Ted: It’s F@#king Hilarious!

Taking impossibly stupid premises and transforming them into indisputable hilarity has been a trademark of director (Seth MacFarlane) since Family Guy first hit TV in 1998.  However, MacFarlane has done much more than simply recreate a Family Guy episode on the big screen, instead infusing a strong, HILARIOUS story with his familiar, signature style and coordinating it with a very talented cast.  All in all, Ted is one of the best comedic films of the year.

Premise: As the result of a childhood wish, John Bennett’s teddy bear, Ted, comes to life but the friendship that’s tested when Lori, John’s girlfriend of four years, wants more from their relationship.. Result: A clever, eccentric, foul-mouthed story that may be one of the funniest stories since Bridesmaids.

Narrated by Patrick Stewart and littered with expletives and crude comments, the film  begins with Christmas: a time of best wishes and mirth for all, expect for a little boy named John Bennett who couldn’t sell his friendship to a cadaver. But luckily for him, John receives a large stuffed teddy bear and instantly it becomes his best friend. Fortunately, John at least realizes that an inanimate object is not the ideal long-term pal and wishes that he could actually walk and talk.  Low and behold, his wish comes true.

MacFarlane brilliantly then delivers “Ted” the magical creature suddenly come alive not only as John’s best friend but international sensation.  He challenges his audience to reject the lofty premise by taking it to its “logical” conclusion: Ted is a magical bear and now child celebrity.

A clever Forest Gump-like montage of past events including The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson chronicles Ted’s meteoric rise and fall from cult-celebrity status establishing a certain absurd reality that somehow works.  He then ultimately delivers the film to present day, where John Bennett (Mark Wahlberg) and Ted (MacFarlane) continue as best friends some 27 years later.

But present day has not been kind to either: Ted looks like a rag doll puffing away at the bong like a Pooh-Bear Cheech & Chong; and John basically works a dead-end job at some pathetic fifth-tier rental car agency in Boston where the only requirement for promotion seems to be “Don’t F&$K up!” Here there are some bizarre but hysterical exchanges between John and his boss Thomas (Matt Walsh) as well as random, possibly disabled co-worker Guy (Patrick Warburton), both of whose parts in the film are made more satisfying by some crafty foreshadowing.

But fortunately for John, he has somehow met the love of his life in Lori Collins (Mila Kunis), a beautiful, fun, successful PR VP who is loves him despite his life going no place fast (apparently he has a good heart and is really hot, ok, fair enough Lori). They have been dating for four years and all seems to be flowing well towards a natural conclusion.

The film revolves around a familiar premise but due to the peculiarity of a talking bear and the hilarious script, MacFarlane is able to keep audiences entranced and in a state of uncontrollable laughter.  It appears that Lori wants to move forward with her life with John but feels that Ted is holding John back.  Add Lori’s inappropriate boss in Rex (Joel McHale) and creepy father and son duo Donny (Giovanni Ribisi) and Robert (Aedin Mincks) and the drama and hilarity only heightens.

All these issues play out quite successfully throughout the rest of the film.  The true impact is the skill by which he uses all sorts of random allusions, non-sequitors, surprises and cameos to make his points pop all the more. Apart from the effective use of Stewart to narrate some classic comedy moments, MacFarlane uses his trademark talent for the usage of random celebrity to create fresh new jokes.  Some cameos like Nora Jones and a hilarious, silent few moments with Ryan Reynolds are comedy gold.

Of course, the true cameo genius is brought out in use of Tom Skerritt and Sam Jones (aka Flash Gordon.)  Both are pushed throughout the film with remarkable wit but in particular Flash Gordon who forces some amazing and deeply entertaining scenes.  Fans of either will not be disappointed.

Additionally, MacFarlane manages the creation of some fairly deep characters that are both endearing and complex and this supports the suspension of disbelief and rewards as the film progresses. Ted, John and Lori are all interesting and likable protagonists in their own rights and we root for them to be both funny and succeed. This is especially important as the film transforms from entertaining comedy to strong, memorable film, crossing the boundary from joke receptacle to a piece of complete cinema.

The acting in the film is also quite better than expected.   Wahlberg continues the high caliber of comedic performance he exhibited so successfully in The Other Guys, and now adds even more nuance to make this character distinct. Kunis, for her part, is fantastic, illustrating both comedic timing as well as intense emotion. And McHale manages to make even his villain quite hilarious and realistic.

The rest of the cast, although with various long-term relevance and screen time, is consistently strong.  However, Ribisi is perhaps the most notable of the supporting cast.  Playing the creepiest character possible at every turn while also managing, in a frightening and hilarious scene, to completely defame Tiffany’s I think We’re Alone Now, really serves to demonstrate his talent.

Ultimately, Ted is a stronger comedy than anyone might expect.  It not only uses the proven comedy formula associated with MacFarlane, but demonstrates a historical understanding of comedy that allows it to set up one joke while delivering a completely new and delightful one to his already entranced audiences.  It is this clever, fresh take on comedy that makes Ted a wonderful surprise and memorable film that is more than we wished for.

Rating: 8 – An expensive red wine and juicy steak