Ted 2 Movie Review

My Rating: 6/10 RENT IT

In Seth MacFarlane’s follow up to the 2012 hit, Ted faces his most difficult challenge yet; to prove he is a citizen and not an object. Right off the bat, I’ll say that the film is funny. However, as is common with all of MacFarlane’s work, there are a lot of jokes which simply don’t land. This movie is basically just MacFarlane throwing jokes at you to see what works.

Now there are some great scenes in this movie. I recall a hilarious homage to Jurassic Park, as well as an over-the-top rendition of John Candy’s Mess Around scene from Planes, Trains & Automobiles. Liam Neeson makes a delightful cameo, which very well may be the highlight of the film.

However, many of the jokes simply don’t land. Ted or Mark Wahlberg’s character, John, will deliver their joke, then comes the pause for laughter and… Silence. This is no surprise, though. In all of MacFarlane’s work, from Family Guy to A MIllion Ways To Die in the West, he has proved that he can be just as lame as he is hilarious.

The real error in this movie is the lack of subtlety. Everything is so in-your-face and fast-paced. Everytime Ted opens his mouth, he spits out at east ten jokes. It’s like a comedian who doesn’t know what comedy is, so he just talks really fast, telling every joke he has ever heard, in hopes that people will start laughing. There is no comedic timing whatsoever.

I know people are going to scoff at me about this, but I need to mention the acting. Wahlberg is dreadful. I’ve honestly had a really hard time trying to figure out if this guy is a good actor or not. Even Amanda Seyfried, who I usually love to watch was lacking. The best performance in the movie goes to Giovanni Ribisi, who plays the sociopath, constantly trying to abduct Ted.

If I can leave my readers with anything, it is this; Remember Giovanni Ribisi. He is, without a doubt, one of the most talented, underrated actors in Hollywood. He has some astounding performances in films like Saving Private Ryan, as well as some hilarious performances, such as his recurring character, Ralph, in My Name Is Earl. He is a versatile actor who is extremely under-appreciated.

I don’t have much more to say about this movie because there really isn’t much to say about it in general. Its a one-note film that will be forgotten in a couple of weeks. Don’t bother seeing it in theaters, but it is worth renting, if you want to turn your brain off and have a few laughs.

Do you agree with me? Was I too hard on the movie, or not hard enough? Let me know what you think in the comment section below!