Ted - (June 29th,
2012): R
Distributor: Universal
Pictures
Opening Weekend Box Office:
#1with $54,100,000
Domestic Box Office
Gross to-date: $54,100,000
Gross Revenue: $54,100,000
Production Budget:
$50 million
Directors: Seth MacFarlane
When you stop to consider the insane
levels of random references and thoroughly irreverent comedy that permeates all
of Seth MacFarlane’s work, was there really anyone else in Hollywood who could
be trusted to tackle a film about a magic teddy bear who crassly speaks his mind,
smokes marijuana, and attempts to seduce the local grocery check-out girl? Admittedly though, just because MacFarlane
has demonstrated a mastery of animated comedy was no guarantee that he could
execute on the live-action front, but in terms of swaying skeptics, there are
few actors in Hollywood that can produce the draw of Mark Wahlberg, who has
demonstrated talent across nearly every genre.
In terms of the rest of the cast, it was clear that MacFarlane was looking
out for his television co-stars; sure, Mila Kunis (Meg Griffin) is beautiful
and talented enough to warrant her own casting, but I spotted Alex Borstein
(Lois Griffin) and Patrick Warburton (Joe Swanson) on the cast list, and those
choices were clearly meant to invoke familiarity and novelty related to the Fox’s
“Animation Domination” Sunday Night television line-up. The trailers were enough to illustrate that Ted was going to offer some crass humor,
but I was a little concerned when a single joke seemed to dominate all the
promotions, something that could definitely represent a red flag indication for
an almost two hour running time. Still,
MacFarlane has been pushing the envelope for years, so more than anything, I
was ready to see what he could do in the director’s chair with the inherent
freedom of an R-rating.
Ted
opens with a narration by Patrick Stewart, which explains that in 1985, lonely
child John Bennett wished his beloved Christmas gift, a teddy bear named Ted,
to life and that the two resolved to remain lifelong friends. Fast forward to present day and both John
(Mark Wahlberg) and Ted (Seth MacFarlane) are roommates and still best friends,
but both are decidedly immature and far more content with smoking marijuana than
moving forward in life; Ted himself has devolved into a completely vulgar and
offensive enabler who is embittered by the fifteen minutes of fame he gained
years ago as the “Miracle Bear.” As John
and his longtime girlfriend, Lori (Mila Kunis), approach their four-year
anniversary, Lori encourages John to ask his lifelong companion to move out so
that both can move on with their lives. Even
though Ted moves into his own apartment and finds a job at a local grocery
store, his continued influence on John causes serious problems with Lori, a
fact that severely threatens the lifelong friendship. However, things take a turn when Ted is
kidnapped by a crazed stalker, Donny (Giovanni Ribisi), and both John and Lori
evaluate just how much the lecherous stuffed animal means to their lives.
Now, the idea of a crass stuffed
animal isn’t exactly new, and it has all the markings of a single joke that can
wear very thin very quickly, but the strong writing and cast chemistry of Ted keeps things fresh and utterly
hysterical. Insulting nearly every
demographic possible, this talking teddy bear would be a nightmare for small
children but is definitely the kind of character that you would want to share a
beer with, and the film he inhabits is so consistently funny that you will be
tempted to watch the comedy multiple times just so you can catch all the
memorable quotes. And with so many
random references to pop culture (including Star
Wars, Indiana Jones, and Knight Rider), and several distinct
narrative cutaways, the Family Guy
connection is clear; but the association is actually welcome and cleverly
executed. Finally, in terms of cast
chemistry, Wahlberg and MacFarlane play-off of each other perfectly,
demonstrating a masterful comedic timing and bringing to life a comedy duo that
I cannot wait to see reunited.
Unfortunately, even though Ted
is remarkably funny, there are a few shortcomings and tonal miscues that are
far from deal-breakers, but still worth noting.
For the most part, Ted is very self-aware concerning the
sheer insanity and implausibility of the plot, but there are a few narrative
points where things get a little too serious and threaten the fun of watching a
child’s toy ruthlessly mock fat children and minorities. The relationship between Ted and John is the
impetus that drives the story, but there are times when the friendship gets in
the way of jokes, and you feel slightly ridiculous for getting emotionally
attached to a teddy bear. And, in true
MacFarlane fashion, even though there is an almost limitless archive of pop
culture to mock, the script does take one joke and completely ruin its appeal…the
Flash Gordon reference was funny at
first, but around the fifth time, you really wish that everyone would just move
on and try something new. My final gripe
has to do with the use of Mila Kunis, who really wasn’t given the chance to demonstrate
her considerable comedic talent; aside from the one or two jokes she is allowed
to participate in, she just comes across as the snippy girlfriend who always
serves as a buzz kill. Now, none of
these shortcomings are enough to ruin the appeal of Ted, but it is sad to think that a few small tweaks could have
turned this film into a veritable and beloved classic.
Considering the fanatical devotion
that Seth MacFarlane enjoys, I knew that Ted
would have a strong debut, but in no way did I expect an R-rated comedy to
decimate the box office with a decidedly beefy take of over $50 million. Though this accolade is absolutely
well-deserved, I cannot help but feel that numbers were boosted by the dramatic
demographic split that hit theaters this past weekend: guys went with their
friends to see Ted, and girls went
with their friends went to see Magic Mike. At the very least, the strong revenue draw
should continue until the raunchy comedy faces direct competition in the form
of The Watch in late July. And as much as I would love to see a sequel
to Ted, the reality is that the
narrative has nowhere else to go, so I will patiently await Seth MacFarlane’s
next live-action project. Bottom line, it’s
not perfect, but Ted will have you
laughing so hard that I doubt you will care about any shortcomings you
identify; don’t let yourself miss this one.
Overall Recommendation: High
Overall Recommendation: High
