I thought Ted was... okay. Just okay. Nothing great. Nothing memorable. But, if you're high and flipping through HBO and it was halfway over... you probably stopped and watched it. There were probably a few lines here and there that you'd forgotten about that made you chuckle and as soon as it was over you'd move on and forget all about it again. It was okay. I was mostly disappointed because it was such a brilliant high concept comedy idea-- vulgar, pot-smoking teddy bear comes alive, talks, and hangs out with Mark Wahlberg. That's awesome. Seth MacFarlane, known for the outlandish and obscene Family Guy was sure to bring his sense of oddball, albeit sometimes a little bit too offensive for some, humor to the mix. However, I thought that in the first film he kinda... wimped out a little bit. There's so much to do with a profanity-spewing, horndog, stoner teddy bear like Ted that it just felt a little bit... blah to me. MacFarlane makes his living off of Family Guy shock comedy that never misses a beat to offend someone enough to make someone else laugh. But, when it came to Ted, it felt like he went just a little bit too light. The same thing happened with A Million Ways To Die In The West... with a title like that and MacFarlane's name attached I was expecting hilariously gruesome deaths left and right... but it just didn't happen. He played it safe. So, I was expecting the same routine here with Ted 2 and, finally, I wasn't disappointed. Ted 2 is everything I was hoping the original to be and is one of those rare instances (especially in the comedy genre) where the sequel is better than the original.
This time around we find Ted a few years after the events of the first film married to Tammy-Lynn. The two are having marital trouble and realize it's because they don't have a child in their lives. In an attempt to strengthen their marriage they go to adopt a child only to find out that Ted legally can't because in the eyes of the law, he's not considered human. So, Ted and his thunder buddy John hire Samantha Jackson (Amanda Seyfried) to take on the government and get Ted declared legally human. This proves to be a harder task than normal. Along the way, terrible, offensive, off the wall, lowbrow, bodily, and hilarious humor is found. Everything you would expect from your typical MacFarlane film.
I have to publicly address one thing before I continue... I do not like Family Guy. I grew up watching The Simpsons and have come to love and understand that it is the greatest television show (not just cartoon) to be on television. True, the last few years have been quite terrible, but it's been on longer than I've been alive and that's just saying something. Family Guy took The Simpsons' formula, spun it in a much more obscene direction filled with flashback non-sequitors and essentially bastardized The Simpsons. Now, that being said, I have the utmost respect for Seth MacFarlane. I've come to realize that while Family Guy isn't my cup of tea... it's not dumb. It's a particular brand of humor that most people can enjoy. I listened to an interview with MacFarlane when he said that there's no continuity or characterization because all they literally do when making the episodes is try and make the audience laugh as many times as they can through any means necessary. MacFarlane has the privilaged ability to be able to make fun of anyone or anything he likes. This is a Hollywood rarity these days with this country as sensitive and apologetic as it has become. In fact, other than Trey Parker and Matt Stone, MacFarlane is really the only other comedian who is able to poke fun at anything, no matter how sensitive that subject may be, and illicit laughs instead of anger. That's what I respect. And he's finally able to unleash his load of insults and comedy and no-holds-barred comedy unto the live action world with Ted 2.
The comedy in Ted 2 is a lot more ballsy than the first one. There are some topics joked about that are much too soon to be talked about and trudge across that boundary much further than it should... but because it is MacFarlane... it's okay. I found myself laughing heartily, feeling bad about what I was laughing at, then laughing again at the balls he's got and the absurdity of the situations. Ted 2 is much more frequent with the laughs, unlike the first film which felt a lot more sporadic. And the chemistry between both John and Ted and John and Samantha are better than the first film. Mila Kunis... and Mark Wahlberg was a terrible idea and her character was so unlikable. Amanda Seyfriend brings that chemistry back to the two of them together and we like them much more.
Comedies usually suffer the most when it comes to sequels. Most of the time the sequel tries to replicate the magic from the first movie by putting the characters in the same situation they were already in with higher stakes and slight variations of jokes told in the first film, only twisted a bit. And most comedy sequels usually end up unfunny, unoriginal, and hated (see: The Hangover 2). However, Ted 2 doesn't feel like a carbon comedy copy of the first film, but rather a continuation of it. It feels like the next episode rather than the part two. I think this stems from MacFarlane being in television for so long he's able to continue a story without replicating the same jokes over and over again.
This time around we're given a funnier, fresher, and better version of Ted. This is the Ted I was hoping to get when I saw the first one. Yes, it's terribly crude and tasteless and ribald and profane... but if you can let that uppity side of you go and allow yourself to laugh at drug humor, spilled semen, and shit jokes... you will actually have a great time. And, if you even liked the first movie, you'll love the sequel.
B+
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