Ted

Who would wish for a foul-mouthed teddy bear?

Well, the newly crowned comic genius Mark Walberg does in this fully R-rated flick. When John (Walberg) is young he doesn’t have many friends. And by many, I mean none. So, after he gets a teddy bear for Christmas John wishes that the bear can speak and be his best friend forever. The next morning Ted is brought to life and freaks out the entire family. John immediately starts his life with his new companion, while Ted becomes an instant celebrity.

Cut to present day and Ted (voiced by the comic chameleon Seth MacFarland) is just a past-tense novelty. As the narrator goes, eventually all the Cory Feldman’s, Frankie Muniz’s and Justin Bieber’s go to shit. Well, they at least fade somewhat. Now 35-year-old John is still living with his teddy bear and his girlfriend of four years Lori (the feisty Mila Kunis).

The film follows John as he attempts to grow up and cut ties from Ted for the sake of his romantic relationship. Muniz is perfect as the girlfriend who wants John to move on from his childhood, but also knows how much his friend means to him. She balances the conflicting ideals with grace on-screen.

MacFarland also directs this film which has some hints of his TV shows. There are some alternative shots thrown in to give the film campiness at times. But that’s what he does. If you don’t enjoy “Family Guy” you’re probably not going to enjoy his humor here.

This film has it all: humor, surprising sensitivity and climactic fight scenes. It’s probably the average guy movie, but one their girlfriends will actually want to go to.

This movie has a lot of heart, I mean, it does star a teddy bear.