I finally had the chance to watch Ted on Unrated Blu-ray after not seeing it in theaters. I knew what everyone had been telling me of how good the comedy was before seeing it, but was somewhat skeptical. I was not sure that the idea of a talking bear that is vulgar would be funny. Looking back I am shaking my head at myself from disbelief. Seth MacFarlane did a fantastic job of directing/starring in this film that also stars Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis, Joel McHale, Giovanni Ribisi, and Patrick Warburton. There are also plenty of great character actors and cameo appearances that make this movie stand out about other comedies.
The story was created by MacFarlane, and it follows the story of a lonely boy named John (Wahlberg) growing up in Boston. One day he decides to make a Christmas wish that will bring his only friend, his teddy bear Ted (MacFarlane), to life. The two grow up together and John must then choose to stay with his girlfriend (Kunis) or keep his friendship with his crude and extremely inappropriate teddy bear, Ted.
MacFarlane truly surprised me with both his directing and acting abilities. The special features give us a look at how he was able to create a cool working environment for the actors, which I think added to the quality of the film. He actually read his lines from off the screen so it would be easier for the actors to deliver their lines. For films with characters that are visual effects, there is a stand in stick with eyes allowing the live actors to be able to interact with something on set. I am sure that hearing MacFarlane off to the side actually delivering his lines was helpful.
Ted is a strong character driven comedy. It helped that each of the characters were able to play well off of one another. I found myself laughing hysterically at times. Wahlberg was a good choice for the lead, and he had great chemistry with MacFarlane and Kunis on screen. It was good to see McHale outside of Community as an even more smarmy character. Ribisi is just creepy as hell in this role, but then again the mustache added to the creepiness. Seeing Sam Jones, who played Flash Gordon was nothing short of epic. He was a much needed comic relief for the segments he was in. Makes me hope and pray there will be a Flash Gordon Blu-ray someday.
The design of Ted the character is fantastic. MacFarlane's art skills added to the design. What I love the most is that it is so innocent looking, fluffy and like your typical stuffed animal. The moment it opens it's mouth the thick Boston accent washes over you and his foul mouth shakes you awake. There are some cool scenes where the animation comes into play near the end that will really impress you. The fur looks so life-like in some of the action sequences.
As far as unrated films go, this is pretty filthy. Ted is an equal opportunity offender, and literally makes fun of every type of person. Forget politically correct, Ted goes way beyong boundaries. The laughs keep coming. If you wish that Family Guy or American Dad could go further with it's script, then Ted is for you.
Special Features
- Audio Commentary with Seth MacFarlane, Mark Wahlberg, and Co-Writer Alan Sulkin
- Deleted Scenes - 16 awesome deleted scenes that were fun to watch
- Making Of Featurette - Over 24 Minutes of fun
- Alternate Takes - Over 10 Minutes of footage
Ted arrives on Blu-ray December 11th, and is worth picking up for fans fo MacFarlane and Wahlberg alone.
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