Whether it is through Family Guy, American Dad, The Cleveland
Show, or the Cavalcade of Cartoon
Comedy that features on YouTube, nearly everyone has had some exposure to
the first name in raunchy cartoon comedy, Seth MacFarlane. Granted, I do think that Family Guy has long since jumped the shark, but my interest was
definitely piqued when I first caught wind that MacFarlane was going to be
trying his hand in the live-action realm.
When I saw the trailer for Ted,
I was immediately put-off by the fact that the teddy bear sounded almost identical
to Family Guy character Peter Griffin,
but alongside bankable stars as Mark Wahlberg and Mila Kunis, I was readily
able to forgive such an annoyance. As
the release date approached, I must have heard the “White Trash Speed Round”
sound bite countless times, but despite that overexposure, I had to acknowledge
that there were some pretty clever jokes present. Fully prepared that the film could be nothing
more than an extended Family Guy clip
that would beat a single joke to death, I found that I was still expecting some
pretty strong laughs from Ted.
There is no way around admitting
the fact that Ted is essentially an
extensive live-action Family Guy episode,
but where that truth could have ended in disaster, the reality is that this
comedy is hysterically funny and showcases a talent that I thought had
disappeared long ago. The familiar voice
actors and random references to 80’s pop culture keep Ted anchored to the Family
Guy formula, but that familiarity doesn’t make the project any less
entertaining; Patrick Stewart’s opening narration still has me laughing. As a character, the raunchy teddy bear pulls
absolutely no punches and delivers lines that you will be quoting for years,
and alongside Mark Wahlberg, the two insult and offend almost every group
possible…and trust me, it’s awesome.
However despite the inherent silliness of the premise, there are times
when Ted takes itself a little too
seriously; overplaying the bromance between the two central characters so strongly
that you will find yourself feeling foolish for caring about the welfare of a
stuffed animal. In the end, Ted represents one of the most positive
comedic surprises that I have seen in some time, and it is an early contender
for the funniest film of the 2012 Summer Movie Season.
Overall Recommendation: High
