Very funny at times, but not that well written

Rating: 6/10 (19 November 2012)

I was a huge fan of Seth MacFarlane's Family Guy early on, and even quite liked it for at least the first two or three years of its return, but, man, has it ever gotten tired since then. I was hoping this new project would rekindle some talent, especially given its success with both audiences and critics. Frankly, though, this just feels like more of the same. There are, I must admit, some huge laughs in the first half or two-thirds of the film. The gags are very Family Guy-like, and it's about as ramshackle as your average episode of modern Family Guy, but, still, it's funny. The Giovanni Ribisi subplot especially just doesn't work in any way whatsoever, and it completely takes over the film in its final thirty minutes. The relationship plot line that drives the rest of the film is better, but it's not great, either. Neither Mark Wahlberg nor Mila Kunis ever feel like real people, and Ted himself gets old pretty quick. I won't say there wasn't some enjoyment - in fact, if you're interested at all, I'd say it's definitely not painful or anything - but it's pretty weak.