Ted

[4.0 stars] [IMDb Link]

[Amazon Link]
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Another entry in the R-rated romantic comedy genre. And it's good, unafraid to offend, but not relying on offense for cheap laughs. Even better, it's filmed in Boston with a thrilling scene set in beautiful Fenway.

The premise is: John, a friendless kid in a 1980s Boston suburb gets a teddy bear, Ted, for Christmas. He wishes (just as a falling star zips through Ursa Minor) for his bear to come to life. And he does! In the movie's universe, this is initially seen as a big deal, but soon enough the notoriety fades.

Fast-forward to the present and the world is pretty much just like ours, except there's one intelligent talking stuffed bear in it. John is an irresponsible delayed-adulthood loser, too fond of pot-smoking with Ted. Ted's a foul-mouthed lout. Inexplicably, John's got a devoted girlfriend, Lori (Mila Kunis). But conflict ensues when she demands that John cut down on his dysfunctional relationship with Ted.

The movie is packed with off-color humor, cultural references, and small roles for famous folks. And it's all actually funny. Especially this one bit by Ted Danson.

The movie is written and directed by Seth MacFarlane, and he also does Ted's voice. I was vaguely aware he did great impressions, so during the opening and closing narration, I thought: heh, that's a pretty good Patrick Stewart impression. Foolish me! It actually was Patrick Stewart. Make it so!

Consumer note: the Netflix rental-version DVD contains only the theatrical release of the movie, and no extras.


Last Modified 2024-02-02 5:26 AM EDT