{2jtab: Movie Review}

Ted - Blu-ray Review

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3 Stars

Seth MacFarlane, creator of Family Guy and American Dad, knows a thing or two about subversive comedy.  With Ted, he creates a live-action movie about a teddy bear that comes to life as part of a lonely boy’s falling star wish and the military technology that hard-wires his inner stuffing.  The freak bear becomes a celebrity and, as the world loses interest, has only the boy, now grown, to party and talk about chicks with.  While funny, Ted’s cutesy heart feels a bit forced as one too many Family Guy jokes are recycled and, after a promising opening, operates as your traditional rom-com in which a mostly unfunny Mark Whalberg must win back the uber-hot Mila Kunis.

Mel Gibson’s The Beaver it is not.  Get those comparisons out of your head.  Ted is a comedy through and through.  It’s perfectly lighthearted and, for anyone who has ever seen one episode of Family Guy, as vulgar as can be.  Hysterically off-putting and it’s all in a good way, although don’t assume that just because it features a Teddy Ruxpin-like talking bear that it’s safe for kids.  No, no, no, Ted is not for kids.  His voice is deep (and voiced by MacFarlane) and all he wants to do is drink, get high, and have sex with women.  Cuddly little fella, ain’t he?

It’s all fun and games in his life with John (Wahlberg) until Lois (Kunis) demands that John grow up a bit.  The boozing must cease; the bromance must temper a bit; the bong must be put down…all for the sake of their relationship.  Can Johnny do it?  Can Ted get a job?  Find another apartment?  Keep a girlfriend?

Pay no attention to the humans.  Ted is the real star here.  MacFarlane’s societal attacks and pop culture quips roar by as the talking teddy bear manages to live outside of Wahlberg’s watchful eye.  He hangs out with hookers, hits on the ladies, charms the pants off his boss while breaking every law known, and manages to win you over with his inappropriateness.  You know, it's essentially everything MacFarlane can't do on television.  Mind you, it's not as exploitative as it should be - some of us expect MacFarlane to push the hot button a little bit harder and deeper.  Can you feel that?!?!

To his credit, MacFarlane has crafted a rom-com that certainly doesn’t insult its audience.  Oh, it’s largely predictable but MacFarlane’s lovingly-created nods to, of all things, Flash Gordon (!!!!) and copious amounts of free-flowing beer is appreciated it.  And, let’s face it, anyone who is currently or has suffered from a cold, cold case of arrested development will certainly applaud the movie with their own particular brand of warm fuzzies.

Ted continues MacFarlane’s comedic conquest of the airwaves; it just doesn’t feel as fresh as it once was.

{2jtab: Film Details}

Ted - Blu-ray ReviewMPAA Rating: R for crude and sexual content, pervasive language, and some drug use.
Runtime:
106 mins.
Director
: Seth MacFarlane
Writer: Seth MacFarlane
Cast: Mark Wahlberg; Mila Kunis; Seth McFarlane; Joel McHale; Giovanni Ribisi
Genre: Comedy
Tagline:
Ted
Memorable Movie Quote: "Oh hey listen, try this, I told my weed guy to step it up and he gave me that."
Distributor:
Universal Pictures
Official Site:
http://www.tedisreal.com
Release Date: June 29, 2012
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date:
December 11, 2012

Synopsis: Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane brings his boundary-pushing brand of humor to the big screen for the first time as writer, director and voice star of Ted. In the live action/CG-animated comedy, he tells the story of John Bennett (Mark Wahlberg), a grown man who must deal with the cherished teddy bear who came to life as the result of a childhood wish... and has refused to leave his side ever since.

{2jtab: Blu-ray Review}

Ted - Blu-ray Review

Component Grades
Movie

Blu-ray Disc
3 Stars

5 Stars



Blu-ray Experience
4 stars

Blu-ray

Blu-ray Details:

Available on Blu-ray - December 11, 2012
Screen Formats: 1.85:1
Subtitles
: English SDH, French, Spanish
Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1; French: DTS 5.1; Spanish: DTS 5.1
Discs: 50GB Blu-ray Disc; Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD); UV digital copy; DVD copy; BD-Live; Mobile features

Go ahead and put the magnifying lenses away. This transfer is flawless.  Shot digitally using the Panavision Genesis camera, Ted is the most perfect-looking hi-def transfer you’ll ever take a peek at. The pictorial resolution is sharp, with strong blacks and whites throughout, and it’s perfectly balanced to provide the most accurate colors possible. Fleshtones are warm and perfect and the disc’s many fine details are innumerable. You’ll stare transfixed at the screen and its many moments of actual thread and fiber count. The eyes definitely get a good workout. The audio, also incredible, is presented in lossless English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, and is fairly active for a comedy.

Supplements:

Commentary:

  • Provided by Director/Co-Writer Seth MacFarlane, Co-Writer Alec Sulkin, and Mark Wahlberg, the commentary track is a fan’s true delight.  It’s hysterical and specific to the film’s many scenes and, as expected from a commentary, covers the entire production.  It’s enthusiastically informing and lots of fun to listen to.

Special Features:

This combo release from Universal comes in a standard Blu-ray case (including a slip cover) which houses two discs – the Blu-ray and the DVD. There's an insert with an online code for the digital and Ultraviolet copies.  As far as supplementals go, a collection of outtakes and bloopers is the highlight.  Following that is a 25-minute standard making-of featurette that shows how MacFarlane, wearing a motion-capture suit throughout the movie, was able to make Ted come to life in post-production.  There’s also a collection of deleted scenes that didn’t make the final cut of the film and a brief featurette on the fight between teddy bear and man.

  • Gag Reel (7 min)
  • The Making Of ‘Ted’ (25 min)
  • Deleted Scenes (15 min)
  • Alternate Takes (11 min)
  • Teddy Bear Scuffle (6 min)

{2jtab: Trailer}

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