It’s been nearly three years to the day since I reviewed the original Ted, a film that I certainly enjoyed but one I felt had very little comedic re-watchability, if you will. It had some hilarious moments and, for the most part, I laughed the entire time. Ted 2 is no different than the first when it comes to entertainment value, but is it better or worse than the first? Keep reading to find out.
Directed by and featuring the voice of Seth MacFarlane, Ted 2 focuses on the new marriage between Ted and Tami-Lynn though, after a year of marriage, the relationship seems on the brink of disaster. In an effort to save their marriage, the two decide to have a baby but when it comes time to qualify as a parent, their baby adventure hits a roadblock when Ted is deemed to be considered a piece of property and not a person. The film follows Ted’s civil rights struggle as he, his best friend John (Mark Wahlberg), and their young and hungry lawyer Samantha (Amanda Seyfried) take their case to court.
I love the relevancy of Ted 2. It could have been easy for Ted 2 to be a mindless and uninspired sequel with a pretty run of the mill storyline but instead McFarlane and Co opted for something a little more socially conscious while putting a raunchy twist on it. At the same time, a chunk of the story is exactly the same as the first which, while funny at times, felt like a lazy way to end the movie and an unnecessary way to bring an old character back.
As for the film itself, Ted 2 is super funny. There is a strong chance that many of the jokes have been ruined for you in the commercials and trailers but, if you were able to avoid those things, then you’ll be in for a fun time. There are a lot of great moments and surprises in the film that offer some gut punching laughs, but there are also instances where they are trying too hard and the jokes don’t work.
I did have a couple of issues with the film. The first is that it was a little too long. I don’t know why comedies these days are teetering on the two hour duration mark but it rarely works. After a while, either the jokes get old or the film is stretched too much that you’re left with too much extra non-sense, like romance, songs, dances, what have you. MacFarlane clearly added some Family Guy elements to this flick and while some of them hit the mark perfectly (like the Trix cereal scene), others scenes caused unnecessary delays which created moments of boredom that could have easily avoided. I blame part of this on his obsession with musicals and the need to include a full performance in the movie.
So where do I really stand on Ted 2? I think it’s a stoner comedy that people are going to enjoy for the most part. I personally felt that it wasn’t as funny as the first but I really appreciated the story and shenanigans a bit more in this one. If you loved the first film there is no doubt in my mind that you’ll like this one. The Family Guy style bits mixed with stoner humor is a surefire formula to get the original fans back in the theater and maybe even encourage new ones to seek it out.
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