747 reviews
I think a lot of people miss the entire point of this film. The mere fact that it centres around a talking teddy bear should be a clue that this is just irreverent comedy and nothing more, yet it seems like many critics are aghast at its lack of seriousness and authenticity.
Unlike most comedies made this century, Ted is actually funny. The gags are vulgar and often predictable but they are nonetheless very amusing and perfectly timed. And honestly, what more do you want? This is just a good piece of comic relief.
On top of that, its a very slick looking film with great animation and a well-conceived score. My only real complaint is that Mark Wahlberg does not work as the hapless middle-aged failure. He is just too clean-cut too pull it off and its hard to buy into him being so tragic. I think this role would have been a perfect fit for Vince Vaughn who is much better at carrying off these type of characters.
One of the few gross-out comedies that actually works. Don't take it seriously, just sit back and enjoy the sheer nihilistic ridiculousness of it all.
Unlike most comedies made this century, Ted is actually funny. The gags are vulgar and often predictable but they are nonetheless very amusing and perfectly timed. And honestly, what more do you want? This is just a good piece of comic relief.
On top of that, its a very slick looking film with great animation and a well-conceived score. My only real complaint is that Mark Wahlberg does not work as the hapless middle-aged failure. He is just too clean-cut too pull it off and its hard to buy into him being so tragic. I think this role would have been a perfect fit for Vince Vaughn who is much better at carrying off these type of characters.
One of the few gross-out comedies that actually works. Don't take it seriously, just sit back and enjoy the sheer nihilistic ridiculousness of it all.
- Ruskington
- Aug 27, 2020
- Permalink
I really should start this with a warning: This film is not for everyone! If you are easily offended (by swearing, sexual references, casual racism and various stereotypes) then you should read no further and give this one a miss. However, if you are a fan of Seth MacFarlane's other projects (Family Guy, American Dad) and maybe you call yourself an "80's child" (so many pop culture references to this time) you are going to love this.
Sure some parts are a little disjointed, the story seems vaguely familiar and the "moral" of it kind of gets lost but quite frankly, it's just so darn funny none of that matters. The script is hilarious, the cameos are fantastic and the soundtrack is perfect.
Ted himself is well animated and Seth (apart from sounding a little like Peter Griffin) voices him with the usual competence. Mark Wahlberg delivers exactly what we have come to expect from him, and the rest of the cast seem to have had fun filming, which comes across in the various performances no matter how big or small. The acceptance and interaction of everyone with a living teddy-bear adds to the simple joy of this film, and you find yourself happy to watch and not question why nobody is fazed by this. TED is a laugh a minute, party of a film and I, for one, can't wait to see it again.
Sure some parts are a little disjointed, the story seems vaguely familiar and the "moral" of it kind of gets lost but quite frankly, it's just so darn funny none of that matters. The script is hilarious, the cameos are fantastic and the soundtrack is perfect.
Ted himself is well animated and Seth (apart from sounding a little like Peter Griffin) voices him with the usual competence. Mark Wahlberg delivers exactly what we have come to expect from him, and the rest of the cast seem to have had fun filming, which comes across in the various performances no matter how big or small. The acceptance and interaction of everyone with a living teddy-bear adds to the simple joy of this film, and you find yourself happy to watch and not question why nobody is fazed by this. TED is a laugh a minute, party of a film and I, for one, can't wait to see it again.
- JeffTheBadger
- Jul 2, 2012
- Permalink
Ted has gained popularity in India due to its light and charming nature, earning a place on my watchlist for nearly a decade. Since it was leaving the OTT platform, I finally decided to indulge myself anticipating a great movie.
It began promisingly. Mark Wahlberg's remarkable acting skills were evident, although this might not be his finest work. Mila Kunis was also appreciated in her role.
The movie unfolds with a series of conflicts, but it becomes evident that these conflicts will arise between the protagonist and his relationship with his girlfriend considering there was a ted / the best friend. The predictable nature revolves around these conflicts with Ted eventually making up for them.
The film provides light-hearted comedy, and Ted's character, with his crazy antics, adds a sense of enjoyment. However, the movie failed to meet my expectations, feeling rather average.
In essence, Ted offers a fun and enjoyable experience, predominantly relying on comedy to entertain the audience. If you appreciate comedy, the film is likely to amuse you, but those seeking more substance may find it less engaging.
It began promisingly. Mark Wahlberg's remarkable acting skills were evident, although this might not be his finest work. Mila Kunis was also appreciated in her role.
The movie unfolds with a series of conflicts, but it becomes evident that these conflicts will arise between the protagonist and his relationship with his girlfriend considering there was a ted / the best friend. The predictable nature revolves around these conflicts with Ted eventually making up for them.
The film provides light-hearted comedy, and Ted's character, with his crazy antics, adds a sense of enjoyment. However, the movie failed to meet my expectations, feeling rather average.
In essence, Ted offers a fun and enjoyable experience, predominantly relying on comedy to entertain the audience. If you appreciate comedy, the film is likely to amuse you, but those seeking more substance may find it less engaging.
- pawanpunjabithewriter
- Jul 26, 2023
- Permalink
I just want to state off hand that this is my first movie review, well other than just telling someone what I thought. So if you are looking for a well written, witty review then.. you might want to stop reading now. But since this movie is still in production, this will probably be your best bet for the time being.
I just went to a free screening of Ted at the Greenback theater in Sacramento, CA. And I just have to say off the bat, I LOVED it. A movie hasn't made me laugh that hard in a long time. Now, I'm not going to give you any more information than the description because with the movie not even being released yet, I think that would be a spoiler of some sort. But I will tell you that was so much better than what I imagined it would be, granted that was before I knew it was directed and voiced over by Seth Macfarlane. So if you're a fan of his, you're definitely in for a treat, and even if you're not I still think you would enjoy the innovative comedy that comes from a snarky and crude teddy bear companion. The acting was very solid, from main characters to jerk bosses, and crazy.. well, crazy people.. the acting was very convincing and enjoyable. The story was great, while it might sound stupid to some, myself included, it's very well executed. Definitely not one of the movies that left me thinking "the idea was good, but they could have done so much more with it", it was actually quite the opposite. And this is certainly not a low budget film, the CGI animation reflects this. The furry bear voiced by Macfarlane is very realistic and believable.
The only drawback I could possibly see that would cause someone displeasure would be, like a lot of new comedies, this film pushes the envelope in raunchy, vulgar humor. Plus the different amount of drugs used. This movie will receive (most likely), and be very deserving of a R rating. It doesn't rely solely on shock humor though, there is plenty of good old fashioned clean comedy. But if your like me, and that type of subject matter doesn't bother you, then I HIGHLY recommend this film. And if you're a Seth Macfarlane fan, then that's just a perfectly gift wrapped little bonus for you.
I just went to a free screening of Ted at the Greenback theater in Sacramento, CA. And I just have to say off the bat, I LOVED it. A movie hasn't made me laugh that hard in a long time. Now, I'm not going to give you any more information than the description because with the movie not even being released yet, I think that would be a spoiler of some sort. But I will tell you that was so much better than what I imagined it would be, granted that was before I knew it was directed and voiced over by Seth Macfarlane. So if you're a fan of his, you're definitely in for a treat, and even if you're not I still think you would enjoy the innovative comedy that comes from a snarky and crude teddy bear companion. The acting was very solid, from main characters to jerk bosses, and crazy.. well, crazy people.. the acting was very convincing and enjoyable. The story was great, while it might sound stupid to some, myself included, it's very well executed. Definitely not one of the movies that left me thinking "the idea was good, but they could have done so much more with it", it was actually quite the opposite. And this is certainly not a low budget film, the CGI animation reflects this. The furry bear voiced by Macfarlane is very realistic and believable.
The only drawback I could possibly see that would cause someone displeasure would be, like a lot of new comedies, this film pushes the envelope in raunchy, vulgar humor. Plus the different amount of drugs used. This movie will receive (most likely), and be very deserving of a R rating. It doesn't rely solely on shock humor though, there is plenty of good old fashioned clean comedy. But if your like me, and that type of subject matter doesn't bother you, then I HIGHLY recommend this film. And if you're a Seth Macfarlane fan, then that's just a perfectly gift wrapped little bonus for you.
- manbearpig2
- Mar 29, 2012
- Permalink
Whilst I did not dislike 'Ted' I cannot say I was overly impressed by it. The hype and popularity that built up towards the film's release had me expecting something fresh, something that would keep me laughing days after. To my disappointment, 'Ted', to me, turned out to just another Rom-Com, its only real unique twist being Ted himself.
Having said that, 'Ted' did provide some good laughs, whilst they weren't exactly side-splitting the film was entertaining and I did watch the entire feature without getting bored or uninterested. The animations for Ted were of a good quality, doing a good job in making it seem like Ted was actually there with the actors, rather than just a computer-generated 3D image.
What I felt let 'Ted' down was it's predictability and lack of memorable or unique laughs. Being rated as a 15, 'Ted's plot didn't seem to suit it's targeted audience, I have seen similar story lines in films rated PG or even U but the explicit content of 'Ted' was clearly intended for more mature audiences, therefore I felt it deserved a more mature plot.
Overall, I'd recommend 'Ted' to those who are looking for a relatively light-hearted story with a few giggles added in and a cursing, yet somehow still lovable, teddy bear. It's good, but nothing overly special.
Having said that, 'Ted' did provide some good laughs, whilst they weren't exactly side-splitting the film was entertaining and I did watch the entire feature without getting bored or uninterested. The animations for Ted were of a good quality, doing a good job in making it seem like Ted was actually there with the actors, rather than just a computer-generated 3D image.
What I felt let 'Ted' down was it's predictability and lack of memorable or unique laughs. Being rated as a 15, 'Ted's plot didn't seem to suit it's targeted audience, I have seen similar story lines in films rated PG or even U but the explicit content of 'Ted' was clearly intended for more mature audiences, therefore I felt it deserved a more mature plot.
Overall, I'd recommend 'Ted' to those who are looking for a relatively light-hearted story with a few giggles added in and a cursing, yet somehow still lovable, teddy bear. It's good, but nothing overly special.
I went for the advanced screening and didn't expect that much from the movie. I knew it would be a good comedy with R rated jokes and didn't know that it would be emotional too!
My wife almost started crying in one scene and suddenly laughed like anything .. Story line is predictable but the main strength lies in dialog, acting and screenplay!
I think people will enjoy this movie and I am already seeing after reading the other's review.
I can only say that your money will not be waste and you will enjoy the movie!
My wife almost started crying in one scene and suddenly laughed like anything .. Story line is predictable but the main strength lies in dialog, acting and screenplay!
I think people will enjoy this movie and I am already seeing after reading the other's review.
I can only say that your money will not be waste and you will enjoy the movie!
- gaurav-ahm
- Jun 20, 2012
- Permalink
I got into a screening of this movie thanks to my daughter, after waiting what felt like forever. I saw the unrated trailer on YouTube and couldn't wait to see it. As another reviewer said, if you like Family Guy, you'll like this. In some ways, it IS Family Guy. Wahlberg basically plays a Peter Griffin type character,a likable, but somewhat dimwitted guy. Ted is essentially Brian, smart, witty and self-centered and Mila is sort of a Lois type, hot and the grown up in the story. Be warned, this is NOT a children's movie. Nudity, drug and alcohol use, plus heavy on the profanity. In other words, go see it! Just leave your (little) kids at home.
- lansingjim
- Jun 19, 2012
- Permalink
- Mrlastlife
- Jul 3, 2012
- Permalink
A smart, crude, but lively and hilarious comedy, Ted makes the most of its premise unlike any comedy before it, and truly shines as one of the funniest films I have ever seen. Mark Wahlberg and Ted, voiced by Seth MacFarlane, make for a lovely pair, and the two have chemistry I haven't in quite some time for a comedy film. Simply said, the film has it all. Booze, drugs, action, comedy, drama, Flash Gordon, everything. The soundtrack is great, the jokes are hysterical, the script is surprisingly impressive and realistic (for this type of scenario), and the direction is good as well. The pacing never seems to let up, and the film is almost exciting to watch by simply the fact it goes all in on what it set out to do. It's a truly top notch work for MacFarlane and proves to quite possibly be his best work yet. His talent shows in the film like never before, and he makes something truly delightful out of it. Ted isn't just rude and obnoxious, the film is full of heart too. And though the film may have a hard time taking its own matters seriously from time to time, when it needs to get emotional it does, and the film takes the risks it needs and accomplishes them. As with Ted coming to life in the film, this comedy is nothing short of a cinematic miracle, and proves to be one of the best experiences I have ever had watching a movie in my life (and I've seen over 1,000).
My Rating: 10/10
- Allierubystein666
- Apr 3, 2020
- Permalink
One of my friends got tickets for the movie. So, I had absolutely no idea what Ted was going to be about. Then I saw Seth Macfarlane's name in the credits, and I instantly knew what to expect. Even the opening scene had the audience laughing!
Ted, the carefree, weed-smoking teddy bear has been Mark Wahlberg's one and only friend from the age of 8. At 35, he is having trouble with his girlfriend (Mila Kunis) because of his immature behavior, mostly because of his teddy bear. As the movie progresses, we realize that he must decide between his true love and his beloved teddy.
The jokes include the typical Family Guy sort of humor - ranging from crude and crass to Seth's favorite 80s cultural references. Family Guy fans should enjoy a movie version of their favorite family. The story line is almost too predictable, but we almost forget about the story in the middle of all the humor.
I recommend watching the movie with a few friends and have a nice laugh. Just like an episode of Family Guy. Oh, and Mila Kunis is absolutely gorgeous and extremely lovable. There, you have one more reason to watch. 7 on 10 for the constant humor and the ridiculously funny teddy but the extremely ordinary storyline.
Ted, the carefree, weed-smoking teddy bear has been Mark Wahlberg's one and only friend from the age of 8. At 35, he is having trouble with his girlfriend (Mila Kunis) because of his immature behavior, mostly because of his teddy bear. As the movie progresses, we realize that he must decide between his true love and his beloved teddy.
The jokes include the typical Family Guy sort of humor - ranging from crude and crass to Seth's favorite 80s cultural references. Family Guy fans should enjoy a movie version of their favorite family. The story line is almost too predictable, but we almost forget about the story in the middle of all the humor.
I recommend watching the movie with a few friends and have a nice laugh. Just like an episode of Family Guy. Oh, and Mila Kunis is absolutely gorgeous and extremely lovable. There, you have one more reason to watch. 7 on 10 for the constant humor and the ridiculously funny teddy but the extremely ordinary storyline.
- muraliavarma
- Jul 1, 2012
- Permalink
- chang-skeee
- Oct 7, 2012
- Permalink
First there was Gollum, then Caesar the ape and now ... Ted? If you thought motion-capture animation was beyond the range of foul-mouthed R-rated comedy, here's your evidence to the contrary. "Family Guy" creator Seth MacFarlane has taken his love of characters who shouldn't behave like humans behaving like humans to the next level —and the big screen — with "Ted," a story of growing up — at the age of 35.
Fans of MacFarlane and "Family Guy" will be the first to tell you that the comedy pioneer has been more cold than hot lately (I guess those manatees in the tank of idea balls have been worked too hard). It's not easy to keep scoring laughs using the same non-sequitur formula over and over again, but fortunately "Ted" is a more comically cohesive effort than you'd ever expect from the king of unexpected random jabs, references and political incorrectness.
If you haven't been curious enough to find out what the film is about already, "Ted" tells the story of how young John Bennett (who grows up to be Mark Wahlberg), who had trouble fitting in as a kid, made a wish on Christmas Day for his teddy bear to come to life. His wish comes true and Ted becomes world famous, even appearing on the Johnny Carson Show. But as Patrick Stewart lovingly and frankly reminds us in his role as narrator: like Corey Feldman and Frankie Muniz, eventually, people stop giving a ****.
Despite a serious relationship of four years with Lori (Mila Kunis), nearly middle-aged John is still ripping bongs and watching '80s "Flash Gordon" with his equally irresponsible teddy bear best friend. Eventually, John must start to make sacrifices if he wants to become the adult that Lori wants him to be, and Ted is arguably the chief reason for his inability to shape up.
There aren't exactly any curveballs in this story, but that's when you realize you're watching a film in which a man is trying to stop hanging out with his profane teddy bear. Despite the obvious outcomes, "Ted" has to be considered an original comedy.
It's also consistently funny. Sure, the nature of many of the jokes is that they exist in a vacuum and aren't necessarily related to what's going on or what matters, but much of the references actually tie into the plot later on (such as Flash Gordon ... it'll make sense when you see it) and it's far less random than skeptics will come in expecting. That said, some of its best jokes and references will resonate on a personal level, i.e. if you watch this with a group of people, you're bound to laugh really hard at times when they don't and vice-versa.
The only thing that feels a little out of place is a subplot involving Giovanni Ribisi as a creepy single father who has been a longtime admirer of Ted's and inquires about purchasing him for his overweight son. You've never seen Ribisi like this and that alone is amusing, but the focus of the film is on how John and Ted's mischief impacts his ability to grow up and get more serious with Lori, and this sort of butts into things.
Yet for all its shenanigans, the amount of heart and sincerity in some of the relationship drama between John and Lori is surprising. Wahlberg and Kunis are generally pretty convincing, even if it's a bit weird that John is mature enough to have a relationship last four years but not enough to not screw things up at his job or avoid giving in to Ted's peer pressure. (Bear pressure?)
The secret weapon is that Ted really is kind of adorable, and the mo-cap gives him an extra lifelike quality. The film hits some emotional notes early (who can't identify with loving a stuffed animal?) and this helps it to reconnect later on despite all the R-rated chaos in between. That ability alone assures "Ted" will be seen as better than a majority of foul- mouthed, dirty-minded comedies.
"Ridiculous" comes to mind as the best descriptor for "Ted," which one has to imagine MacFarlane aimed for in the first place. His performance as the titular bear is certainly reminiscent of Peter Griffin (there's a wink to the audience about that, by the way), but more importantly, Ted is treated as more than just an opportunity for a never-ending string of jokes that are simply funnier because "it's a teddy bear."
Maybe having to create a complete package in the form of a movie has helped MacFarlane learn how to tone down his shtick. Audiences will write you off if you deliver them something inconsistent and scatter-brained that goes beyond 30 inconsequential minutes of their lives, and MacFarlane and co-writers Alec Sulkin and Wellesley Wild make the majority of adjustments needed to honor that notion. "Ted" is as engaging as it is clever, funny and ridiculous.
~Steven C
Fans of MacFarlane and "Family Guy" will be the first to tell you that the comedy pioneer has been more cold than hot lately (I guess those manatees in the tank of idea balls have been worked too hard). It's not easy to keep scoring laughs using the same non-sequitur formula over and over again, but fortunately "Ted" is a more comically cohesive effort than you'd ever expect from the king of unexpected random jabs, references and political incorrectness.
If you haven't been curious enough to find out what the film is about already, "Ted" tells the story of how young John Bennett (who grows up to be Mark Wahlberg), who had trouble fitting in as a kid, made a wish on Christmas Day for his teddy bear to come to life. His wish comes true and Ted becomes world famous, even appearing on the Johnny Carson Show. But as Patrick Stewart lovingly and frankly reminds us in his role as narrator: like Corey Feldman and Frankie Muniz, eventually, people stop giving a ****.
Despite a serious relationship of four years with Lori (Mila Kunis), nearly middle-aged John is still ripping bongs and watching '80s "Flash Gordon" with his equally irresponsible teddy bear best friend. Eventually, John must start to make sacrifices if he wants to become the adult that Lori wants him to be, and Ted is arguably the chief reason for his inability to shape up.
There aren't exactly any curveballs in this story, but that's when you realize you're watching a film in which a man is trying to stop hanging out with his profane teddy bear. Despite the obvious outcomes, "Ted" has to be considered an original comedy.
It's also consistently funny. Sure, the nature of many of the jokes is that they exist in a vacuum and aren't necessarily related to what's going on or what matters, but much of the references actually tie into the plot later on (such as Flash Gordon ... it'll make sense when you see it) and it's far less random than skeptics will come in expecting. That said, some of its best jokes and references will resonate on a personal level, i.e. if you watch this with a group of people, you're bound to laugh really hard at times when they don't and vice-versa.
The only thing that feels a little out of place is a subplot involving Giovanni Ribisi as a creepy single father who has been a longtime admirer of Ted's and inquires about purchasing him for his overweight son. You've never seen Ribisi like this and that alone is amusing, but the focus of the film is on how John and Ted's mischief impacts his ability to grow up and get more serious with Lori, and this sort of butts into things.
Yet for all its shenanigans, the amount of heart and sincerity in some of the relationship drama between John and Lori is surprising. Wahlberg and Kunis are generally pretty convincing, even if it's a bit weird that John is mature enough to have a relationship last four years but not enough to not screw things up at his job or avoid giving in to Ted's peer pressure. (Bear pressure?)
The secret weapon is that Ted really is kind of adorable, and the mo-cap gives him an extra lifelike quality. The film hits some emotional notes early (who can't identify with loving a stuffed animal?) and this helps it to reconnect later on despite all the R-rated chaos in between. That ability alone assures "Ted" will be seen as better than a majority of foul- mouthed, dirty-minded comedies.
"Ridiculous" comes to mind as the best descriptor for "Ted," which one has to imagine MacFarlane aimed for in the first place. His performance as the titular bear is certainly reminiscent of Peter Griffin (there's a wink to the audience about that, by the way), but more importantly, Ted is treated as more than just an opportunity for a never-ending string of jokes that are simply funnier because "it's a teddy bear."
Maybe having to create a complete package in the form of a movie has helped MacFarlane learn how to tone down his shtick. Audiences will write you off if you deliver them something inconsistent and scatter-brained that goes beyond 30 inconsequential minutes of their lives, and MacFarlane and co-writers Alec Sulkin and Wellesley Wild make the majority of adjustments needed to honor that notion. "Ted" is as engaging as it is clever, funny and ridiculous.
~Steven C
- Movie_Muse_Reviews
- Jun 28, 2012
- Permalink
Have you ever wondered what Peter Griffin would sound like with a Boston accent? Well the talking teddy bear Ted is the answer in Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane's directorial debut, Ted. MacFarlane provides the voice of Ted in this raunchy comedy about a young boy who makes a Christmas wish that brings his stuffed teddy bear to life. But, as the boy grows up, so does Ted. Jump forward twenty years to the story of a grown man balancing work, a girlfriend, and his best friend Ted the teddy bear.
Ted is raunchy, vulgar, crass, and culturally relevant. It's a comedic styling much in the vein of Family Guy or any of MacFarlane's other shows, just pumped up with R-rated steroids. From the start with this film's wacky premise we know that it doesn't take itself too seriously and is really only here to deliver the laughs. It's a fairly predictable film and it's plot is very Hollywoodized at times, but it's also pretty damn hilarious. MacFarlane's off brand humor is where this film is successful, as one would expect. However, in about five or six years half the jokes in Ted will no longer be relevant as there are a lot of pop culture references littered throughout this film that will mean nothing in only a few short years.
But for now practically all of Ted is absolutely hysterical. It's lots of foul language, plenty of potty humor, and a plethora of dirty sight gags that make Ted tick. Also, a fine helping of cameos keeps the humor fresh and increasingly hilarious, whether or not it makes any sense at all. Sometimes it's really just Seth MacFarlane showing off how far his Hollywood star power tentacles can reach, but none of it falls flat. In fact, very little of the humor in Ted falls flat. I really enjoyed this film. It's nothing more than another raunchy comedy, but it certainly entertained me, and what more need I ask for?
Ted is raunchy, vulgar, crass, and culturally relevant. It's a comedic styling much in the vein of Family Guy or any of MacFarlane's other shows, just pumped up with R-rated steroids. From the start with this film's wacky premise we know that it doesn't take itself too seriously and is really only here to deliver the laughs. It's a fairly predictable film and it's plot is very Hollywoodized at times, but it's also pretty damn hilarious. MacFarlane's off brand humor is where this film is successful, as one would expect. However, in about five or six years half the jokes in Ted will no longer be relevant as there are a lot of pop culture references littered throughout this film that will mean nothing in only a few short years.
But for now practically all of Ted is absolutely hysterical. It's lots of foul language, plenty of potty humor, and a plethora of dirty sight gags that make Ted tick. Also, a fine helping of cameos keeps the humor fresh and increasingly hilarious, whether or not it makes any sense at all. Sometimes it's really just Seth MacFarlane showing off how far his Hollywood star power tentacles can reach, but none of it falls flat. In fact, very little of the humor in Ted falls flat. I really enjoyed this film. It's nothing more than another raunchy comedy, but it certainly entertained me, and what more need I ask for?
- KnightsofNi11
- Jun 29, 2012
- Permalink
John Bennett (Mark Wahlberg) is a 35 year old rental car associate whose best friend is a talking teddy bear named Ted (Seth MacFarlane) who came to life for John as a child after he made a wish. Now four years into a relationship with girlfriend Lori Collins (Mila Kunis), Lori finds herself wanting to move their relationship forward while John and Ted still maintain a carefree lifestyle of getting high and involved in shenanigans. Eventually Lori convinces John to talk to Ted about moving out, but John struggles balancing his friendship with Ted and relationship with Lori.
Having successfully re-launched Family Guy on the Fox network as well as sister show American Dad, five years after creating two high profile hit shows Series' shepherd Seth MacFarlane and frequent collaborators Alec Sulkin and Wellesley Wild came up for the basis of a third show which would be reformatted into what would become Ted. While 20th Century Fox showed interest in the project, management was hesitant to entrust MacFarlane with his requested $65 million budget for not only an R-Rated comedy, but one helmed by a first time director. MacFarlane then took the project to Universal who greenlit the film with the requested budget. Released in 2012, Ted became the breakout comedy hit of the Summer making $549 million worldwide against its $65 million budget and even attained solid critical reception as well. Ted's success allowed MacFarlane to parlay his success into other ventures like relaunching the Cosmos docuseries and of course his pet project The Orville, but Ted itself hasn't aged all that well in the 10 years since its release.
I will say the three leads of Ted with Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis, and Seth MacFarlane have solid chemistry and create a strong dynamic that carries the film. In addition to the chemistry among the leads MacFarlane's film also boasts a good supporting cast with the likes of Patrick Warburton, Patrick Stewart as the narrator, Joel McHale, and a very funny extended cameo from star of 1980s Flash Gordon Sam J. Jones playing a fictionalized version of himself in probably the film's funniest segment.
The downside with Ted is unfortunately due to the nature of Seth MacFarlane's style of humor which is built upon references. Now unlike Seltzer and Friedberg's "Movie Movies" that put in references because they're trying to tap into cultural consciousness for the sake of suckering people in, MacFarlane is actually able to capture the humor from his references (for the most part). But the movie is heavily ingrained in a very narrow slice of time with references built in to the Adam Sandler movie Jack & Jill, Katy Perry, Justin Bieber, and Taylor Lautner and the cultural relevance of some of these people or events has waned considerably with time and because these references aren't as fresh in your mind as they were 10 years ago some of the jokes feel less on target. A point that wasn't great even when I first saw this movie was the subplot of Ted's stalkers Donny and his son Robert played by Giovanni Ribisi and Aedin Mincks respectively. While both are good actors with Ribisi being a reliable character actor and Mincks currently starring Cobra Kai, they're not all that funny here and are just weird and creepy which only serves to lead us to a chase climax that really didn't need to be in the movie.
I was reminded of the Simon Pegg/Nick Frost movie Paul from the year before Ted that featured Frost and Pegg as two comic book geeks who have a road trip with a CGI alien played by Seth Rogen and both Paul and Ted are very similar (down to their one syllable name titles) but Paul built itself as an homage to science fiction classics of the 70s and 80s as well as geek culture so it's aged more gracefully in comparison to Ted which feels more sitcomy and tied to various cultural and social mindsets of the era that have lost their appeal.
Ted opened a lot of doors for Seth MacFarlane as a producer, but it's not a movie that has stood the test of time. While it has some solid leads and some amusing moments littered here and there, the movie feels heavily tied to its point in time with explicit references made to pop culture "flavors of the month" that even people who watched the movie in theaters most likely forgot about within a year.
Having successfully re-launched Family Guy on the Fox network as well as sister show American Dad, five years after creating two high profile hit shows Series' shepherd Seth MacFarlane and frequent collaborators Alec Sulkin and Wellesley Wild came up for the basis of a third show which would be reformatted into what would become Ted. While 20th Century Fox showed interest in the project, management was hesitant to entrust MacFarlane with his requested $65 million budget for not only an R-Rated comedy, but one helmed by a first time director. MacFarlane then took the project to Universal who greenlit the film with the requested budget. Released in 2012, Ted became the breakout comedy hit of the Summer making $549 million worldwide against its $65 million budget and even attained solid critical reception as well. Ted's success allowed MacFarlane to parlay his success into other ventures like relaunching the Cosmos docuseries and of course his pet project The Orville, but Ted itself hasn't aged all that well in the 10 years since its release.
I will say the three leads of Ted with Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis, and Seth MacFarlane have solid chemistry and create a strong dynamic that carries the film. In addition to the chemistry among the leads MacFarlane's film also boasts a good supporting cast with the likes of Patrick Warburton, Patrick Stewart as the narrator, Joel McHale, and a very funny extended cameo from star of 1980s Flash Gordon Sam J. Jones playing a fictionalized version of himself in probably the film's funniest segment.
The downside with Ted is unfortunately due to the nature of Seth MacFarlane's style of humor which is built upon references. Now unlike Seltzer and Friedberg's "Movie Movies" that put in references because they're trying to tap into cultural consciousness for the sake of suckering people in, MacFarlane is actually able to capture the humor from his references (for the most part). But the movie is heavily ingrained in a very narrow slice of time with references built in to the Adam Sandler movie Jack & Jill, Katy Perry, Justin Bieber, and Taylor Lautner and the cultural relevance of some of these people or events has waned considerably with time and because these references aren't as fresh in your mind as they were 10 years ago some of the jokes feel less on target. A point that wasn't great even when I first saw this movie was the subplot of Ted's stalkers Donny and his son Robert played by Giovanni Ribisi and Aedin Mincks respectively. While both are good actors with Ribisi being a reliable character actor and Mincks currently starring Cobra Kai, they're not all that funny here and are just weird and creepy which only serves to lead us to a chase climax that really didn't need to be in the movie.
I was reminded of the Simon Pegg/Nick Frost movie Paul from the year before Ted that featured Frost and Pegg as two comic book geeks who have a road trip with a CGI alien played by Seth Rogen and both Paul and Ted are very similar (down to their one syllable name titles) but Paul built itself as an homage to science fiction classics of the 70s and 80s as well as geek culture so it's aged more gracefully in comparison to Ted which feels more sitcomy and tied to various cultural and social mindsets of the era that have lost their appeal.
Ted opened a lot of doors for Seth MacFarlane as a producer, but it's not a movie that has stood the test of time. While it has some solid leads and some amusing moments littered here and there, the movie feels heavily tied to its point in time with explicit references made to pop culture "flavors of the month" that even people who watched the movie in theaters most likely forgot about within a year.
- IonicBreezeMachine
- Mar 25, 2022
- Permalink
Really funny at at times really stupid, Ted is not only extremely well performed by its all-star cast and an extremely satirical and stupidly funny film, its script and direction is also impressive, the music and touch is perfect which all makes for a very watchable and humorous comedy, the movie does still repeat itself and does feel tiring and slow-moving at times.
¨No matter how big a splash you make in this world whether you're Corey Feldman, Frankie Muniz, Justin Bieber or a talking teddy bear, eventually, nobody cares.¨
Since 1999 Seth MacFarlane has made a name for himself in television thanks to the success of Family Guy. He's also the man responsible for other successful animated series such as American Dad and The Cleveland Show. He's not only the creator of these shows, he also voices many of the characters as well. In his first venture into live action film he also voices the star of the movie: Ted, a teddy bear that magically comes to life after a lonely boy makes a wish. Ted is an R-rated comedy due to the fact that he happens to be very vulgar and getting stoned all the time. The film has had huge box office success in the United Stated and I was expecting Ted to be hilarious, but I guess my expectations were a little too high because I wasn't blown away by this movie. There were some funny scenes, but for the most part the film felt like an average comedy and it wasn't what I was hoping for. 2012 has failed to deliver a successful comedy, and for now 21 Jump Street reigns as the best one in my opinion. Ted is full of irreverent humor, but it's repetitive and you have the usual sexual, drug, and poop jokes. I couldn't find much originality to it, but I do have to say some of the scenes did work thanks to Ted and his best friend played by Mark Wahlberg, whom I've always said is great in comedies. This is a pretty formulaic buddy comedy where you have the typical two slacker best friends and a girl who gets in the way of their friendship and wants them to mature. The only difference is that this time around one of them is a talking teddy bear.
The film begins with a narration (voiced by Patrick Stewart) about the story of lonely boy who gets his wish one Christmas morning when he asks for his teddy bear to become his best friend. When the teddy comes to life, John Bennett (played by Mark Wahlberg, and the younger version played by Bretton Manley) discovers that he has found his best friend who he names Ted (voiced by Seth MacFarlane). Ted becomes an instant celebrity as he is all over the news and is invited to all kind of talk shows. Ted changes young John's life for the better. The film then jumps to the present day where both have grown into adults. John is now 35 and has a healthy relationship with Lori (Mila Kunis). They've been dating for four years now. Ted is still living with John and has also grown up in the same way that his human buddy did. John and Ted like to spend time getting high together and talking about girls, drugs, and Flash Gordon. Everything seems to be going well for the trio until Lori gives John an ultimatum. It's Ted or her. Lori realizes that Ted is keeping John from realizing his full potential since they're always getting stoned and John is always late to work. John realizes that he has to make an important decision if he wants to save his relationship with Lori and the movie moves along from here.
One of the things the film explores well is the transition from child to adulthood. We don't only see John grow up, but his teddy bear as well. Now being an adult doesn't mean you're mature and John and Ted are proof of that. They are irresponsible and practically only care about getting high all the time. They both are very nice people, but really immature. That's what drives Lori crazy, but the good thing about Ted is that these characters aren't stereotypical. Lori isn't a mean person who wants to separate the two best friends, but rather wants them to take responsibilities as adults. Ted also has character development and despite the fact that he's very inappropriate he also has a big heart and wished the best fro John and Lori. This isn't your typical face off between best friend and girlfriend. I was pleased with that aspect of the film. Another thing that worked really well for me in this movie was all the references to different films (especially Flash Gordon and Top Gun) and jokes about them. As a film lover you always enjoy those small references and gags. Some of the cameos were also pretty funny and highlights of the film. What I didn't like as much was the fact that some of the sexual and drug humor got a little bit repetitive and old. There were also several poop and fart jokes which are always a little repetitive in these buddy comedies. Ted is still a funny film, but just not the hilarious movie I was hoping for.
http://estebueno10.blogspot.com
Since 1999 Seth MacFarlane has made a name for himself in television thanks to the success of Family Guy. He's also the man responsible for other successful animated series such as American Dad and The Cleveland Show. He's not only the creator of these shows, he also voices many of the characters as well. In his first venture into live action film he also voices the star of the movie: Ted, a teddy bear that magically comes to life after a lonely boy makes a wish. Ted is an R-rated comedy due to the fact that he happens to be very vulgar and getting stoned all the time. The film has had huge box office success in the United Stated and I was expecting Ted to be hilarious, but I guess my expectations were a little too high because I wasn't blown away by this movie. There were some funny scenes, but for the most part the film felt like an average comedy and it wasn't what I was hoping for. 2012 has failed to deliver a successful comedy, and for now 21 Jump Street reigns as the best one in my opinion. Ted is full of irreverent humor, but it's repetitive and you have the usual sexual, drug, and poop jokes. I couldn't find much originality to it, but I do have to say some of the scenes did work thanks to Ted and his best friend played by Mark Wahlberg, whom I've always said is great in comedies. This is a pretty formulaic buddy comedy where you have the typical two slacker best friends and a girl who gets in the way of their friendship and wants them to mature. The only difference is that this time around one of them is a talking teddy bear.
The film begins with a narration (voiced by Patrick Stewart) about the story of lonely boy who gets his wish one Christmas morning when he asks for his teddy bear to become his best friend. When the teddy comes to life, John Bennett (played by Mark Wahlberg, and the younger version played by Bretton Manley) discovers that he has found his best friend who he names Ted (voiced by Seth MacFarlane). Ted becomes an instant celebrity as he is all over the news and is invited to all kind of talk shows. Ted changes young John's life for the better. The film then jumps to the present day where both have grown into adults. John is now 35 and has a healthy relationship with Lori (Mila Kunis). They've been dating for four years now. Ted is still living with John and has also grown up in the same way that his human buddy did. John and Ted like to spend time getting high together and talking about girls, drugs, and Flash Gordon. Everything seems to be going well for the trio until Lori gives John an ultimatum. It's Ted or her. Lori realizes that Ted is keeping John from realizing his full potential since they're always getting stoned and John is always late to work. John realizes that he has to make an important decision if he wants to save his relationship with Lori and the movie moves along from here.
One of the things the film explores well is the transition from child to adulthood. We don't only see John grow up, but his teddy bear as well. Now being an adult doesn't mean you're mature and John and Ted are proof of that. They are irresponsible and practically only care about getting high all the time. They both are very nice people, but really immature. That's what drives Lori crazy, but the good thing about Ted is that these characters aren't stereotypical. Lori isn't a mean person who wants to separate the two best friends, but rather wants them to take responsibilities as adults. Ted also has character development and despite the fact that he's very inappropriate he also has a big heart and wished the best fro John and Lori. This isn't your typical face off between best friend and girlfriend. I was pleased with that aspect of the film. Another thing that worked really well for me in this movie was all the references to different films (especially Flash Gordon and Top Gun) and jokes about them. As a film lover you always enjoy those small references and gags. Some of the cameos were also pretty funny and highlights of the film. What I didn't like as much was the fact that some of the sexual and drug humor got a little bit repetitive and old. There were also several poop and fart jokes which are always a little repetitive in these buddy comedies. Ted is still a funny film, but just not the hilarious movie I was hoping for.
http://estebueno10.blogspot.com
- estebangonzalez10
- Sep 27, 2012
- Permalink
I am stunned by the number of negative reviews on here. We went to see Ted last night (the UK release date) and it was fantastic. In fact, it was the funniest film I have seen for years! The humour throughout is both obvious AND subtle, with masses of trademark Seth MacFarlane jokes as well as some expansion to his comedy repertoire made possible by having a live action film instead of an animation.
Some people have commented on all the 80s references - that's the joke in itself - Seth always over-focuses on the 80s and he's poking fun at himself by doing it even more! He liked Star Wars, Indian Jones, Flash Gordon, Top Gun etc. So did I - which is partly what makes it all so cool! Fans of Seth's humour will love these little (and not so little) references as they have all been used extensively in Family Guy. You don't have to be 'over 35' to get the references, you just have to get that Seth is a big fan of the 80s and has great fun referencing stuff he likes. Some might call it self-indulgent but I thought it was very funny. Perhaps you have top be on a particular wavelength, I don't know.
To suggest that he's being racist is also to misunderstand Seth MacFarlane - he's actually ridiculing people with stereotypical ignorant racist attitudes. Once again, he has done this in Family Guy and been similarly misunderstood. It's OK to make fun of racism or even the public's lack of knowledge on subjects such as 9/11 - neither of these mean that you're racist or pro-terrorist!
In reference to the acting, Mark Wahlberg and Mila Kunis were very good (especially Mila). Ted was also superbly played (by Seth MacFarlane) and it was interesting to note how after a while you didn't even really think of him as a bear; he was just another character in the film. Lovely to hear Patrick Stewart's voice used again too. In addition, there was a generous use of Family Guy people, who were all great fun (especially the guy who does the voice of Joe Swanson) and looked like they were clearly enjoying the opportunity to be in Seth's film debut.
In summary, if you don't like Seth MacFarlane's humour, there's a good chance you will not enjoy this film. However, if you like Family Guy and you have the ability to look beyond the obvious, then you might well love Ted as much as I did. I thought it was brilliant and can't remember the last time I laughed so much at a cinema!
Some people have commented on all the 80s references - that's the joke in itself - Seth always over-focuses on the 80s and he's poking fun at himself by doing it even more! He liked Star Wars, Indian Jones, Flash Gordon, Top Gun etc. So did I - which is partly what makes it all so cool! Fans of Seth's humour will love these little (and not so little) references as they have all been used extensively in Family Guy. You don't have to be 'over 35' to get the references, you just have to get that Seth is a big fan of the 80s and has great fun referencing stuff he likes. Some might call it self-indulgent but I thought it was very funny. Perhaps you have top be on a particular wavelength, I don't know.
To suggest that he's being racist is also to misunderstand Seth MacFarlane - he's actually ridiculing people with stereotypical ignorant racist attitudes. Once again, he has done this in Family Guy and been similarly misunderstood. It's OK to make fun of racism or even the public's lack of knowledge on subjects such as 9/11 - neither of these mean that you're racist or pro-terrorist!
In reference to the acting, Mark Wahlberg and Mila Kunis were very good (especially Mila). Ted was also superbly played (by Seth MacFarlane) and it was interesting to note how after a while you didn't even really think of him as a bear; he was just another character in the film. Lovely to hear Patrick Stewart's voice used again too. In addition, there was a generous use of Family Guy people, who were all great fun (especially the guy who does the voice of Joe Swanson) and looked like they were clearly enjoying the opportunity to be in Seth's film debut.
In summary, if you don't like Seth MacFarlane's humour, there's a good chance you will not enjoy this film. However, if you like Family Guy and you have the ability to look beyond the obvious, then you might well love Ted as much as I did. I thought it was brilliant and can't remember the last time I laughed so much at a cinema!
- barry_mooney
- Aug 1, 2012
- Permalink
Other than some boring, worn out bong humor, much of their attempts at vulgar, low-brow humor are actually pretty funny. You can't help but laugh. One particular line is one of the funniest I have ever heard.
Obviously you have to look past a silly and predictable plot but this is well worth a spot on your comedy targets.
Obviously you have to look past a silly and predictable plot but this is well worth a spot on your comedy targets.
Absolutely fantastic, one of the best comedy movies ever! Yes it was vulgar, very dirty humor and features drug use but what do you expect, you should expect this if you've ever seen Family Guy. Obviously this isn't for the Tea Party crowd!
This movie was so funny I nearly cried from laughing so hard. If you go to see this movie, take your sense of humor and prepare yourself for politically incorrect jokes. There are some pretty funny cameo appearances as well. I saw this movie overseas and it's funny to see people from another language and culture laugh so hard at American humor.
This movie was so funny I nearly cried from laughing so hard. If you go to see this movie, take your sense of humor and prepare yourself for politically incorrect jokes. There are some pretty funny cameo appearances as well. I saw this movie overseas and it's funny to see people from another language and culture laugh so hard at American humor.
- morseman21
- Jul 21, 2012
- Permalink
I must start off by saying; I'm not a Seth MacFarlane fan. I don't think I have ever watched an entire episode of American Dad or Family Guy. But after watching the trailers and a couple of clips of Ted, I thought it looked funny and I'd give it a go.
If you don't mind sexism, mild racism, jokes in poor / bad taste, I'm sure you'll love this film. But then, I guess that could apply to all Seth MacFarlane's back catalogue. In short, if you offend easily - don't watch this film.
Ted is all over the place as a film. Even though there is at least one central theme running through it, I still felt it was more a collection of funny sketches than a well crafted story, hence my low rating. But, Ted is almost certain to make you laugh if you aren't easily offended. I laughed out loud at least 7 or 8 times and chuckled quite a few times. If you get Seth MacFarlane's humor - give Ted a go, I'm sure you won't be disappointed. But if you are expecting a film with great plot and character development, you will be left wanting. In short, it is crude, vulgar, offensive and extremely funny.
If you don't mind sexism, mild racism, jokes in poor / bad taste, I'm sure you'll love this film. But then, I guess that could apply to all Seth MacFarlane's back catalogue. In short, if you offend easily - don't watch this film.
Ted is all over the place as a film. Even though there is at least one central theme running through it, I still felt it was more a collection of funny sketches than a well crafted story, hence my low rating. But, Ted is almost certain to make you laugh if you aren't easily offended. I laughed out loud at least 7 or 8 times and chuckled quite a few times. If you get Seth MacFarlane's humor - give Ted a go, I'm sure you won't be disappointed. But if you are expecting a film with great plot and character development, you will be left wanting. In short, it is crude, vulgar, offensive and extremely funny.
- bevanmortimer
- Feb 4, 2013
- Permalink
- super_mario_crivellaro
- Jul 19, 2012
- Permalink
I had a fear it would be a bit repetitive with the whole family guy theme but it really wasn't. It surprised me how funny it actually was. I think it's partly due to the fact that it's not a cartoon so even any overly family guyish jokes were even funnier to see the actors playing it out. The trailers don't give away any of the proper funny jokes as well, Which is something I detest (you knew every funny joke in the hangover 2 because of the trailers) and to top it off the bear is probably the cutest thing I have ever seen. Mark Whalberg is - as always - so good. Loved it and I know it's one of those films that the more you watch it the funnier it gets.
- aislingconnolly87
- Jul 9, 2012
- Permalink
- waqassaleem-85201
- Jan 3, 2021
- Permalink