Terrific Comedy with Non-Stop Laughs

Rating: Null/10 (3 July 2012)

Ted (2012)
*** 1/2 (out of 4)
Hilarious comedy about a friendless young boy who wishes that his teddy bear would come to life, which he does but as an adult, John Bennett (Mark Wahlberg) finds his relationship with his girlfriend (Mila Kunis) on the rocks because he can't settle down and quit partying with Ted the bear. Seth MacFarlane's comedy, as you could tell from the trailer and its R-rating, is raunchy, dirty, profane and at times downright insane but any film could do this. What TED does is that it not only delivers on the laughs but it also has a tremendous heart and I think this is what really separates it from the countless R-rated comedies that are being released each year. There's no question that not every joke works but I'd say the overwhelming majority of them hit the spot and deliver much more than your highest expectations could hope for. There are some hilarious jokes about various dory things from STAR WARS to FLASH GORDON but the stuff dealing with Gordon give some of the biggest laughs of any comedy in recent years. The jokes with Sam J. Jones and the party sequence are downright hilarious and the events that happen with the neighbor had tears rolling down my face. I won't spoil what happens but the entire sequence is one major joke after another. One of the keys for this film working is its heart but a lot of this comes from Wahlberg who delivers another very good performance. It's rather amazing being able to see how Wahlberg's career has developed over the years and I really don't think anyone could have said when he started that he would still be acting and still delivering high performances. His tough guy image is certainly put on the line here and he's such a good sport with countless childish jokes that you can't help respect him for putting that image on the line. Kunis is also good in her supporting role and she has some nice chemistry with the lead. Then there's MacFarlane who really delivers with the voice of Ted. The comic timing is pitch perfect and really delivers. Even better is the animated Ted character who always seems like something real and not just some CGI creation. TED scores on pretty much all levels and it's clearly one of the best comedies in recent years.