Hardly profound, yet brilliantly funny

Rating: 7/10 (24 November 2012)

Have you ever had a friend who held you back? Someone who encouraged you to blow off your responsibilities and abuse drugs? What if this was a friend who was only alive because you wished him to be? What would you do?
John Benett was a lonely little boy with no friends living in Brockton, Massachusetts in 1985. Then, on Christmas morning, he received a plush teddy bear he called Ted. One night, lying in bed, John wished Ted would come to life. That wish came true thanks to a star falling from the sky while John was making it. Ted came to life shocking John, his parents, and the world at large. But by 2012, no one cares. John (now played by Mark Wahlberg) is working at a car rental agency and has been dating Lori (played by Mila Kunis) for 4 years. Ted (now voiced by Seth MacFarlane) shares an apartment with Lori and John but makes no contribution to the household expenses, entertains prostitutes in the living room, and rushes into bed with John and Lori during thunderstorms as they still terrify both him and John. Eventually, Lori can't take anymore and tells John that Ted must find a job and a place of his own.
Now, I am not a fan of Family Guy and I've never watched any of MacFarlane's other, less popular series. The most popular shows on Fox all seem to follow the same formula. One or two smart characters surrounded by idiots. In Family Guy, the smart characters would be Brian and Stewie. In The Simpsons, the only smart character I can think of is Lisa. That aside, Ted is a hilarious film. Not particularly intelligent, mind you, but what were you expecting from a movie about a teddy bear brought to life by a wish on a falling star? Shakespeare? I won't say it's perfect; it isn't. I will say it was worth the price. See it.