Review: Ted

My expectations for Ted were low, owing to the fact that the trailer made the movie seem like a ninety-minute episode of Seth Macfarlane’s hit series Family Guy, at least in terms of the humor employed. The only reason I went to see it was because a certain lady friend thought it looked really good and we ended up going. On a side note movie dates have to be one of the worst ideas ever, the two of you just sitting there in silence for two hours. They’re fine if you two already have an established, dynamic relationship but they’re a terrible way to get to know someone. That being said, Ted proved itself to be more than just another one of Macfarlane’s attempts to suck (milk?) the Family Guy cash cow dry and we both really enjoyed it.

I didn't think MacFarlane's humor would translate to the big screen but was happy to be proven wrong

Where the movie succeeds is in translating MacFarlane’s offbeat and crude humor to the big screen while maintaining a coherent plot the whole way. In a standard Family Guy episode the plot is merely an excuse for a rapid burst of unrelated jokes; these jokes often have nothing to do with the plotline. In Ted MacFarlane proves himself to be a capable storyteller, creating a plot that is just strong enough to keep the audience interested. While the movie is entirely predictable and is a standard bromance vs. romance flick, MacFarlane’s humor is allowed to shine.

If anything, the movie is crude and I mean that in the best possible way. As a college aged male who drinks a little too much, Ted is everything I look for in one of those rare movies I actually pay to see. MacFarlane has always been politically incorrect and naturally the “R” rating allows him to bring out the best in his humor. The movie contains a bevy of blatant sexual references and drug related humor; they clearly knew their target audience when making this one. A rape joke that came out of nowhere had me dying with laughter, much to the chagrin of my date.

The cast was great, starting with Mark Wahlberg and Mila Kunis. I wouldn’t consider either to be very good actors but Mila Kunis has shown improvement since That 70s Show and Marky Mark’s role didn’t require any heavy lifting. The supporting cast is great, highlighted by Matt Walsh and David Putty Patrick Warburton. I could even tolerate Joel McHale this time. Throw in an absurdly small but hilarious cameo by a well-known star (I won’t ruin the surprise) and you have the perfect cast for this type of raunchy comedy.

If you’re easily offended or have reached a certain level of maturity you may want to pass on Ted. Thankfully I’m nowhere near either. I’m giving this one an 8/10 as it had me laughing the whole way through. Even if you’re not a huge Family Guy/The Cleveland Show/American Dad fan it’s still worth the price of admission.

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