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The highly anticipated release of MacFarlane’s Ted will delight fans of Family Guy style black humour, but suffers from a subplot which doesn’t produce huge laughs.
Seth MacFarlane’s debut as director, co-writer and co-producer of this new comedy follows the same lines of his hits American Dad and fan favourite Family Guy.
It is full of tactless and outrageous humour, which has become synonymous with his style and the laughs come thick and fast throughout.
The opening title sequence, voiced by Patrick Stewart kicks the movie off, with a series of polaroids raising huge belly chuckles from the audience.
The story begins in 1985 Boston, where an eight year old Wahlberg, outcast and friendless, receives a teddy bear as a Christmas present. Christening him Teddy, he wishes he could come to life and the pair be best friends forever. A Christmas miracle later and Ted comes to life.
After the initial national shock of a stuffed animal becoming animated, the world of celebrity opens up for Ted and he becomes a national star. Yet as the opening titles draw to a close, it is clear that any notoriety becomes short lived and he has sunk into a life of debauchery.
We jump forward to John (Wahlberg) as a 35 year old car rental salesman who would rather stay at home stoned with his teddy bear and watch Flash Gordon on TV. It is obvious that Ted is now stuck in a life marred with a cynical attitude and a need to remain in a rut with his best friend John.
Enter Lori, John’s long suffering girlfriend, played by Mila Kunis who, fed up with this juvenile lifestyle, forces John to ultimately choose between her and Ted.
The audacity of a cuddly looking teddy bear making such outlandish jokes is the basis for much of the comedy, the image of Ted smoking a bong and complaining of its strength sums this up perfectly. The character of Mark Wahlberg as John proves that he can do comedy, but his character looks way beyond his 35 years throughout the film.
Pleasantly, it is truly believeable that this pair are best friends, the best scene from the trailer with the pair singing ‘Fuck you Thunder’ cements their friendship.
Beautiful Mila Kunis takes on the part of committment searching and sometimes nagging partner of John, who has to put up with returning home to find Ted drinking with strippers on a regular basis. She enjoys moments of comedy but the subplot of her over bearing boss steers her away from the main action and leaves you wishing she was more involved.
Giovanni Ribisi as wide-eyed and overly polite pyschopath leads another subplot, which sees him desperate to steal Ted for his creepy, overweight son (Aedin Mincks).
The introduction this storyline means that the comedy suffers slightly.
It does garner some laughs, namely likening the boy to Susan Boyle, but its hard not to wish the film had developed Ted’s rise to fame rather than just teasing with fleeting hilarious images in the title sequence.
Ultimately, it is a comedy worth seeing, if only for the special effects which leave you believing Ted is as human as the rest of us. The humour is not for the easily offended, but a five minute viewing of MacFarlane’s other hits will sum up exactly what to expect.
Fans of Flash Gordon will appreciate a chunk of the film and everyone else will leave having laughed at an entirely silly and brilliantly crass debut.