MOVIE REVIEW - Ted

The hit of the weekend, is going to be the R-rated comedy from the mind of Seth MacFarlane, Ted.

Ted is the story of 35 year-old John (Mark Wahlberg) and his talking teddy bear Ted (voiced by MacFarlane). It all goes back to 1985, when 8 year old John gets a stuffed teddy bear for Christmas. He wishes on a shooting star that the bear could talk and be his friend for real. Well, the dream comes true, and Ted comes to life in every way. The two then take a vow to be friends for life, and do so.

Flash forward 27 years. John is all grown up and so is Ted. The live together, and basically sit around all day long drinking beer, and smoking dope together while wasting John's like away. John has this smokin' hot girlfriend, Lori (Mila Kunis). She is in love with John big time, but has mixed feelings abour Ted. Ted is a constant source of problems between them, and evenutally John is going to have to make the choice between Lori, or Ted.

Ted also became a national icon in the 1980's as a talking teddy bear, but that star has faded. But there are those who remember him and are out to capture Ted and make him thier own. That is just one of he side plot Ted has, but the main focus is on Ted, John and Lori. Can they work this whole thing out?

I have to admit, I was very surprised by many things about this movie. What I was not suprised with was the horrible language that infiltrates the entire movie, but really dominated it in the first 45 minutes. There is constant recreational drug usage, and for a bunch of this has a general feeling of lowest common denominator humor. And some of it is guilty pleasurable funny. There is also a ton of pop-culture humor here that can get tedious, but you are able to overlook it. Overused, some of that was pretty funny.

What did suprise me was this. There are some pretty funny parts of this movie that have little to do with the forementioned. Outside of the vile language there is some pretty funny dialogue here. Plus, after they clear a bunch of language, and overall tastelessness, Ted actually grows a heart. There are some nice moments in this movie that you are not expecting, and are not advertised in the trailers. Plus, the character Ted, the actual bear talking and moving on screen is exceptionally well done, and that decserves real kudo's.

There is this really disturbing plot line though where Ted is stalked and kidnapped by this extremely disturbed father and son team. This really fell flat with the patrons today, and really is a turn this movie didn't need to take. It's not funny, and is sore thumby. Another rewrite would have been in order here. This part, though central was not pulled off well at all.

Wahlberg is funny, MacFarlane is as well, and Kunis is very well cast, and pulls off a real nice performace as the dedicated girfriend trying to cope with this childish situation. Should be noted too. Ted is highly adult. It is R-rated, and as cute as this bear is, what happens on screen is not appropriate in any way for young kids. In fact, it's way over the top the other way.

Ted. Surprising at times, funny at times, creative at times, and fun at times. But adult ALL the time.