Ted REVIEW

"So how about we watch my DVD of The Happening? No?"

Release Date: 1 August 2012
18 | 106 minutes
Director: Seth MacFarlane
Cast: Seth MacFarlane, Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis

Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane takes his first furry steps into full-length features with Ted – a predictably funny, predictably predictable bromance that hides its lazy plotting behind an onslaught of razor-sharp one-liners. Oh, and Mila Kunis playing that one role chicks play in predictable bromances. You know. The one with all the frowning.

Anyway, Mark Walberg’s John is a lucky man. He’s got that apartment everyone in the films has, he’s been dating a beautiful shrew (Kunis) for years and hey, when he was eight his teddy bear magically came to life, which is nice. Thing is, it’s 20 years later, and cuddly best friend Ted (MacFarlane) has turned into a foul-mouthed, sex-crazed, drug-taking slob. And guess which shrewish beauty is getting all frowny about it?

Fans of The MacFarlane Method (pacily cut scenes, pop-culture zingers, the sudden appearance of ‘80s superheroes, Peter Griffin’s voice) will find lots to enjoy in Ted – the comedy is furious, unapologetic and at times pleasantly silly, packing in joke after joke throughout its (admittedly overly long) running time. But in making his characters simply mouthpieces for his humour, MacFarlane cannot earn the emotional investment required for his strangely saccharine ending, resulting in a finale that feels disingenuous. Employing great gags is one thing; engaging your gag reflex is another – it may be a story about a bear coming to life, but Ted is strongest when not worrying about its soul.

Natasha Hodgson