Ted 2 (2015) review

After creating one of the most successful shows of the 2000’s in ‘Family Guy’, a show that survived not one but two cancellations by Fox, Seth MacFarlane moved into film in 2012 with his directorial debut, ‘Ted’, the story of a Boston native by the name of John Bennett and his relationship with his talking teddy bear Ted, who came to life after John had made a wish on a shooting star back when he was a kid. The film ended up being a huge success, attracting solid critical reviews and grossing over half a billion dollars worldwide. Three years later, everyone’s favorite ‘Thunder Buddies’ are back with ‘Ted 2’. But of course, as we all know, comedy sequels are pretty darn tough to get right. Most of the time they end up being inferior to their predecessor, usually because they just end up rehashing the same jokes instead of doing something new. But at the end of the day, ‘Ted 2’ actually does manage to be one of the better comedy sequels out there, even if that may not necessarily be saying much given most of the other comedy sequels that have come out over the years. It’s by no means the absolute funniest comedy of the year, even when compared to the first film, and it does share some of the issues that plagued MacFarlane’s previous film, the general misfire that was ‘A Million Ways to Die in the West’. But unlike that film, those issues aren’t really as prevalent in ‘Ted 2’, which is thankfully much more consistent in terms of its humor. And that’s primarily thanks to the film’s great leading duo of John and Ted, who ultimately are the main reason why these two ‘Ted’ films have been so much fun to watch.

The film picks up about six months after the events of the first film, with John Bennett (Mark Wahlberg) coping with his recent divorce with Lori (in other words, Mila Kunis did not return for the sequel) while Ted (voiced by Seth MacFarlane) marries his girlfriend Tami-Lynn (Jessica Barth). One year later, the couple find themselves at great odds with each other so Ted suggests that they have a baby. But due to obvious reasons (i.e. Ted being a teddy bear), the two, with the help of John, instead have to resort to other methods to have a child. However, when they try to adopt, Ted learns that he is viewed only as ‘property’ by the government, which results in him losing his job and his marriage to Tami-Lynn being annulled. With nowhere else to go, Ted and John decide to take their issue to court to prove that Ted is as much of a person as everyone else. With the help of Samantha Jackson (Amanda Seyfried), a young up-and-coming lawyer who John and Ted immediately connect with due to their shared interests (e.g. marijuana), the ‘Thunder Buddies’ embark on a quest to get Ted’s life back by proving to the world that not only is he human but that he can also make positive contributions to society. All the while, the pals embark on another series of misadventures, including having to deal with the return of their nemesis Donny (Giovanni Ribisi), who once again hatches a plot to kidnap Ted, this time teaming up with Hasbro so that they can try and figure out what caused Ted to come alive so that they can produce more living teddy bears.

Like its predecessor, your overall enjoyment of ‘Ted 2’ will more than likely depend on whether or not you find MacFarlane’s general style of humor funny. ‘Ted 2’, just like the first film and ‘Family Guy’, is full of adult, immature, and sometimes even potentially offensive humor. It’s pretty much the live-action version of ‘Family Guy’, with John and Ted basically being the live-action equivalents of Peter and Brian Griffin. Me personally, I loved the first few seasons of ‘Family Guy’ but I haven’t watched the show in recent years mainly due to the simple fact that the show’s quality has dropped with each subsequent season that it is still on. But as for ‘Ted’, it was one of my favorite comedies of 2012 and ‘Ted 2’ is not too far off. Sure, like with MacFarlane’s last effort, ‘A Million Ways to Die in the West’, there are some ‘dead air’ moments in ‘Ted 2’ with no humor, which is usually whenever the film tries to be serious, more so than it needs to be. That and perhaps the film does go on just a bit too long, which was also a problem with ‘A Million Ways to Die in the West’. But unlike that film, the humor is a lot more consistent and like the first film, there are also some legitimately heartfelt moments even amidst all of the dirty humor. At the end of the day, all I can say is that it’s just really funny to see something like a teddy bear act so raunchy and that’s really one of the biggest strengths of both ‘Ted’ films; it’s just a fun and unique premise that only someone can Seth MacFarlane could pull off.

But once again, the best element of ‘Ted 2’, just like with the first, is the duo of John and Ted, who are just one of the best comedy duos of the past few years thanks to Mark Wahlberg and Seth MacFarlane’s excellent camaraderie. Sure, John and Ted can be immature and crude most of the time but there’s also something about them that actually still makes them such a likable pair, which is probably due to the strong bond of friendship between them. Mila Kunis doesn’t reprise her role of Lori in this film, which is disappointing not only because the plotline of her and John getting divorced basically goes against one of the most endearing elements of the first film (their relationship) but because she played just as big a role in the film as much as John and Ted and wasn’t just ‘the girlfriend who dislikes her boyfriend’s best friend’. But to her credit, Amanda Seyfried works just as well with Wahlberg and MacFarlane. At the end of the day though, John and Ted are the true heart of the film and whenever they aren’t onscreen, that’s where the film’s humor doesn’t hit. Usually this with any scene involving the character of Donny, whose plotline in the first film of him trying to kidnap Ted for his son was admittedly one of the weaker parts of that film. But, like with pretty much any MacFarlane production, you can also expect a whole bunch of memorable cameos, including Tom Brady, Morgan Freeman, and Liam Neeson, the latter of whom is thankfully used to greater effect here than in ‘A Million Ways to Die in the West’.

‘Ted 2’ is by no means the funniest comedy of all-time, especially when compared to the first film. That and it did share some of the issues that plagued ‘A Million Ways to Die in the West’ (e.g. ‘dead air’ moments and being just a bit overlong), even though those issues weren’t as big of a problem this time around. But still, at the end of the day, I had a good time watching ‘Ted 2’ which I would actually argue is almost just as funny as the first film. Like the first film, the main reason for this is the duo of John and Ted. They’re just a great comedy film duo and it’s fun to watch these two go on all sorts of misadventures and get into a bunch of hi-jinx. Yes, like its predecessor and MacFarlane’s iconic show ‘Family Guy’ (especially in recent seasons), the humor can be a bit harsh and mean-spirited at times. That’s just the kind of humor MacFarlane does and obviously it’s not for everyone. But what surprises me about both of these ‘Ted’ films is that despite all of that, there are still some moments that are actually legitimately touching, which again is usually due to the great friendship of John and Ted. All in all, ‘Ted 2’ does manage to be one of the better comedy sequels of all time. If you loved the first film, then I’m pretty sure that you’ll like this one too. But if you’re not a fan of MacFarlane’s brand of humor, then you’re better off with something else.

Rating: 4/5