFarlane, saying "Family Guy" is no longer funny and several of his other TV exploits are equally perfunctory. Thankfully, the man had the good sense to transition into film this year; with a concept I was instantly sold on - a foul-mouthed teddy bear who gets stoned, drinks, and picks up women. What could a guy not possibly love? It's a unique twist on the "bromance vs. romance"-type of story that doesn't quite escape the cliche'd trappings, but is fresh and enjoyable take on what happens when the characters of an innocent, childhood fable grow up. This, ladies and gentleman, is Ted.
On Christmas Day, 1985, a young, lonely Boston boy named John is given a teddy bear by his parents. Having no friends to call his own, he names the bear "Ted" and makes a wish that his bear could talk. His wish is granted and the now-inexplicably anthropomorphic Ted becomes an overnight celebrity, making rounds on the talk-show circuit but remaining a consistent source of companionship to John, and the two become best friends. Flash forward to 27 years later, John works as a clerk for a rental car company, is in a four-year relationship with an advertising exec named Lori, and still lives with Ted. Over the years, Ted has picked up a penchant for partying, smoking a bong, watching bad movies, and bringing hookers back to the apartment, much to Lori's chagrin. She gives John an ultimatum: Kick Ted out, or she'll kick herself out; something the two best buds have difficulty dealing with.
As earlier stated, Ted is a typical story of "bromance vs. romance" wrapped in a fluffy, fuzzy package (...that sounded odd...). This gives the film an unfortunate sense of predictability that it doesn't shake throughout the entire run, but that doesn't stop it from being entertaining. Seth MacFarlane's crude, oddball humor thankfully outweighs the cliches. Some jokes fall flat, but most of them work. It's the concept that I'm really enamored with, and the performances from the cast are strong enough to carry the story through the bumps. There's an interesting twist/subplot towards the end that involves Ted getting himself into serious danger. It made me kind of wish the film based it's story more around that sort of structure, but for the most part, I was happy with the result (and the fact I only spent $5 for a ticket).
I had a difficult time rating Ted, because the more I dwelled upon the film, the more I felt better about it. I think it's just that I'm so enamored by the concept, that I'm allowing it to let me forgive some of it's more glaring flaws. Could Ted have been better? Sure. Is it enjoyable and entertaining? Absolutely!
...And how can I forget the Thunder Song:
8/10
Peace,
- Jon
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