Who would’ve thought that a cuddly teddy bear could unleash so much chaos and filthy commentary? Seth MacFarlane, the creator of Family Guy, brings his talents to the big screen with a giant dose of unimaginable fun and blatant irreverence. Whatever he was on when he came up with this concept… I’ll take two.
John Bennett (Mark Wahlberg) was not the most popular kid in school and never had any friends during his childhood. At 8 years old, John made a wish on Christmas Eve for his teddy bear to come to life. This wish coincided with a falling star and the next morning, Ted (Seth MacFarlane) was born. After a shocking introduction of Ted to John’s parents, Ted has a brief stint as a celebrity and went on to receive much attention in the press for his miraculous sentient abilities and charisma. But his flame petered out soon enough after he got caught with possession of drugs and soon enough, he was a sensation that was only a fleeting memory. It is now 2012, and John is in a 4-year relationship with his girlfriend Lori (Mila Kunis). Getting wasted with Ted almost everyday and working at a job he can’t stand, John is thinking about proposing to Lori but doesn’t have the means to do it and doesn’t want to disappoint her. Lori is very understanding of John’s situation and still loves him no matter what, but thinks that it’s time for Ted to move out if they want to have a smooth transition and a more grown up approach to life for John. Seeing that Ted is holding John back from his true potential and responsibilities, Lori convinces John that it won’t be so bad living apart, when they could still see each other and have a good time on a more toned down level. Ted then unwillingly gets a job at a grocery store to support himself and is adapting to his new life quite effortlessly; John on the other hand can’t seem to let their bond go away and looks for any given chance to hang out with Ted despite Lori’s best efforts to separate their clutches on each other. After a few unfavorable situations that John gets caught up in with Ted, Lori questions her commitment to John and thinks that maybe it wasn’t meant to be. Ted on the other hand has a few other problems to take care of such as a deranged stalker with an insidious agenda, and the mending of John and Lori’s lives if they choose to stay together. Will you be rooting for the little guy?
In a comedy film, you usually don’t expect many high-end special effects but as you may well know, Ted is not a real plush teddy bear but a computer graphic aided by the motion capture technology which was featured in films like Avatar and Happy Feet. When such a grand and rare piece of technology in the film industry happens to be in use, there is always pressure to deliver the most natural and realistic appearance to the characters portrayed on-screen. And let me just say that the on-screen presence of the risqué children’s toy in this film is seamless. From the lighting to the movements and the physical and verbal contact he has with the human characters in the film, it could not have been done better. Never once did I catch myself trying to find any flaws or speculating about the effect Ted has on his surroundings. He really does look like a teddy bear that can have a conversation with humans and Seth MacFarlane was in the driver’s seat the whole time, getting the exact effect he wanted to achieve that wasn’t overpowering in relation to the other characters but at the same time, was a scene-stealer in every way. Another incredible feat achieved by Seth MacFarlane was the interpolation of Ted into a Johnny Carson interview. It is an astounding achievement for a comedy film and was almost as epic as Forrest Gump’s montage of meetings with prominent figures of his time, which in turn garners that much more respect and appreciation for MacFarlane and his relentless efforts to make this film look like nothing we have ever seen.
The soundtrack consisted of many upbeat tunes from the Sinatra era and it does bring a nostalgic vibe to the production especially because the character John, seems to still be stuck in the past and has a childlike demeanor. Evident from his fanboy status for Flash the comic book character, his gentle nature towards his girlfriend, and his intolerance at hearing the c-word, John still exudes the same spirit he had when he was eight and Seth did a wonderful job writing this character while balancing and incorporating his own zest and flavor to the personality of the story and its supporting characters.
When it came to the jokes and social commentary, I thought that some were dead-on-the-nose but others were a bit amiss. I praise the satirical angle that MacFarlane was going for and the wry, straightforward manner that Ted delivered his lines. Most of the jokes, whether they were funny or not, were delivered by Ted but I didn’t know that Mark Wahlberg could be such a great actor when it came to the comedy genre and I really enjoyed his scene when he lists girls’ names only to fail at guessing Ted’s new girlfriend’s name. Pure comedy gold without any flinching from the actor who was previously known for his specialty in action and dramatic plots.
Surprisingly, there was space for a pertinent message that we could all relate to even though the script was filled to the rim with comedic gags and snide satirical references to stereotypes in our pop culture and issues which the country finds sensitive in content to this day. One of the points that stood out the most was obviously friendship and the disability that many men have when it comes to balance and fair treatment of their guy friends and their girlfriend. John is torn by leaving his one true friend Ted behind because of their tightly knitted bond since childhood but at the same time wants to move on in his life and live together with Lori. He can’t stand being detached from Ted for so long and maybe still wonders if Lori will be able to love him for who he is even if he is still in constant contact with Ted. Lori has proved that after four years, she still loves John but wants to improve his liability towards his work and the strengthening of their bond. She knows she can’t keep him away from Ted forever and makes compromises that would make everyone happy for their own sake. Although John and Ted are already buddies for life and there’s no getting around it, I feel like the film’s main focus shifts to Lori’s acceptance and development of cordial kinship towards Ted because she is seeking that equilibrium between the three of them in order to coexist peacefully and pleasantly. Without compromise, generosity and compassion, this world would crumble to the ground because none of us would be able to get along so why doesn’t everyone incorporate these three things into their daily lifestyle?
As this review comes to an end, I’d just like to say that this is an absolute joy ride which can get anyone with a sense of humor to grin and laugh. Not only is it a worthy contribution to the comedy genre and a must watch for the fans of MacFarlane’s other work, but Ted breathes life, soul and exuberance into our otherwise ordinary lives. For that little bit of magic with a touch of adult humor, this would be the film to see. Don’t be fooled by his adorable appearance, because underneath the facade is an animal that’s out of this world.
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