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Like Seth MacFarlane? You'll Like Ted

Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis star in stuffed-bear comedy

By Matt Cantor,  Newser Staff

Posted Jun 29, 2012 11:40 AM CDT

(Newser) – Seth MacFarlane's first feature film is, well, pretty much what you'd expect from the Family Guy guy: a lot of bathroom humor and not a lot of story. So is it worth seeing? That depends on your tastes:

  • "Tolerant amusement is pretty much the best this harmless little picture is able to manage, even though it strives for obnoxious hilarity," writes AO Scott in the New York Times. MacFarlane "has no particular visual knack, little interest in storytelling, and nothing better to do with his naughty bear besides stuff him into a soft, sentimental comedy that seems almost proud of its lack of wit or conviction."

  • The Globe and Mail is more forgiving: "As unabashedly idiotic movie comedies go, Ted goes fairly well," the paper notes. "It’s rude, crude, lewd, and often funny. In other words, it’s a lot like MacFarlane’s animated show transferred to the big screen in a live-action story."
  • At Newsday, Rafer Guzman sees "a very real heart" to the film. "This may sound silly, but the two humans and one bear make a pretty convincing dramatic triangle."
  • Heart? David Haglund firmly disagrees. "There’s a cruel edge to so much of MacFarlane’s comedy—the quintessential MacFarlane joke may be a punch in the face," he writes in Slate.

This film image released by Universal Pictures shows Mark Wahlberg with the character Ted, voiced by Seth MacFarlane.
This film image released by Universal Pictures shows Mark Wahlberg with the character Ted, voiced by Seth MacFarlane.   (AP Photo/Universal Pictures)
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A trailer for the film.   (YouTube)

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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 7 comments
Nxxxx
Jun 29, 2012 5:39 PM CDT
What's the bet MacFarlane watched a lot of Wilfred?
carbonated_turtle
Jun 29, 2012 1:14 PM CDT
Seth MacFarlane isn't bad, it's that gargoyle Marky Mark who I can't stand.
chillette
Jun 29, 2012 11:52 AM CDT
I like the Family Guy but a big screen version of a terrible ripoff of a terrible show called "Alf" is why no one goes to the movies.
 

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