Product Description
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Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane brings his boundary-pushing
brand of humour to the big screen for the first time as writer,
director and voice star of Ted. In the live action/CG-animated
comedy, he tells the story of John Bennett (Mark Wahlberg), a
grown man who must deal with the cherished teddy bear who came to
life as the result of a childhood wish… and has refused to leave
his side ever since.
Extended Edition:
This product includes both the original theatrical cut (101 mins)
and an extended cut (107 mins).
.co.uk Review
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Anyone who's watched Family Guy knows that its creator Seth
MacFarlane has a lot of hang-ups. As outrageous as many of them
are in their animated TV show forum, they get a real rundown in
Ted, MacFarlane's multi-hyphenate debut in feature films. As the
director, producer, cowriter, and voice artist behind the title
character, MacFarlane riffs on pop culture, drug culture,
religion, sex, bodily functions, and all things '80s with the
kind of abandon that borders on offensive to pretty much
anyone--if only it all weren't so spot-on funny.
Ted is an utterly believable CGI teddy bear who comes to life in
the arms of a friendless 8-year-old boy named John, who quickly
grows up to be Mark Wahlberg. John has made a wish that the pudgy
plush be a friend for forever, a deal that they both hold on to
with genuine poignancy as the years roll by. Ted grows right
along with John in voice, manner, attitude, and bad habits until
they're both unmotivated layabouts who would rather do nothing
more than swill , smoke dope, and watch the absurdly iconic
'80s movie Flash Gordon over and over again to the exclusion of
most everything else in life.
John has managed to pick up a girlfriend named Lori (Mila Kunis),
who somehow tolerates the pair of them--at least for a little
while. Eventually she's annoyed enough with John for not putting
away his childish things, thoughts, and behaviours that she
demands Ted move out and let them move on as adults. Among all
the conceits that Ted embraces is the fact that this fully
anthropomorphized stuffed bear started life as a global celebrity
sensation before everyone forgot about him. Now he's just a
blue-collar Boston nobody who sucks on a , chases women, and
makes dirty jokes at every rtunity while nobody pays
attention. This could have been a generic lowbrow buddy movie in
the Judd Apatow mold, which might have been a little funny with a
human slob in the Ted role. But MacFarlane brings to the
remarkably expressive CGI creation an astonishing and often
shocking dynamic with his voice characterization and the
consistently clever situations, which whiz by in a structure
that's pretty similar to an episode of Family Guy. There are
frequent non sequitur digressions and offhanded one-liners that
MacFarlane could never get away with on TV. But in the raunchy,
anything-goes world of Ted it's all fair game.
In addition to farts, drugs, bodily functions, and all manner of
sexual vulgarity, it's the slams or homages to the 1980s that are
the butt of many of the best zingers or recurring jokes. There
are several cameo appearances that may make for delighted double
takes. And Sam Jones, the star of the ill-ed Flash Gordon,
plays a version of himself that makes a running gag all the more
ingenious and demonstrates how far MacFarlane will go to bring
comedy down to his level of hilarity. Mark Wahlberg should be
commended for being game enough to participate and absolutely
shows the comedy chops to make his scenes with Ted come alive.
Technically the movie is a wonder as the two-foot Ted blends into
the real world with complete believability even as he spouts some
of the most outrageous dialogue this side of The Hangover. Ted
may be an acquired taste for those who have a dislike for
MacFarlane's comic sensibility--and there are a lot of people who
do. But as a laughable lowbrow adventure that delivers virtually
nonstop unexpected laughs with a little heart to back it up, Ted
is a surprising comic novelty that may even win over some of the
most vituperative MacFarlane haters. --Ted Fry