Ted - Juvenile, infantile, puerile, stupid - I absolutely LOVED it!

There are some films that are so low brow they make you want to chew your own neck off ('Keith Lemon: The Movie,' I'm looking at you). Then there are others which are also pretty low brow, but actually work. I'm pleased to say that 'Ted' is one of them.  It's currently 2019 and I must have watched it at least five times now (yes, I own it) and I find myself laughing every time - not many comedies make me do that.

Ted is the tale of a young boy's magical wish to bring his cuddly teddy bear to life so that they can be best friends forever. He gets his wish and Ted stays with him until adulthood, which causes more than a few complications with his long-suffering girlfriend.  Mark Wahlberg plays 'John' the (now man) who still lives with his teddy bear who, it's worth noting, now indulges in casual sex and drug-taking since falling from fame on the celebrity circuit.  Now, normally Wahlberg plays the kind of 'tough guy' roles in his films (excluding the slightly misguided role in 'The Happening' as a science teacher!) so he's a bit out of his comfort zone in a wacky comedy.  However, I'm pleased to say that he does the job well as the long-suffering adult who's trying to break free of his childhood relationship.  Mila Kunis plays his love interest and, although she gives a perfectly functional performance with the lines she's given, all the best lines go to the guys/bears.

If you didn't know, Ted is Seth ('Family Guy/American Dad/The Cleveland Show') MacFarland's first big screen outing and the bottom line is that, if you've seen and enjoyed any of his shows, you'll probably enjoy 'Ted.' His writing is not meant to be subtle. Some of it can be shocking, other bits offensive. He (like 'Family Guy') has an `open insult' policy, where no one is beyond being made fun of. Despite the fact that he does cover some controversial topics, he mainly makes fun of eighties movies and TV, plus some healthy ribbing of B-list celebrities.  You may need to be up on your 'pop culture' to 'get' every single last one of the jokes (even I don't claim to understand every last reference in either 'Ted' or 'Family Guy!').

I think there should also be a mention for the special effects.  However they've managed it the people behind the cameras have done brilliantly at combining a computer-generated character (Ted) with the real world around him and the interactions are so seamless that you'll forget he's probably not really there most of the time (and props to the actors for being able to act opposite these limitations).

It's crude, but it's funny. As long as you set you mind at that level and know what you're getting, you should have more than a few laughs with a bear who swears and engages in recreational drug-taking (not to mention is quite a hit with the ladies - you'll have to watch the film to see that bit).
Enjoy a real life `swear bear!'

9/10 almost as perfect as The Godfather