Ted Movie Review

Ted is a movie about a fuzzy and adorable teddy bear that comes to life after a lonely little boy wishes for a friend.  It’s a movie about love, friendship and learning to grow up.  Oh, and it’s also filled with jokes based on stereotypes, some nudity, plenty of drug use and lots of tasteless but hilarious jokes… depending on your sense of humor of course.  If you don’t find things like a talking, promiscuous, stoner teddy bear funny, then this is not for you.  Also, if you don’t find Family Guy funny this is also not for you.  This movie is Seth MacFarlane’s first motion picture and it uses plenty of the same over-the-top humor that has cracked up fans of Peter Griffin for years.

I find Family Guy funny, and so I had a good laugh seeing Ted in its opening weekend.  Clearly I wasn’t the only one to enjoy it since the MacFarlane comedy took #1 in the box office, grossing over $54 million dollars.  Aside from that, I can attest to the fact that there was much laughter coming from the audience, and who doesn’t like to have a good laugh every now and then?

I will again state that Ted is not for anyone who has a very proper sense of humor.  It’s certainly not the most graphic or crude movie this country has ever seen, but it definitely doesn’t bow to political correctness or any other sort of social niceties.  Now that I feel I have made this disclaimer clear, there were also many things about Ted that I found downright sweet.  First, there is the fact that while Ted’s relationship with main character John Bennett (Mark Wahlberg) may be childish and centered on Flash Gordon, beer drinking and weed smoking, there is a closeness between them that is endearing in the way that is reminds us of the importance of friendship.  Second, there is the relationship aspect of the movie which features Mark Wahlberg and Mila Kunis as a long term couple at a critical point in their relationship where a serious commitment seems inevitable.  The romance between them becomes rocky due to a combination of Ted’s antics and Bennett’s reluctance to grow up, but there is a sweetness to their relationship that is very dynamic in the film.

The movie is fraught with sex, booze, drugs and a bit of downright idiocy, but it isn’t without some sincere emotional moments and meaningful messages.  Even though the idea of a walking, talking teddy bear may be ludicrous, the film was well written to reflect actual life scenarios we can all relate to. Ted portrays messages about the depth of friendship, the balance of growing up but staying young at heart, and finding what matters most in life– all thoroughly sprinkled with absurdist humor and some very funny actor and actress cameos, not to mention a few well placed Boston jokes and references which are sure to resonate with Massachusetts dwellers.

Ted is a great date movie, both for the romance aspect and the fact that you are likely to have a great time laughing together as you escape the summer heat.  It’s also not a bad movie to go to with a group of friends, or anyone for that matter.  Except children of course… and maybe your Grandma.  But who knows, maybe your Grandma has a twisted sense of humor.

Ted Official Movie Trailer