Ted

Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis, Seth McFarlane

Director: Seth McFarlane

When I first watched the trailer for Ted, I thought ‘this is going to be funny’. I watch Family Guy and American Dad on occasion that based on Seth McFarlane’s material, I already know what kind of humor to expect (especially since it was rated R). People I know watched this before I did and I got mixed feedback from them. After watching this for myself, I am officially crossing this off as a guy film. They’d probably be able to relate to the references more and it really does seem like the movie was targeted for their demographic. While it did solicit some laughs from me, most of the time I was just staring at the screen and following the plot.

In a nutshell, Ted revolves around the relationship John Bennett and his childhood teddy bear. They have been together since he was 8, and at 35, his girlfriend Lori thinks he needs to grow up. So John must now find a way to balance keeping his friendship with Ted, and at the same time make Lori happy. You know how in movies everything goes awry? This is no exception.

I have to say, the live action (voice and movement motion) of Ted is quite realistic, so kudos to the technology. There are references (Sam Jones) that I don’t really know, so it did not capture my attention. Most commendable character would have to be Giovanni Ribisi as the creepy stalker of Ted; it’s been a long time since I've seen him on screen. Joel McHale still managed to act like a total sleaze (his movie persona is always some sleazy guy). The plot was fueled with a lot of scenarios playing out and does not only focus on John’s side as a whole but adds the shenanigans that Lori and Ted go through on an everyday basis.

While the plot itself is somewhat surreal, it is workable plot. I was sort of hoping for an alternative ending but after all, it is a comedy so that’s unlikely to happen. It’s a movie targeted for guys, and with that, I’m going to tell my guy friends to go watch this (if they haven’t, of course).