Understuffed
Ted 2 was released on June 26 and scored a 46 percent out of 100 according to Rotten Tomatoes. This may be due to the fact that critics say that Seth MacFarlane has lost his way with comedic films and should stick with his animated TV series, Family Guy.
When Ted hit theaters in 2012, America’s loveable teddy bear and his best pal, John Bennett (Mark Wahlberg) were unstoppable. Between the humorous jokes and action, fans could not wait for the sequel. And just when you thought that the long wait for Ted 2 was worth it, calling out “9/11” for a famous event at a comedy club maybe made you think writers took the humor a bit too far.
The story starts out with Ted (Seth MacFarlane) and his longtime girlfriend, Tami-Lynn (Jessica Barth) getting married, but after a year with the knot tied, the relationship has spiraled downhill and Ted thinks the only way to save it is to have a baby. However, Ted later finds out that in order to qualify to be a parent, he will have to prove he’s a person in a court of law. Now with the help of John, local lawyer Samantha Jackson (Amanda Seyfried) and famous civil rights lawyer Patrick Meghan (Morgan Freeman), the demand for justice is on.
As the film goes on, the offensive and inappropriate jokes ensue, such as making fun of sickle cell disease and celebrities Kim Kardashian and Caitlyn Jenner. However, this does not come as a surprise from MacFarlane, as he has been pulling the same immature gags for more than a decade on his Emmy-nominated show, Family Guy. Sure, I chuckled a couple of times, but I hated myself for doing it after.
Although most of the jokes may seem unsuitable, when Ted was asked if he had a soul and responded by singing the classic soul song, “At This Moment” by Tom Jones, I found myself enjoying a legitimately unoffensive, classic joke.
Besides the antics, the two cameos made by actor Liam Neeson and New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady intrigued the audience. Neeson was seen buying Trix at the supermarket where Ted works, but questions whether or not to buy the cereal after recalling the slogan, “Trix are for kids.” Brady, on the other hand, was seen sleeping after Ted and John break into his mansion.
Despite the cameos and jokes, Ted 2 lacks originality and follows the same story outline as the first Ted: inappropriate jokes and gestures throughout the film and Ted being in danger of being kidnapped by his nemesis, Donny.
According to Cinema Blend, Ted 3 may already be a go, so if it appears to follow the same story outline, Ted might as well be dead.
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