The thunder buddies are back. Seth MacFarlane returns to the world where a foul-mouthed, pot smoking, prostitute banging teddy bear exists and it's as glorious as the first time we saw him on screen. In 2012, MacFarlane made his film directorial debut with "Ted" and garnered critical and commercial success, with critics like Roger Ebert saying the film had "the best comedy screenplay so far [this year]". However, McFarlane's next film, "A Million Ways to Die in the West", was not meant with the same love, as Scott Foundas of Variety called it "overlong and uninspired". So naturally, both critics and audiences were weary as to how well the sequel to "Ted" would do. And how does it hold up?
"Ted 2" stars Mark Wahlberg, Seth MacFarlane, and Amanda Seyfried and is directed by Seth MacFarlane. Like the first film, the plot centers around the sentient teddy bear's friendship with his human "thunder buddy", John Bennett (Mark Wahlberg). However, after Ted (Seth MacFarlane) decides to have a baby with his human wife (Jessica Barth), he must prove in a court of law that he is a living person and not a property. Off the bat, Seth MacFarlane's writing style, a strange mixture of pop cultural references, crude language, slapstick humor, controversial jokes with a little bit of heart, still remains sharp and is a contender for the sharpest comedy scripts of the year. The timing and pacing of the film is so fast, its 115 minute runtime felt like a quick breeze. Being with these lovable characters again felt almost like a fun high-school reunion... with a lot more hijinks and insanity.
Mark Wahlberg and Seth MacFarlane as John Bennett and Ted are pure gold. The word play between these two lovable idiots is spectacularly funny. The charming chemistry that we've grown to love in the first film is still present here and we, as the audience, never grow tired of them. "Ted 2" does somehow push the story and the bond between John and Ted forward and does raise some important ethical questions about Ted's existence, which were handled pretty well. Amanda Seyfried, the newest addition to the cast, plays Ted's lawyer who has the daunting task of trying to prove to the United States justice system that Ted is a person. While I did find it strange they had to push away Mila Kunis from the last film, Seyfried was charming, likable and hit all of her comedic beats perfectly. MacFarlane's writing is certainly enhanced by these instantly lovable performances and everyone brings their comedic A-game to this movie.
Like the first film, the CGI on Ted looks amazing. Not once in the film did I ever think he was computer generated. The animators did an amazing job making the texture of his fur look extremely realistic, which definitely helps when the other actors are interacting with him. Ted's presence is always known and is never neglected. And while the CGI is flawless, the script is unfortunately not. Although the film had me laughing the entire way through, it did repeat some of the same beats from the first film, which was a bit of a disappointment. While the film tried to progress the story and grow its characters, it did feel, at a few instances, almost identical to its predecessor. However, it is not like "The Hangover: Part II" where they just repeat the entire film; "Ted 2" simply borrows certain plot elements and plot points from the first and retools them for the sequel. It is woven into the story pretty well but it is still rather noticeable.
Although, "Ted 2" is nothing new and is, at times, very similar to its predecessor, it is an entertaining and hilarious film. Mark Wahlberg and Seth MacFarlane are on fire as the witty yet stupid script will keep you laughing throughout the entire picture. But I will say that if you do not like McFarlane's style of humor, you will not like this film. This film is particularly tailored for those who liked the first "Ted" film and McFarlane's various animated TV shows like "Family Guy" and "American Dad". Keeping that in mind, I'd give "Ted 2" a 8 out of 10 simply because of its entertainment value. This rating might seem extremely high for some people but I would justify my rating by asking "What kind of a movie did you expect when the star of the film is a sentient teddy bear that likes to smoke pot and cause mayhem?" The filmmakers behind the camera did everything they possibly could with the film's comedic potential and that is worth commending. Yes, this comedy will not change cinema and may not go down in history as one of the best, but, at least in my mind, "Ted" and "Ted 2" are some of the funnier mainstream comedies I've seen in the past few years.
Go see the film in theaters on June 26th!
