Film Review: Ted 2

Seth MacFarlane’s Ted 2 is an apt follow-up to the 2012 hit comedy. The brand of humour will not appeal to all, but there’s certainly an audience who will find the film very funny.

Ted, still working at the supermarket, is now married and seeks to adopt a child with his wife. When the process raises questions of Ted’s legitimacy as a person, he enlists best friend John and young lawyer Samantha on his quest for civil rights…

Director and co-writer Seth MacFarlane offers more of the same with this sequel to the comedy hit Ted.  The film once again relies on crude comedy and pop culture references as its source of humour. Ted 2 might not be sophisticated, but it should make viewers laugh.

This time around, the narrative concentrates on Ted being denied basic rights and taking the matter to court. It is perhaps not the tangent fans of the first film would expect Ted 2 to take. Nevertheless, the plot of the first film demanded that this sequel explored a different avenue, and the theme of the film is perfectly adequate.

The comedy is crude, relying on a similar set of jokes as the first film. If the pot-and-pop-culture references suit viewers, then Ted 2 definitely works as a comedy. Some of the jokes are vulgar, others are juvenile, but most are successful. The film is littered with little cutaways, not unlike MacFarlane’s Family Guy.

Mark Wahlberg reprises his role as John. This time, he plays second fiddle to MacFarlane’s voicing of Ted. Amanda Seyfried is a good addition to the cast, in that she plays a central female character with similar characteristics to the pair. Ted 2 tries to be a little more evolved with its views than its predecessor, and this is a welcome change.

Ted 2 delivers the style of humour that MacFarlane fans will be accustomed to. No real surprises here, but entertaining for those who enjoyed the first outing.

Previews: Inside Out TV Spot, Maggie Trailer and More

A cornucopia of film-related goodness in this week’s preview of coming attractions, including the latest Inside Out TV spot, a Terminator Genisys featurette, Maggie trailer and lots more…

Inside Out TV Spot

Here is the latest Inside Out TV spot. The Disney Pixar film has been doing fantastic business in the US, and looks certain to replicate that in the UK with its summer holiday’s release. With the voices of Amy Poehler, Bill Hader and Mindy Kaling, Inside Out hits UK screens on 24th July 2015.

Terminator Genisys Featurette

The cast and crew of upcoming Terminator Genisys talk about protagonist Sarah Connor in this new featurette. The famous action heroine is played by Game of Thrones‘ Emilia Clarke, who indicates that there will be nods to the original film in this latest instalment of the franchise. Terminator Genisys is released on 2nd July 2015.

Ant-Man TV Spot

Marvel’s latest super hero to receive the big-screen treatment is Ant-Man. From the above TV spots and earlier trailers, the film looks to offer a fair amount of humour. Starring Paul Rudd and Michael Douglas, Ant-Man launches its way onto the big screen on 17th July 2015.

Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation Poster

Tom Cruise returns as Ethan Hunt in the five instalment of the Mission: Impossible film franchise. Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation sees the IMF disbanded, leaving Ethan and his team trying to combat deadly terror attacks. With Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg and Ving Rhames also returning, Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation bursts into cinemas on 30th July 2015.

Maggie Trailer

Arnold Schwarzenegger must once again play the hero in new thriller Maggie. The film is a teenage girl who is infected during a zombie outbreak, and her father’s efforts to protect her. Also starring Abigail Breslin, Maggie is set for release on 24th July 2015.

Ted 2 Trailer

So teddy bears coming to life is something that I dream about. Ted is a little lewd for my tastes, but the first film was enjoyable enough. Ted 2 reunites Mark Wahlberg and Seth McFarlane, and brings on board Amanda Seyfried as Ted’s lawyer. Ted 2 hits the big screen on 8th July 2015 in the UK.

Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension Trailer

The trailer for the latest instalment of the Paranormal Activity franchise is here. Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension sees a family discover some old VHS tapes which hold a nasty surprise. The conclusion of the horror franchise is scheduled for release on 30th October 2015.

Vacation Poster

Here is the latest poster for upcoming comedy Vacation. The film is the latest in the National Lampoon franchise, and sees a grown-up Rusty Griswold (Ed Helms) taking his family on a road-trip vacation. Also starring Christina Applegate, Leslie Mann and Chris Hemsworth, Vacation is release in UK cinemas on 21st August 2015.

The Secret Life of Pets Trailer

I know what pets to all day; the nap and eat and nap some more. That is to say, they live the life. New animated comedy The Secret Life of Pets takes us behind closed doors. Featuring the voices of Louis C.K., Ellie Kemper and Hannibal Buress, The Secret Life of Pets  is set for release on 24th June 2016.

Fantastic Four Photo Shoot

Here are the stars of the new Fantastic Four film looking dapper. Miles Teller, Michael B. Jordan, Kate Mara and Jamie Bell star as the superhero quartet in the reboot of the Marvel franchise. Fantastic Four launches its way onto the big screen on 6th August 2015.

Spectre Vlog

Here is the latest blog from the set of new James Bond move Spectre. Director Sam Mendes discusses filming a scene that takes place amidst the Day of the Dead festival in Mexico City. Starring Daniel Craig and Christoph Waltz, Spectre will be released on 6th November 2015.

Magic Mike XXL Clip

The marketing for sequel Magic Mike XXL has been wonderful. This latest clip suggests the tongue-in-cheek attitude will continue in the film. Whereas the first film descended into schmaltz, here’s hoping this instalment will keep the tone humorous. The film is, after all, about male entertainers. Magic Mike XXL is released in cinemas on 3rd July 2015.

The Hottest Characters of 2012

As 2012 commenced, I had planned to do another Dogs on Film feature for the end of the year. However 2012 has been low on amazing dogs on the big screen. Instead, I decided to make a list of the top five hottest characters to appear in film this year. Enjoy!

1. ’80s Robot

Is there anything on Earth better than a robot from the 1980s? I think not. Nostalgia-fest The Muppets gave us the finest gift in the form of ’80s Robot. The manservant of Kermit, ’80s Robot offers guests Tab Cola and New Coke, speaks eighties slang and has a dial-up modem. That sound. God bless ’80s Robot for reminding us of the wonderment of the 1980s.

The Muppets is available now on DVD and Blu-Ray.

2. Mr Bobo

The virtues of Mr Bobo from The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists have been extolled on these pages before. Suffice to say, you can’t really go wrong with a monocle-wearing monkey butler. Especially one who communicates through subtitled cards.

The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists is available now on DVD and Blu-Ray.

3. Robot

It has been a good year for robots. Although Robot & Frank does not get a UK release until 2013, I saw the film this year so Robot goes on the list. Robot is a everyone’s dream; a butler who will wake you with breakfast, ensure you have activities for the day, and may just help you break the law. The morning after seeing Robot & Frank, I was so disappointed to be woken by my phone alarm and not my robot butler.

Robot & Frank is released in cinemas on 8th March 2013.

4. Mr Whiskers

Mr Whiskers narrowly beats Sparky from Frankenweenie to earn his place on the list. Mr Whiskers’ facial expression, his delivery of ‘meow’ and the fact that when he dreams about someone he poos their initial all add up to one memorable character. What occurs later in the film only adds to this.

Frankenweenie is released on DVD and Blu-Ray on 11th February 2013.

5. Ted

A teddy bear who comes to life. For this premise alone Ted should make the list. However, Ted is rather adorable-looking to boot. Granted, he is far more lewd than my pristine teddies would ever be, but he also is fun. Also, he appears most amusing when sitting on top of a dog.

Ted is available now on DVD and Blu-Ray.

Film Review: Ted

Those familiar with the level of crassness associated with Seth MacFarlane will be greatly amused and entertained by Ted. Occasionally close to the bone, Ted is nevertheless very funny.

As a child, John Bennett wishes that his teddy bear would come to life. When that wish comes true, John is the happiest boy in the world. As an adult, John is still best friends with Ted. John and Ted’s friendship is tested when John’s girlfriend Lori wants more from their relationship…

Ted offers a premise that most children would dream of; a cherished teddy bear coming to life. Despite this childhood wish fulfilment, and indeed the amusing opening gambit, MacFarlane’s film offers the flipside to what could have been an enchanting tale. John has to deal with Ted as an adult, a bear who appears to be stuck in perpetual adolescence while John needs to mature for the sake of his relationship. Whilst Ted is an amusing and affable character, it would be a hard sell to describe him as cute and cuddly.

The jokes in Ted are frequent, and hit the mark the vast majority of the time. Seth MacFarlane’s imprint is all over the film; fans of Family Guy will recognise several facets. There are plenty of references, particularly to 1980s popular culture. There are also some great cameos in the film.

The more emotional content of Ted works surprisingly well, most likely because it is couched by humour instead of becoming indulgently sentimental. The narration at the beginning of the film is a fantastic introduction, and a good indicator of the type of humour that viewers can expect. Mark Wahlberg shows off his comedy skills as John. Mila Kunis is as watchable as ever as Lori. Voicing Ted, MacFarlane’s voice brings life and personality to the character.

 

Trailer Round-Up

This week’s pick of trailers include horror movie Silent House, the George Lucas-produced Red Tails and Seth MacFarlane’s Ted.

Savages

Savages combines a number of enticing elements. Directed by Oliver Stone, the film is based on Don Winslow’s best-selling crime novel. Savages boasts a stellar ensemble cast that includes Salma Hayek, John Travolta, Blake Lively and Taylor Kitsch, who has very much been on the radar in 2012. The action thriller is due for release on 28th September 2012, in the UK.

Red Tails

Red Tails is based on the true story of World War II’s first African American fighter squadron. The first thing that struck me about the publicity for the film was the hot 80s-esque type font. Produced by George Lucas, Red Tails is directed by Anthony Hemingway (who has a solid career in television, including The Wire). Red Tails is released on 6th June 2012.

Ted

Just like the trailer suggests, as a child I always wanted my teddies to come alive. Actually, as an adult, I still wish for this. Ted is a new comedy from Family Guy-creator Seth MacFarlane. Written, directed and voiced by MacFarlane, the film is sure to offer the same brand of close-to-the-bone humour. Ted, which stars Mark Wahlberg and Mila Kunis, is released on 3rd August 2012.

Silent House

Silent House is a horror film that takes place in real time and in one continuous take. I recently watched Rope again, which truly mastered the long take in the late 1940s. It will be interesting to see how Silent House compares. The film is a remake of Uruguayan film La Casa Muda. Silent House, which stars Elizabeth Olsen, opens on 4th May 2012 in the UK.